If you’re consistently receiving applications from unqualified candidates, the problem probably isn’t the job market. It’s your job advertisement.
Most job ads are written by people who hate writing job ads. They’re copied from templates, stuffed with jargon, and designed to tick HR boxes rather than attract talented people.
Let me show you what’s going wrong and how to fix it.
The Generic Opening
“We are a leading provider of innovative solutions seeking a dynamic professional to join our growing team.”
This sentence says absolutely nothing. It could apply to any company in any industry. Yet variations of it appear in thousands of job ads every day.
Candidates scan hundreds of listings. If your opening doesn’t immediately tell them something specific and interesting about your company or role, they move on.
Better approach: Start with what makes this role genuinely interesting or your company genuinely different. “You’ll be our first dedicated marketing hire, building the function from scratch” is infinitely more compelling than “seeking a marketing professional.”
The Requirements Shopping List
“Must have 5+ years experience, Bachelor’s degree required, proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, CRM systems, excellent communication skills, ability to work independently and as part of a team…”
When everything is a “requirement,” nothing is a priority. Candidates see a wall of bullet points and either assume they’re not qualified or know the list is padded and apply anyway.
Better approach: Separate genuine requirements (things candidates truly must have) from preferences (things that would be nice). Be honest about which is which. Three genuine requirements are more useful than fifteen soft preferences.
The Missing Information
Candidates care deeply about things many job ads don’t mention:
Salary range—yes, you should include it. Companies that hide compensation attract candidates who are wrong for the budget or waste time on misaligned expectations.
Real day-to-day responsibilities—not a list of tasks, but what the job actually involves.
Why this role exists—is it a replacement? A new position? Part of growth? Context matters.
What success looks like—how will performance be measured?
The Corporate Speak
“Leverage synergies,” “drive outcomes,” “thought leadership,” “paradigm shift”—if your job ad reads like a business school parody, talented people will assume your workplace is just as tedious.
Write like a human being talking to another human being. If you wouldn’t say it in conversation, don’t write it in a job ad.
The Culture Clichés
“Work hard, play hard.” “We’re like a family.” “Fast-paced environment.”
These phrases have been so overused they’re meaningless. Worse, some are red flags—”fast-paced” often means “chaotic and understaffed.”
Better approach: Give specific examples of your culture. “Our team has lunch together on Wednesdays” tells candidates more than any number of abstract values statements.
Test Your Job Ad
Before posting, answer honestly:
Would you apply for this role based on this ad? Does it stand out from similar listings? Is everything genuinely necessary, or have you padded it? Would a friend outside your industry understand what you’re looking for?
Your job ad is often a candidate’s first impression of your company. Make it count.
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