Write Job Descriptions That Attract the Right Candidates
Turn a hiring brief into a clear, specific job description that filters in strong candidates and filters out mismatches — without the usual boilerplate.
The situation
You have a new role to fill and a rough idea of what the person will do. The job description is not written yet, or the existing one has not been updated in two years.
After this guide you will have a job description that is honest about the role, specific about requirements, and readable by the kind of candidate you actually want.
What you walk away with
A complete job description in under 10 minutes
A reusable prompt template for any future hire
Fewer irrelevant applications to screen
The difference one prompt makes
Don't
write a job description for a product manager
Do this
Write a job description for a mid-level Product Manager at a B2B SaaS company (Series B, 80 people). The PM owns our search product — a site-search tool used by e-commerce clients. They will work directly with 2 engineers and a designer, report to the VP Product, and own the roadmap. Must-have: 3+ years of PM experience, comfort with SQL for data pulls, and experience shipping search or discovery features. Nice-to-have: experience at a marketplace or e-commerce company. Avoid corporate jargon. Include a short "About the role" paragraph, responsibilities (6-8 bullets), requirements split into must-have and nice-to-have, and one paragraph on what makes this role interesting.
Company stage, team size, reporting line, must-have vs nice-to-have, and the "why this role is interesting" paragraph are the inputs that produce a description worth reading.
Gather the five real inputs before you start
A generic job description comes from generic inputs. Have these ready before opening Claude.
- Role level and scope: what the person owns, not just what they do (owns the roadmap, manages vendors, etc.)
- Team context: who they work with, who they report to, team size
- Must-have requirements: the short list of things a candidate cannot succeed without
- Nice-to-have requirements: genuinely optional, not hidden requirements
- Why this role is interesting: the one or two real reasons a strong candidate would want it
Use the structured prompt template
Copy the template below and replace the placeholders with your real inputs. Works for any function.
Write a job description for a [level] [role title] at [company description — stage, size, industry].
This person will [what they own and do in 1-2 sentences].
They will work with [team composition] and report to [manager title].
Must-have requirements:
- [requirement 1]
- [requirement 2]
- [requirement 3]
Nice-to-have:
- [requirement 1]
- [requirement 2]
What makes this role interesting: [1-2 honest reasons]
Format: short "About the role" intro, 6-8 responsibility bullets, requirements split into must-have and nice-to-have, and a closing paragraph about the team or company. Avoid filler phrases like "fast-paced environment" or "passionate about excellence."Review for two failure modes
Before posting, check for the two patterns that undermine most job descriptions.
- Inflated requirements: "10+ years required" for a role that a strong 4-year candidate could do. This filters out people you want.
- Vague responsibility language: "Collaborate cross-functionally to drive alignment" tells a candidate nothing. Replace each vague bullet with something measurable or observable.
Iterate with a specific follow-up
If the first draft is too formal, too long, or missing something, tell Claude exactly what to fix.
The tone is too corporate. Rewrite the responsibilities section in plain language — short sentences, no passive voice. Keep the same information but write it the way a hiring manager would explain the role in a 10-minute call.What's next?
Next: Generate interview questions for this roleNew guides, when they ship
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