Are you searching for the ideal candidate? Start with a clear, concise, and engaging job description! It’s the first thing potential applicants notice, and it can make or break their decision to apply. But here’s the real question: is your job description attracting top talent—or driving them away? We’ve come across plenty of poorly crafted job descriptions that can scare off even the most qualified professionals. Let’s dive into what makes a bad job description—and how you can improve it.
1. The Problem: Overwhelming Lists of Responsibilities
The first 15 seconds of reading a job description are crucial. If a candidate feels overwhelmed by an endless list of responsibilities, they’ll likely move on without a second thought. Long-winded sentences packed with unnecessary jargon can deter even highly qualified individuals.
For example, experienced specialists often avoid job postings that expect them to be a "jack of all trades." They’d rather deepen their expertise in a focused role than juggle countless unrelated tasks.
How to Improve Job Descriptions
To make your job description stand out and attract the right talent, follow these tips:
Prioritize Key Responsibilities
Focus on the most critical tasks. Save the finer details for interviews or supplementary materials. Candidates don’t need to know every possible responsibility upfront.
Break Down Complex Tasks
Divide responsibilities into smaller, manageable chunks. Use bullet points with simple, direct phrasing.
Stick to 5–8 Key Points
A concise list makes the role feel achievable and allows candidates to see the main responsibilities at a glance. Additional details can be shared after the initial screening.
Write in Plain English
Avoid overloading the description with technical jargon or corporate buzzwords. Simple language ensures clarity and appeals to a broader audience.
TIP: Use the responsibilities section solely for describing tasks. If you want to share your company’s values, mention them in the company description. Similarly, details like "utilizing Django or Flask" belong in the Requirements or Tech Stack section.
2. Why Clear Job Descriptions Matter
Crafting job descriptions with unclear duties can have unintended consequences. A short list of responsibilities might seem efficient, but it often raises red flags for potential candidates. They may suspect you're withholding crucial details, leading them to question whether the role will meet their expectations—or if they’ll end up with a "mystery" job.
The first listing is too general. With limited details, candidates are left guessing about what the role entails. Ambiguity creates confusion and can attract applications from candidates who may not be the right fit. As a result, hiring managers spend more time screening irrelevant CVs.
How to Fix This
A great job description is specific, engaging, and transparent. Here’s how to make yours more effective:
Be Detailed but Concise: List 5-7 key responsibilities that represent the role's core tasks.
Avoid Ambiguity: Replace phrases like “Other duties as assigned” with specific examples of additional responsibilities.
Highlight Value: Explain how the role contributes to the team or company’s success.
The second version provides clarity, sets expectations, and paints a realistic picture of the role. By being specific, you’ll attract qualified candidates who are excited about the opportunity and align with your needs.
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3. Overdemanding Requirement List:
As we have already understood, any long lists are a big no-no. The length is not even the biggest no: unrealistic demands include 10 years of experience, compulsory certifications that are irrelevant to the position, and other non-essential requirements — create visual noise and demotivate candidates.
While these requirements might seem thorough, they risk alienating candidates who may be highly capable but lack one or two items on this extensive list. The sheer length could lead professionals to question whether their experience would even be valued.
In some cases, the job descriptions are not consistent, which can also lead to disorientation of the applicant. Take as an example:
The problem here is in either title or the line with needed experience. Both scenarios show that a mistake has been made while crafting a job description. It is not appropriate for an entry-level position to require 5 years of experience, as this would be more fitting for a more advanced role.
For an entry-level position, it is reasonable to expect some background, but this should be relevant to the skills needed for the position. It can include knowledge gained through volunteering, freelance work, or training, which should count towards the candidate's experience level.
How to improve:
Divide the qualifications into mandatory and optional ones, while the number of mandatory requirements is either equal to or less than the number of desired ones.
Follow a standard scheme: education (optional), experience, hard and soft skills, subsection "will be a plus".
It's best to avoid using the phrase "proven experience" when referring to soft skills, as it can be difficult to provide concrete evidence. In relation to hard skills, you can request a portfolio.
Show the rest in the long job description and provide it at the request of the candidate or immediately after the application.
4. Basic Needs Shown as Benefits:
According to the annual Employ survey, 26% of respondents not surprisingly marked learning and development opportunities as a top benefit at work. If your company does conduct any educational events, or employees are welcome to attend learning courses and process studying — it's worth mentioning in the description. Free snacks and unlimited coffee are basic needs in any office and should not be considered benefits.
To add benefits or not, that is the question.
The same survey states that 21% of people have switched industries because they were offered better benefits. That is the answer – they are a must. If you don’t have a strong incentive scheme, working with an outstaffing company like SD Solutions solves that problem. We have a full motivation pack that every team member hired by a staffing partner can get.
Expand your team, not your stress. We manage the complexities of global hiring, allowing you to grow without borders
5. Get OverCreative: Dean of Copywriters, IT Magician:
This is the case when creativity plays a low-down trick. While a catchy headline might initially grab someone's attention, it often ends up being a warning sign. These days, most job seekers view such postings as a red flag and don’t even start reading them.
How to improve:
Eliminate jargon – this way, applicants will understand the nature of the position.
Leave only the position in the title: Data Guru — No, but Data Operator — Yes.
If such words are in the body paragraphs, replacing them with more relevant ones is better. Understanding what drives your candidates is crucial in line with the changing job market, especially with the rise of Gen Z. Their values, including clear communication, are shaping their work expectations.
6. Irrelevant Title: Needed QA Specialist with Driver's License to Test the Mobile App
A bunch of words in the title may just show that you don't know who you need: QA Specialist or Driver. Unrelated titles scare off potentially ideal candidates. The inner reasons might be different; in some cases, the company truly needs a jack-of-all-trades, and in others, the recruiter simply wrote the job description poorly.
How to improve:
Details that will be a plus should be mentioned in the description.
If there are more than 5 words in the title, and most are unrelated to the position title, rewrite them.
Instead of “Needed QA Specialist with Driver's Licence to Test the Mobile App”, write “QA Specialist”
In the responsibilities section, include mobile app testing
In the requirements section, in will be a plus, include a Driver's Licence with an explanation of why it is needed (perhaps the office is far from the city and you provide a car).
Add a level to your title (Junior, Middle, Senior). This will increase your chances of success and minimise the time spent reviewing irrelevant applications
Avoid: urgently hiring, needed asap, etc. — such words make an impression that something has happened with the previous team member.
Example of a well-written description title:
7. Allthewordswrittentogether looking
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to invest time and effort in crafting a well-designed job description. Many job seekers usually overlook job postings with lengthy paragraphs where all the allthewordswrittentogether.
First of all, reading such a description can be torture. Secondly, there is a final question: on which points should I focus?
How to improve:
The minimum is to divide the text into paragraphs, add a bullet list, and make the sentences concise.
The maximum is to create visually-appealing text, with blocks, images and links, if it is allowed on the platform.
The “About Us” section should be concise and contain only the gist.
Create pdf job descriptions with everything included or the ones that can be published on specialised platforms.
8. Wrong wording - wrong impression
Work on your vocabulary and phrasing if you don't want your description to look like something from the last decade. Make sure that the text's manner and tone align with modern realities. The line "Looking for a woman over 30 for the position of an accountant" — sounds offensive, gender and age biased — better to replace it with neutral “Accountant”
We've given 6 examples of bad wording and tips on how to replace them:
Original Term | Better Version |
Eliminate | Take on board |
Proven experience in effective communication | Portfolio with recent developments |
Salary to be discussed, competitive wages | Either state the salary range or do not include it at all |
Flexible working hours | Flexible working hours (start from 9 am to 11 am) |
Superlatives: the best, the most efficient | Good at, can be..., experienced in |
Common buzzwords like self-starter, game changer | Can-do approach |
Gender biased: He/She, his/her | Gender neutral: They/You, their/yours |
Looking for a handyman | Gender neutral: Looking for a handy person |
Conclusion
A job description is more than just a list of tasks—it's your chance to make a great first impression. It’s the first thing candidates see, and it can either excite them about joining your team or push them away.
Think about it: would you apply for a job that feels overwhelming, unclear, or full of unrealistic demands? Probably not. And the same goes for the talented professionals you’re hoping to attract.
By keeping your descriptions clear, simple, and to the point, you’re not just filling a role—you’re showing candidates that your company values their time and expertise. A well-written job description helps you stand out, build trust, and connect with the right people. So next time you write a job post, ask yourself: is this something I’d want to apply for? If the answer is yes, you’re already on the right track.
