How to Write a Job Description That Actually Gets People to Apply

To attract the best talent, you need to broadcast more than a list of tasks and expectations.

January 16, 2025

Richard Drury/Getty Images

Post

Annotate

Save

Get PDF

Buy Copies

On the spectrum of managerial chores, writing a job description probably falls somewhere between conducting employee performance reviews and filing expense reports — high on tedium, low on immediate gratification. But experts advise shifting your perspective. Instead, see it as a chance to showcase how your organization’s vision, brand, and values connect with what jobseekers care about most. To get the attention of potential candidates, follow these steps: 1) Reflect on the qualities, knowledge, experience, and skills that would make a candidate a good fit. 2) Highlight how the job connects to the organization’s strategy. 3) Showcase opportunities for growth. 4) Emphasize skills, not diplomas 5) Highlight autonomy. 6) Choose your words carefully. 7) Be transparent about rewards. 8) Don’t be boring.

Writing a job description might seem straightforward, but it requires both clarity and creativity. On one hand, you need to provide practical details about the role’s day-to-day responsibilities. On the other, you’re in the business of attracting talent and sparking excitement. So, where do you start? How can you write a job description that’s both informative and compelling? How can you avoid unintentionally turning off candidates? And how can you ensure your job description matches the expectations of today’s workforce?

New!

HBR Learning

Attracting and Cultivating Talent Course

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Attracting and Cultivating Talent. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

Discover how to attract, hire, develop, and keep talented people who will grow and thrive throughout their employee journey.

Start Course

Learn More & See All Courses

RK

Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.