How to Write a Killer Job Description that Attracts A-Players
How to Write a Killer Job Description that Attracts A-Players
In today’s competitive landscape, every company is racing to produce the next big thing. The key to that is having A-players on your team. But here’s the challenge: top talent has more choices than ever.
How does your company stand out? It starts with writing a decent job description.
It’s shocking — many companies don’t realise that their job descriptions speak volumes about their brand. Think of your job description as the first marketing touchpoint with the A-players that you want to attract.
A poor job description can cost you the best candidates and hurt your employer brand. But a great one? It’ll have top talents knocking at your door.
The Playbook: Writing Job Descriptions that Convert
1. Write an Attention-Grabbing Title
On most job portals, the job title is the first thing applicants see. Would you imagine an A-player jumping on the job ad of ‘Customer Support Manager’? Try ‘Client Experience Lead’ or ‘Head of Client Success Strategy’.
Likewise, instead of HR Manager, try ‘People & Culture Director’. Or consider ‘Revenue Growth Strategist’ for ‘Sales Representative’.
The job stays the same but looks much better on resume. Your A-player will reward your company for being creative here.
2. Sell Your Vision
Why should someone amazing want to work for you? A-players want to be part of something inspiring. Motivate them with your company’s vision — and back it up with concrete numbers.
For example, instead of ‘We’re a leading software company,’ try ‘We’re building the future of remote work, helping over 10,000 teams collaborate better. Our mission? To make work feel less like work.’
3. Make It About Them, Not Just You
Don’t get me wrong. Writing a job description is not just about selling your company; it is about speaking to the applicant.
Address applicants by focusing on who they are — not where they graduate or how many software programmes they can master. For a customer service role, try this:
‘You approach challenges with creativity, and you won’t stop until you ‘ve found a way to bring smiles on people’s face. You’re flexible and thriving in fast-paced environments, while adapting to new information and changing needs.’
Think about the attributes you’re seeking in the role. For a sales position, highlight traits like ‘people-loving’, ‘goal-driven’ and ‘persistent,’ to attract the right candidates.
4. Specific Yet Carefully Curated Requirements
Forget generic lists. Be specific about what you need. Break down requirements into ‘Must have’ and ‘Nice to have’. This helps candidates self-select, saving everyone time.
For technical roles, list the exact technologies they'll use. For soft skills, give examples of how they'll apply them.
However, avoid treating the job description like a bargain basket, where more items in the basket mean better value. Overloading it with details can dilute key qualities, deter qualified applicants, attract overqualified ones, appear unrealistic (a.k.a. no clear priorities) and increase time-to-hire.
5. Show, Don’t Just Tell, About Your Culture
Instead of stating, ‘We're innovative,’ provide examples: ‘We run weekly innovation sprints where anyone can pitch new ideas.’
Vague culture statements are just fluff without proof points. Back up your claims with real examples.
Share perks that reflect your values. Saying, ‘We offer unlimited vacation because we trust our team to manage their time’ conveys much more than simply ‘great work-life balance.’
6. Address the Elephant in the Room: Compensation
A-players treasure their time and energy, and know their worth. Being coy about compensation could waste everyone’s time. Applicants will appreciate transparency.
If you can’t provide exact numbers, at least include a salary range and mention other benefits.
7. Give Applications a Twist
Adding specific application requirements can help you filter out mass applicants and allow candidates to better understand the role.
For instance, if you want someone who follows instructions, give specific requirements on what they should and should not include in their application. For sales roles, you could ask for a 1-min video pitching a favourite product. For marketing positions, ask candidates to identify something to improve on your website or in your marketing strategies and propose a solution.
The tasks should align with the quality or skills you are looking for in the applicants.
Pro Tips
· Be clear about what success in the role looks like.
· Use bullet points liberally. No one likes reading walls of text.
· Proofread! Typos in job descriptions scream, ‘We don’t care about quality.’
· Avoid boring, corporate-speak descriptions.
The Hard Truth: Your job description is your employer brand’s first handshake. A weak one loses top talents instantly while a strong one open doors to A-players.
Make every word count!
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