The average job description is a wish list: ten years of experience, five frameworks, a degree and “a passion for excellence.” Good candidates skim it, assume they don’t qualify, and move on.

Start with the first 90 days

Instead of requirements, describe what this person will actually do. “In your first month you’ll rebuild our onboarding flow; by month three you’ll own activation” tells a candidate far more than “5+ years of React.”

Cut the requirements in half

Separate what is truly required from what would be nice. Keep three to five must-haves. Everything else goes under “you might also have.” Research consistently shows that strong candidates, especially women, self-select out when the list is long.

Be honest about the stage

• Say how many people are on the team today.
• Say what’s messy. Candidates who want structure will opt out, and that’s the point.
• Include the salary range. It saves everyone a conversation.

Read it out loud

If it sounds like a legal document, rewrite it. If it sounds like you describing the job to a friend over coffee, you’re close.