How to write a job description that attracts the right people

Published 3 October 2026 · Hiring and HR letters

A job description tells candidates what the job is, what it takes and what it offers. A clear one brings in better applications, and it is also the document you will come back to for the offer letter, performance reviews and, in a dispute, the essential functions of the role.

What to include

1. A plain job title people actually search for, such as "Bookkeeper" rather than "Numbers Ninja".
2. Where and how the person will work: the location, remote or hybrid, full-time or part-time, and the team.
3. Who they report to.
4. A short summary of why the role exists and what success looks like in the first year.
5. Five to eight responsibilities, most important first, each starting with a verb.
6. Requirements that are truly required, kept separate from nice-to-have skills.
7. The pay range, and the main benefits.
8. How to apply, and what happens next.

Must-haves and nice-to-haves

Long lists of requirements put off good candidates who meet most but not all of them. Keep the requirements list to what someone truly needs on day one, and move the rest to a nice-to-have list. Ask whether a degree or a number of years is really needed, or whether you mean a skill that can be shown another way.

Pay ranges

A growing number of places require pay ranges in job postings, including California, Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington, along with several cities. Even where it is optional, postings with a range tend to attract applicants who are a better fit for the budget.

Wording to avoid

• Age-coded phrases. Federal rules say job ads with terms such as "young" or "recent college graduate" violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act unless an exception applies, and phrases like "digital native" can put older applicants off too.
• Unnecessary physical requirements. List lifting or standing only if the job truly needs it; under the ADA, a written job description can be evidence of a job's essential functions.
• Jargon and internal acronyms that outsiders will not understand.

An equal opportunity statement and an offer of reasonable accommodations tell every candidate they are welcome to apply.

Free templates

The free job description template has sections for each item above, including lists of responsibilities, requirements, nice-to-haves and benefits, an optional pay range and an equal opportunity statement. When you have chosen someone, the offer letter and employment agreement come next; see how to write an offer letter.

General information, not legal advice. Employment and pay transparency laws differ between states and cities.

Sources

• 42 U.S.C. § 12111(8): written job descriptions as evidence of essential functions (ADA)
• 29 CFR § 1625.4: help wanted notices and age preferences (ADEA)
• New York State Department of Labor: Pay transparency
• California Labor Code § 432.3 (pay scale in job postings)

More on hiring and HR letters

• How to write a job offer letter (with a free template)
• How to write a warning letter to an employee (free template)
• How to write a termination letter (with a free template)
• How to write a two weeks notice letter (free template)
• What to include in a severance agreement
• How to write a performance improvement plan (PIP) that works
• How to write a remote work agreement (free template)

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