Is Your Job Ad Attracting the Wrong Candidates? Here’s Why (and How to Fix It)

Common Job Ad Mistakes That Repel the Right Talent

Even well-intentioned employers fall into some classic traps when crafting job postings. Here are a few of the most common mistakes we see in job ads today, and why they matter:

• Vague or Generic Descriptions: A job ad that says almost nothing concrete about the role is a red flag for discerning candidates. Overused buzzwords like “visionary leader” or “strategic thinker” without specifics leave candidates guessing. The best product manager, marketer, or ops lead will skip an ad that doesn’t clearly outline what success looks like in the role. Meanwhile, you may attract applicants who think they fit those vague terms but are nowhere near what you need. In short, fuzzy descriptions attract the wrong candidates and repel the right ones.

• Laundry-List Requirements: It’s tempting to list every skill and qualification imaginable from JavaScript to jugglership but excessive or unrealistic requirements will backfire. When you ask for a dozen “must-have” skills, you intimidate great people who might only meet 8 or 9 of them. Research has shown many candidates won’t even apply unless they feel 100% qualified (a tendency especially pronounced among women). By overloading the post with a wish-list, you shrink your applicant pool to a few overconfident or overly qualified people, rather than talented up-and-comers who could thrive in the role. High-performing startups instead focus on the core must-haves and avoid the rest being a barrier.

• Culture Clichés and Buzzwords: “We’re a FAMILY! Fast-paced rockstars wanted for our ninja team!” Sound familiar? Filling your job copy with tired culture clichés or trendy buzzwords doesn’t impress savvy candidates; it confuses or even alienates them. Phrases like “fast-paced environment” and “self-starter” have become corporate white noise candidates gloss over them. Similarly, quirky titles (“Marketing Ninja,” “Sales Rockstar”) that were cute a decade ago now just hinder clarity. No one is searching for a “ninja” role on LinkedIn; they’re searching for clear titles like Marketing Analyst or Customer Support Lead. Over-the-top jargon might attract applicants who are more excited by fluff than by the actual work, while the grounded, capable people roll their eyes and move on.

• Corporate Tone for a Startup Role: Tone is part of your brand signal. If you’re a scrappy, innovative startup but your job ad reads like a stiff corporate HR memo, you’re sending an off-brand message. The mismatch can deter candidates who would thrive in a startup (they assume the environment is buttoned-up and stodgy) and instead attract folks who expect a corporate setting not exactly what you want in an early-stage venture. Authenticity beats generic “corporate speak” every time. Conversely, if your culture is more formal and structured, an overly jokey or inside-joke-laden job ad will confuse candidates. High-growth companies strike a balance: their job posts carry a tone that genuinely reflects their workplace professional and personal in the right measure so candidates can self-select accordingly.

• Outdated or Off-Brand Details: Finally, a subtle but important mistake is letting your job ad content go stale or out of sync with reality. Job descriptions often live in a Google Doc template that hasn’t been updated in years. The result? You’re advertising for a “model employee” that might have made sense in 2019, not 2025. These stale descriptions mislead candidates and sabotage your hiring strategy. For example, listing a requirement for a degree when experience or bootcamp grads now excel in the role, or failing to mention your flexible hybrid work policy (so candidates assume they must relocate). Outdated posts will attract candidates who are fine with last year’s model of the job not the forward-thinkers you need for where your company is headed. Remember: your job ad is often the first “meet and greet” with your company culture. If it’s inconsistent or confusing, great candidates will quietly slip away, and you might not even realize it.

• Corporate Tone for a Startup Role: Tone is part of your brand signal. If you’re a scrappy, innovative startup but your job ad reads like a stiff corporate HR memo, you’re sending an off-brand message. The mismatch can deter candidates who would thrive in a startup (they assume the environment is buttoned-up and stodgy) and instead attract folks who expect a corporate setting not exactly what you want in an early-stage venture. Authenticity beats generic “corporate speak” every time. Conversely, if your culture is more formal and structured, an overly jokey or inside-joke-laden job ad will confuse candidates. High-growth companies strike a balance: their job posts carry a tone that genuinely reflects their workplace professional and personal in the right measure so candidates can self-select accordingly.

How Bad Copy Filters Out the Right People

Let’s be clear: these mistakes don’t just make your job ad look sloppy they actively filter out the very candidates you want. The people you’re dying to hire are usually discerning readers. They’re scanning for roles where they can have impact and where the company resonates with them. When they hit a post full of the issues above, here’s what happens:

• The capable, qualified candidates self-select out. They don’t bother applying because the ad didn’t speak to them or even turned them off. Maybe it was too vague to tell if they’d like the work, or it sounded like a poor culture fit. For instance, a mission-driven operations manager might skip a posting that spends two paragraphs on ping-pong and “work hard, play hard” vibes. A stellar product designer might close the tab if the requirements list is absurd (e.g., expert in 10 tools, PhD preferred, 15+ years experience for a mid-level role). They have options and won’t waste time on an employer that doesn’t get it.

• Meanwhile, the wrong-fit candidates come pouring in. Generic posts tend to attract generic applications. If your job copy could describe any company, you’ll get applicants who are applying to any company, not those who specifically resonate with your mission or needs. If you oversell perks and sizzle without truthfully outlining the hard work (only the “play hard,” none of the “work hard”), you might attract people in love with the idea of your company, but not ready to roll up their sleeves. And if your tone or wording is off (say, using outdated terms), you may accidentally invite candidates who are also outdated or not what you’re looking for. One executive recruiter put it simply: “a thoughtful job description will attract the right candidates, and a hastily made document can cause you to wait for months without receiving qualified applicants.” In other words, sloppy copy = a longer, harder search.

Sell the Right Pain and Promise in Your Job Ads

So, how do you flip the script? By being intentional about selling both the pain and the promise of the job. This means being honest about the challenges (so the role attracts those who crave that challenge) and highlighting the meaningful payoff or mission (so candidates see the purpose and growth on offer).

Think of your job ad as an elevator pitch for the role. Yes, you need to list responsibilities and requirements, but you also need to answer the candidate’s unspoken question: “Why would I want to do this job?”. High-performing companies make sure to sell the opportunity, not just enumerate duties. For example, instead of saying “will manage social media calendar,” you could say, “you’ll shape the voice of a brand that reaches millions of passionate users.” Instead of “responsible for hitting sales targets,” try “you’ll be core to crafting our growth story as we expand into new markets.” Paint a picture of impact and purpose, what's in it for them besides a paycheck.

Crucially, don’t shy away from the “pain” the real challenges but frame them as exciting problems to solve. If the role involves cleaning up a messy process or building a team from scratch, say so! The right people love a worthy challenge. By openly sharing the tough parts, you also filter out those who just want an easy street. In essence, you’re saying, “Here’s the hard thing we need you to help us tackle, and here’s why it’ll be worth it for you when we succeed.” That authentic pitch will resonate with candidates who have the grit and passion you want.

A few tactical tips to get this right:

• Highlight Mission and Impact: Especially for startups, candidates want to feel part of something meaningful. Share a compelling narrative about your mission and the impact the company aims to make. Show how this role connects to that mission. (E.g., “As our first Customer Success hire, you’ll help shape a support experience that genuinely improves lives of our users every day.”) This inspires the people who care about the work, not just the paycheck.

• Be Clear About Success Metrics: Instead of an endless task list, communicate what success looks like in the role. What do you expect them to achieve in the first 6-12 months? Maybe it’s launching a product, streamlining a process, or growing a metric by X%. By focusing on outcomes, you’ll attract goal-oriented candidates who are motivated by making a tangible difference. You’re effectively saying, “Here’s the mountain to climb if that excites you, let’s talk.”

• Showcase Your Values (and Drop the Clichés): It’s fine to mention culture and perks, but do it authentically. If you value collaboration, for instance, give a real example (“weekly demos where everyone from intern to CEO gives feedback”) instead of a cliché line like “we value teamwork.” Avoid stock phrases (“dynamic work environment,” “we’re like a family”) that don’t truly set you apart. Instead, use language that fits your actual vibe, whether that’s playful, bold, or compassionate. Your ideal candidates will pick up on it. As one guide notes, every job ad is a mini-ambassador for your culture, so make sure it reflects who you really are.

• Be Transparent (yes, include salary): In 2025, transparency isn’t optional it’s expected. Listing a salary range (or at least a realistic ballpark) is a sign of respect and confidence. Many talented folks won’t bother applying to a mystery salary job, and studies show leaving it out is one of candidates’ top concerns. High-performing companies know that trust begins with the job ad, so they favor candor over ambiguity. If you’re worried about scaring people off, consider: you’d rather deter those for whom it’s not enough than waste time through the process only to lose them later. Plus, sharing details like salary, benefits, remote-work policy, etc., helps attract candidates who are truly on board with your offer, no surprises.

How Great Companies Write Job Ads in 2025

The companies that consistently hire strong talent tend to write job postings differently. Here’s what they do and you can, too:

• They make the job ad about the candidate as much as about the company. It’s not an HR compliance document; it’s a sales pitch and a clarity tool. These employers speak directly to the reader with “you” language, painting a vision of what you (the candidate) will do and gain, not just what the company demands. The tone often feels like one colleague enthusiastically describing an opportunity to another.

• They keep titles and language simple and searchable. No jargon-laden titles or internal code words. Clarity is key. For instance, a high-growth startup won’t label an opening as “Software Engineering Wizard II”; they’ll say “Senior Software Engineer” because that’s what candidates search for and understand. As one startup hiring blog put it, “Clear and straightforward beats quirky every time.” These companies also avoid drowning in jargon in the description if they mention needing a “synergistic paradigm shift specialist”… well, they don’t, because nobody knows what that means and the right people won’t waste time decoding it.

• They emphasize the must-haves and let the nice-to-haves be exactly that. Top firms are realistic about requirements. They differentiate clearly between required skills and “bonus” skills. This widens their net to people who bring the essentials and maybe a unique mix of other strengths, rather than demanding a mythical unicorn who likely doesn’t exist. In practice, this might look like listing 3-5 true must-haves (e.g. specific expertise or language fluency) and then a short “nice to have” section. It prevents the laundry-list syndrome that scares off qualified talent.

• They keep the description fresh and role-specific. No copypasta from an old template. If the company just went through a pivot or the role’s focus has shifted, the job ad is updated to reflect that. High-performers treat job posts like living documents that need tuning up every time. Why? Because roles change, especially in startups, and yesterday’s description will attract yesterday’s talent. By revisiting the job ad for each hire, they ensure it’s speaking to the current reality and strategy of the team.

• They treat job ads as an extension of their brand. These companies know every candidate is also a potential evangelist (or critic) of the brand. A job posting isn’t a throwaway formality, it's often a person’s first impression of the organization. So they make it count. The ad will feel like the company’s other communications (website, blogs, product voice). If the brand is fun and irreverent, the job ad has a bit of wit. If the brand prides itself on empathy and community, the job ad’s tone is warm and inclusive. Consistency here builds trust. Remember, your job descriptions shape how people view your company. A sloppy or tone-deaf post can quietly damage your employer brand, whereas a thoughtful one boosts your credibility even for those who don’t end up applying.

• They focus on outcomes and growth, not just duties. This ties back to selling the pain and promise. Browse job listings from companies you admire, and you’ll notice they often mention the bigger picture: why the role exists and what success will mean. They talk about the team’s mission, the problems to solve, and how the candidate’s work will matter. By doing so, they attract candidates who are motivated by those outcomes. As an executive search expert noted, this approach “helps candidates envision their impact” and draws in people “motivated by challenging goals”.

Finally, high-performing organizations get feedback on their job ads. They might have a trusted team member or advisor read a draft to see if it truly reflects the role and the culture. If you’re a founder writing a job post at midnight (we’ve all been there), consider running it by someone on your team the next morning. Does it sound like you and sound enticing to the people you hope to hire? If not, tweak it. Small changes in wording or structure can make a big difference in who clicks “Apply.”

Time to Audit Your Job Posts (Call to Action)

Writing a great job ad is partly art, partly science but it’s absolutely a skill you can hone. The payoff for getting it right is huge: stronger candidates, faster hires, and new team members who actually fit your needs and culture. So here’s our clear-eyed, practical challenge to you as a founder or hiring lead: go back and review your last three job ads. Read them as if you were a top candidate in that role. Do they inspire you? Do they sound like your company at its best? Or do you spot some of the red flags we discussed vagueness, cliché language, unrealistic demands, or a tone that’s all wrong?

If so, don’t fret. This is your chance to fix it. Gather your team and rewrite those posts with intention. Cut the fluff, add authentic flavor. Make sure you’re selling the role’s true challenge and opportunity to the kind of person you actually want on board. By investing a bit of time to audit and edit your job copy now, you’ll save countless hours sifting through mismatched applicants later. Plus, you’ll be telling the world and your future star hires exactly who your company is and why they’ll love working with you. Happy hiring!