Your job description says a lot about your company — and warns me not to apply. In this article, I’ll explain the problem, and teach you how to write compelling job descriptions.
The Problem
I’m looking at job postings for management positions in Information Security/Technology/ Services. Several of them are sending me a hidden message: “Bob, you wouldn’t like working here.” You see, some of the descriptions are filled with jargon that some HR person copied and pasted from a thousand other posted positions. Do they sound like a fun place to work? No. They read more like a legal contract.
Consider this one: “The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. This is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel.” (Translation: “We’re publishing this job description, but don’t hold us to it. And by the way, we’re more concerned about litigation than we are about hiring the right people.”)
Some of the job postings tell me a lot about the company’s culture. Here’s an example: “Flexibility to adjust to multiple demands, shifting priorities, ambiguity, and rapid change.” (Translation: “We have no idea what we’re doing, and we change directions a lot in a mad panic. We’re prone to knee-jerk…