Avoid These Top Red Flags in Your Job Descriptions

When you’re looking for the perfect person to fill an open position in your company, you want to make sure you attract the right talent. People who have the experience and skills you’re looking for and are interested in the opportunities and growth your organization offers.  

Crafting a compelling and accurate job listing is the best way to ensure you get the right applicants in your inbox. Your job listing should be intriguing, easy to read, and transparent about what to expect.  

Unfortunately, some companies rely on dull position descriptions or buzzwords in their job listings, which can easily turn away the top talent they want to attract.  

Job seekers are savvy and quick to notice any potential job description red flags before they even submit their applications. When you’re creating advertisements for your open positions, avoid these traits of bad job postings so you don’t miss out on hiring the best person for the job.  

There’s no salary range 

One of the biggest complaints that job seekers have about job listings is a lack of transparency about the salary range. Failing to include this information suggests to candidates that your company isn’t providing an appropriate salary or you’re not proud of what you have to offer them.  

Listing a salary doesn’t just benefit applicants—it also benefits your hiring team. By clearly stating what the position will pay, you can eliminate candidates who can’t work with your budget for the position, avoiding wasting their time and yours by going through the interview process.  

And speaking of what not to include in a job description: don’t just describe the salary as “competitive.” If what you’re offering is truly competitive, you should have no problem stating it outright.  

You use creative job titles 

We get it. There are tons of Sales Representatives out there, so why not give your employee’s ego a boost and call them a “Lead Conversion Strategist”? 

These quirky job titles may sound fun and original, but they’re confusing to anyone outside of your organization and make for bad job descriptions. “Fun” titles can keep people from applying because they may not understand what the job entails. Most candidates will be looking for keywords related to their expertise, so standard business terms like “marketing” and “sales” are essential to include in your job descriptions.  

Plus, search engine optimization (SEO) applies to job listings as much as to your blog posts and landing pages. The highly qualified, experienced sales rep isn’t going to find your job posting if you give it an obscure title.  

The job requirements and responsibilities are unclear 

The best way to find the right candidate for any position is to be clear about what the job entails and what experience you want them to have. Sometimes companies are vague about requirements in an effort to get more applicants, but this job description red flag can quickly backfire. You can end up with a hundred applicants, but only a few real candidates—and you then have to sort through all those resumes.  

If you want someone with a master’s degree and 10 years of experience, say so right in the job description. People who don’t fit those requirements won’t apply, and you will be able to find the candidate you really want to hire.  

In the same way, it’s important to be transparent about the duties and responsibilities of the position. If a candidate accepts a job and ends up doing tasks they weren’t expecting, you may find yourself looking for a replacement sooner than you’d like. Start with transparency and clarity, and the recruitment process will go much more smoothly.  

You leave out the soft skills 

When you’re hiring for an IT position, of course you want to find candidates with the right technical experience. But you also want to find people who fit within the culture of your company. What should be included in a job description is not just those hard skills, but soft skills as well.  

Things like communication abilities, people skills, and handling failure are just as important to success as having the technical expertise and knowledge to do the job. Be honest about what qualifications a potential employee needs to possess beyond the basics.  

A cover letter is required 

No one likes writing cover letters, and no one likes reading them. They often regurgitate the same material that can be found in a resume and don’t tell you as an employer anything new about the applicant.  

Instead of asking for a cover letter, require each applicant to answer a few common interview questions. This way, you can more easily narrow down who you want to invite for a proper interview and don’t have to waste your time reading piles of cover letters in addition to resumes.  

[Image: person on their computer looking exhausted or frustrated] 

You use any of the “red flag” phrases 

Seasoned professionals know that there are common phrases in job listings that scream, “Stay away from this company!” Here are a few words to avoid in job descriptions and why they can give the wrong impression.  

Willing to take on leadership roles within the team 
What this really says: We don’t have proper managers and will require much more than the salary warrants. 

Unless you’re hiring for a managerial position, stay away from this phrase. To applicants, it suggests that they will be handed more responsibility than they signed up for without any extra pay.  

Urgently hiring 
What this really says: We don’t staff properly and/or can’t keep good talent. 

A sense of urgency in a job description usually means that the company has a high turnover rate and struggles to fill positions. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to hire someone soon, but maybe don’t announce it in your job ads. And perhaps evaluate why your hiring needs are urgent in the first place.  

High energy or highly motivated 
What this really says: We only value one personality type. 

Everyone works differently, and energy levels have nothing to do with job performance. These phrases can make introverted applicants fear that they must always be “on” and outgoing while on the job, even if they’re not feeling up to it. You might be scaring some talented people away from applying.  

Occasional nights and weekends 
What this really says: We offer poor work-life balance and have systemic time management issues. 

For a job in retail or with inconsistent hours, this phrase makes sense. But if you’re hiring for a standard 8-5 position, it’s a job description red flag that suggests that anyone in this role will have to be available all the time and expected to work a ton of overtime. Most people want a job where they can enjoy their time off, not have to answer emails on a Saturday night.  

Able to work in a highly competitive environment 
What this really says: You’re on your own and there’s no team support. 

This phrase suggests that burnout is inevitable and will happen fast. There can be healthy competition in the workplace, especially on sales teams. Still, this phrase makes most applicants think that they’ll be battling with their colleagues for employee recognition and appreciation. Not a good look.  

We’re not a company; we’re a family 
What this really says: All of the above. 

The most famous of the job description red flags, this one almost always promises a toxic work environment. Companies who use this phrase in their job listings tend to have the worst attributes of a family, like guilt trips and favoritism, as well as terrible work-life balance and no consideration for professional boundaries. Nothing says, “Steer clear” like the family claim.  

Writing a job description that gets applicants can seem like a challenge with all these obstacles to avoid, but it doesn’t have to be. Just be open and honest about your expectations for the position and what you’re offering to the person who fills it. The more transparent you are, the more likely it is that you’ll get the right applicants and find the perfect person to join your team.