Why Job Descriptions Fail

Hiring the right person starts with defining the right role, yet most job descriptions (JDs) fail in their dual purpose: guiding the hiring team and attracting the right candidates. At Talgo, we've seen firsthand what causes JDs to fail, and we have some clear proposals on what to do about it.

Here’s a breakdown of why JDs fail, the impact they have, and how to fix them using our framework.

5 Common Mistakes

1. Lack of Specificity

   • Problem: JDs often try to be too broad, listing a laundry list of skills without prioritization or clarity. This is the "kitchen sink" approach. Or the "copy-and-paste from one JD to another" strategy.
   • Impact: This creates confusion among candidates about what’s truly important, leading to mismatched applications and wasted time for both sides. It also makes interviewing virtually impossible, since you cannot cover everything. 

2. Overemphasis on Credentials. Or Responsibilities.

   • Problem: JDs often focus on specific degrees, years of experience, or job titles rather than the competencies and outcomes the role requires. This leads to bias as well as inaccuracy in hiring: it's easy to hire a mediocre "been-there-done-that" candidate when you approach the role this way.
   • Impact: This excludes highly capable candidates with non-traditional backgrounds who could excel in the role.

3. Failure to Attract the Right Candidates. And Encourage Self-Selection.

   • Problem: Many JDs read like generic corporate statements, failing to excite or motivate top talent. Additionally, they rarely include the hard parts of the role that would help candidates self-select out of the process if the job were not right for them.
   • Impact: The best candidates might not even apply because the JD doesn’t feel relevant, compelling, or aligned with their interests.

4. Misalignment with Role Objectives

   • Problem: JDs are often written without a deep understanding of what the role is meant to accomplish within the organization. Or perhaps the JD was written by someone whose primary aim was to attract candidates and now the Hiring manager in charge "just doesn't have time" to create a Target and so figures the JD is "good enough."
   • Impact: The wrong person gets hired, leading to frustration when the new hire’s responsibilities don’t align with the team’s goals.

5. Not Acknowledging the "Dual Purpose"

   • Problem: JDs are most effective as external documents to attract candidates. They can also serve a valuable internal role in terms of getting clear on a lot of the "logistics" involved in a role (i.e. comp, location, etc.).
   • Impact: What JDs are not is a internal guide that you can orient an interview experience around and then make a data-driven decision. As a result, interviews aren't as intelligently designed as they could be, and decisions aren't as accurate as they could be either. 

The Solution

You'll notice there was a mix of "internal" and "external" failures of JDs in the above analysis. At Talgo, we’ve developed a Target framework that goes beyond the traditional JD and is optimized specifically for your internal use in evaluating candidates. Here are some considerations on Targets:

1. Create a Target Document
   • What to Do: Supplement the traditional JD with a Target, a one-pager that outlines role objectives, key competencies, and cultural values. Use this as your internal foundation for your entire hiring process.
   • Why It Works: The Target aligns the hiring team on quality of hire. It's also a great document to share with candidates on their first day of work (it can be a key piece of their onboarding.)

2. For Targets, Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Responsibilities

   • What to Do: Clearly define the results you expect from the role within given timeframes (e.g. 90 days, 6 months, and 1 year). What measurable outcomes will signal success?
   • Why It Works: Shifting focus from tasks to outcomes causes you to look for candidates who are results-driven and capable of meeting the challenges. Rather than simply ones who have the requisite "experience."

3. For Targets, Identify the Truly Essential Competencies

   • What to Do: Map out the core skills, behaviors, and traits needed to achieve the role’s goals. Limit this list to the most critical areas, avoiding "nice-to-haves."
   • Why It Works: Prioritizing competencies ensures alignment between the role and the organization’s needs. It also gives you a manageable list of traits that you can build an interviewing process around.

4. For JDs, Balance the Selling Points and the Challenges

   • What to Do: Showcase what makes the role exciting, but also include the hard parts of the job. For example, mention a fast-paced environment, tough deadlines, or resource constraints.
   • Why It Works: Including challenges helps candidates self-select, ensuring those who apply are motivated by the realities of the role. Top performers are often motivated by challenges.