Start with the Job, Not the Posting

Nov 25

Recruiting is hard right now—really hard. Even with more people looking for work, most organizations still say they’re struggling to find the right candidates, especially for roles that require specific skills or leadership experience. Between skill gaps, shifting salary expectations, and candidates being much choosier about where they land, it can feel like every search drags on longer than it should with very mixed results. The good news is that while you can’t control the job market, you can absolutely control the clarity, consistency, and experience of your own recruiting process—and that’s where a lot of organizations are quietly losing great people.

Start with the job, not the posting

A lot of recruiting pain starts before the job ever goes live. Teams rush to reuse an old posting, copy a competitor’s description, or throw together a generic list of duties that “sort of” fits the need. When the role itself isn’t well-defined, hiring managers, HR, and candidates all end up with different pictures in their heads—and that confusion shows up later as bad fits, quick turnover, or failed searches.

Instead, pause and really understand the role you’re hiring for.

Sit down with the manager and, if possible, someone already doing similar work to clarify what success looks like in the first 6–12 months.
Ask: What problems is this role here to solve? How will this person move the needle for the organization? What would a “great hire” be doing that a “good hire” might not?

This discovery conversation gives you the raw material to write a job description that is grounded in reality, not wishful thinking. When you get specific about outcomes, decision-making authority, and how the role connects to your mission, you naturally attract candidates who see themselves in that story and repel those who don’t.

Write job descriptions that tell the truth

Once you’re clear on the role, the job description becomes more than a compliance document—it becomes a shared contract of expectations. Research shows that detailed, accurate job descriptions help everyone stay aligned and make it easier to compare candidates fairly. On the flip side, vague or inflated postings (“rockstar,” “wear many hats,” “fast-paced environment”) often mask internal confusion and can scare off good candidates who are looking for stability and clarity.

Aim for job descriptions that:

Clearly separate “must-haves” from “nice-to-haves,” instead of posting a wish list that describes three jobs in one.
Spell out key responsibilities in plain language, with a focus on real deliverables and collaboration points.
Include how the role contributes to the organization’s goals, not just a list of tasks.

If you’re in California or other pay-transparency-heavy markets, be honest and strategic about your pay range and benefits. Job seekers increasingly walk away from roles that hide pay or feel cagey about compensation and flexibility. Transparency here builds trust and cuts down on mismatched expectations later in the process.

Build the interview plan before you post

One of the fastest ways to lose great candidates is a messy, improvisational interview process. Many organizations still scramble to figure out who is interviewing, what they’re asking, and how they’ll decide—after résumés start coming in. That leads to duplicated questions, inconsistent feedback, long delays, and last-minute “gut” decisions that don’t always age well.

Before you publish the job, map out a simple, structured interview plan:

Decide who needs to be involved and what each person is responsible for evaluating (technical skills, culture add, collaboration, leadership, etc.).
Create a shared list of core questions tied directly to the job description and success profile.
Use a light scoring guide so interviewers are rating the same behaviors and can explain their recommendations clearly.

Candidates feel the difference when your process is intentional. The experience is smoother, questions feel thoughtful, and feedback moves faster—all of which signals that you’re a well-run organization that respects their time.

Keep everyone in the loop—internally and externally

Recruiting is naturally collaborative, but it often runs on assumptions: the hiring manager thinks HR is handling updates, HR assumes the manager has given feedback, and other interviewers aren’t sure where things stand. That lack of communication leads to stalled searches, mixed messages, and candidates quietly losing interest after weeks of silence.

A simple communication plan can fix a lot of this:

Internally, send regular, quick updates to the hiring team with where each candidate is, what’s needed next, and by when. A shared tracker or Applicant Tracking System (ATS) makes this much easier.

Externally, set clear expectations with candidates about the steps, approximate timelines, and when they’ll hear from you next—and stick to it as closely as possible.

Even when the market is rough, a transparent and responsive process sets you apart. Candidates remember how you made them feel, whether you hire them or not, and that reputation follows your organization into every future search.

Tightening your process is the real competitive edge

The reality is that recruiting may stay challenging for a while. Talent shortages, evolving skills, and shifting candidate expectations are not going away anytime soon. But organizations that slow down just enough to define the role clearly, write honest job descriptions, plan their interviews, and communicate consistently put themselves in a much stronger position.

You don’t need a huge talent acquisition team to do this well—you just need a clear process and a commitment to respecting everyone’s time. Start with your next open role: tighten the job description, build the interview plan up front, and keep everyone in the loop. Small, thoughtful changes there can turn a painful recruiting season into a more confident, repeatable way of hiring that actually supports the kind of workplace you’re trying to build.

Jeanette Badal