How clear, aligned job reqs drive better hiring decisions and candidate quality

Let’s just say it, most job requisitions are a mess.

They’re too long, too vague, and too disconnected from what the role actually requires. And in a hiring market where every click counts, you don’t have the luxury of posting something that doesn’t perform. In fact, optimizing job requisitions is one of the most overlooked levers in a strong talent acquisition strategy.

Your job requisition is more than a formality. It’s your first real shot at attracting the right people and making better hires. So, let’s talk about how to get it right.

Why Job Requisitions Still Matter

Recruiting isn’t just about speed or hustle anymore. It’s about alignment. And that alignment starts at the top of the funnel, with the job requisition.

A great job requisition:

• Sets the tone for the candidate’s experience
• Aligns hiring teams on what they’re actually looking for
• Filters the right candidates in and the wrong ones out

And here’s what the research shows:

• According to Schween, 67% of job seekers say unclear descriptions are a major barrier to applying (2024).
• The article, Using skills-first hiring to build strong teams and grow your business published by the Harvard Business Review job requisitions that are skills first cut mis hires by 79% and boosted diversity in the workplace by almost 62% (OneTen, 2024).
• Recruiters write clearer and better job reqs when using AI tools (LinkedIn Talent Solutions, 2024)
• Skills-based postings drive 107% higher talent placement (Deloitte, 2023)

If your job requisitions are weak, it doesn’t matter how strong your sourcing or interviews are. You’ll still attract the wrong people.

What’s Going Wrong

Here’s where job requisitions tend to fall apart.

The top three issues:

• The laundry list approach
  30+ bullet points that overwhelm instead of informing. Listing every possible skill just creates confusion and drives down applies, especially from women and underrepresented groups who tend to only apply if they meet every bullet.
• Vague, exclusionary language

“Team Player”, “Unicorn” or “Culture Fit” will tell an individual apply nothing about the job and can even alienate the perfect candidate who does not connect with the jargon that you used

• Stakeholder misalignment
  The hiring manager wants one thing, HR writes another, and the recruiter is stuck in the middle. The result? A Frankenstein posting that doesn’t represent the role or attract the right candidates.

The 5-Step Framework to Optimize Job Requisitions

Fixing your job requisitions doesn’t require overhauling your ATS or hiring a copywriter. It starts with a better process. Here’s how I guide teams through it:

1. Run a Role Alignment Sprint

Before a single word is written, get everyone in sync. That means the hiring manager, the recruiter, and someone from the team. Align around:

• What success looks like in the first 6 months
• The top 3 skills needed to get there
• What would signal readiness from a candidate

This prevents rewrites, back-and-forth approvals, and confusion once candidates start coming in.

2. Write for Outcomes, Not Tasks

Ditch the generic “manage the CRM” bullets. Say what success looks like.

For example:

• Be more specific around your bullet points. For Example, instead of “Manage and maintain network infrastructure” try “Configure and monitor enterprise LAN/WAN networks to ensure 99.99% uptime and resolve tier-2 issues within 4 hours to support 24/7 business operations.”
• Instead of “3–5 years of experience,” try “Proven ability to lead cross-functional launches from kickoff to delivery.”

Most Importantly!!! Cut degree requirements unless they’re legally required. Prioritize results, not resumes.

3. Audit for Inclusive Language

Use various tools like Gender decoder to reduce the use of non-inclusive language This is not a time to be cute, be direct and clear. Being clever at this time will not give you the results you are looking for when attracting candidates.

Avoid:

• Don’t use acronyms that are only used internally
• Language that leans masculine or exclusionary
• Vague culture-fit statements

Write in plain English. You’ll reach more people and better ones.

4. Validate Every Requirement

• Ask yourself: does this requirement directly predict success in the role? If not, cut it.
• Stop copying and pasting old job descriptions. Start fresh, using real data from your current top performers. That’s what makes a job requisition work in today’s market.

5. Track, Test, and Improve

Once the job requisition is live, monitor how it performs. Look at:

• Click-to-apply rates (engagement)
• Screen-to-interview ratio (quality)
• Offer acceptance rate (expectation alignment)
• Quality of hire at 90 days (long-term fit)

If the numbers are off, your job requisition might be the issue. Test headlines. Shorten the text. Simplify the message. See what moves the needle.

Metrics That Actually Matter

You’re not just optimizing job requisitions to feel better about your process. You’re doing it to move KPIs. Here’s what to watch:

• Apply rate: Do people actually click and apply?
• Screen pass-through: Are the right people making it to interviews?
• Offer acceptance rate: Are you setting expectations clearly from the jump?
• New hire performance: Did your hire match the goals laid out in the req?

When your job requisitions improve, everything down-funnel improves too. This includes things such as time to fill, cost per hire, and retention.

Real-World Examples

Let’s clean up some typical job req copy.

Bad:

• “Looking for a marketing ninja to manage campaigns in a fast-paced environment.”
• “Must have 5 years of experience, a marketing degree, and strong communication skills.”

Better:

• “Develop and execute digital marketing campaigns that increase email open rates by 20% in your first 90 days.”
• “Demonstrated ability to drive lead conversion through A/B testing and performance analytics.”

See the difference? It’s focused. Outcome-driven. Measurable. That’s what strong job requisitions should sound like.

Don’t Skip the Stakeholder Sync

One of the most underrated fixes to bad job requisitions is just getting people in a (virtual) room before anything is posted. Too often, recruiters are handed vague, recycled templates and expected to “go find someone.”

And if you want buy-in on better job requisitions? Bring the data. Show how better reqs lead to better applicants, and faster hiring. When stakeholders see that the extra 30-minute kickoff saves three weeks of sourcing chaos, they’ll get on board quickly.

Job Reqs and Employer Brand Go Hand-in-Hand

If they’re generic, jargon-filled, or sloppy? You lose credibility before the conversation even starts. Think of job requisitions as a marketing asset, not just a hiring form. They’re telling people who you are, what you value, and whether they belong. If you’re investing in employer branding on LinkedIn or Glassdoor but your job reqs don’t match that story, you’re leaving equity and great candidates on the table.

Final Word: This Is Where It Starts

Every major hiring metric you care about such as quality, speed, diversity, and retention starts with a job requisition.

Don’t treat it like a checkbox.  This is a strategic asset.  When job requisitions are clear, aligned and centered on rea life outcomes, the hiring process becomes more efficient and a lot easier.

This is the first impression. The first filter. The first step in making the right hire. So do it right.

References (APA 7th Edition)

Deloitte Insights. (2023). Embracing a skills-first mindset: Reimagining talent acquisition for the future of work. Deloitte Development LLC. https://www2.deloitte.com

LinkedIn Talent Solutions. (2024). The future of recruiting 2024. LinkedIn Corporation. https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions

OneTen. (2024, March 18). Using skills-first hiring to build strong teams and grow your business. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/sponsored/2024/03/using-skills-first-hiring-to-build-strong-teams

Schween, R. (2024, April 26). The impact of unclear job descriptions on the hiring process. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/impact-unclear-job-descriptions-hiring-process-robert-schween