A job description does two jobs at once: it sells the role to the candidates you want, and it defines the criteria you will screen and interview against. Most JDs do neither well — they are generic, jargon-heavy wish lists. Here is how to write one that attracts strong applicants and makes the rest of your hiring sharper.
Structure that works
Lead with a concise, honest role summary and why it matters. Follow with key responsibilities (what the person will actually do), must-have skills, nice-to-have skills, and what success looks like in the first 90 days. Close with compensation range, location/remote policy, and how to apply. Candidates skim — make it scannable. Start from a proven structure with our job description templates.
Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves
The most common JD mistake is an enormous requirements list that screens out great candidates (and disproportionately deters under-represented applicants). Be ruthless: list only the few skills genuinely required to do the job, and clearly mark the rest as nice-to-have. This widens your pool and gives your screening a clean target — which also makes AI resume screening far more accurate, since it scores against precise criteria.
Write inclusively and concretely
Drop clichés ("rockstar", "ninja"), avoid coded or gendered language, and replace vague traits with concrete behaviours ("communicates technical decisions clearly to non-engineers" beats "great communicator"). Include the salary range — it improves application quality and is increasingly expected. Benchmark pay with our salary benchmarks.
Let AI do the first draft
A blank page is the enemy of a good JD. AI job-description generation produces a strong, structured first draft from a few inputs — role, level, key skills — which you then edit for voice and specifics. workro's AI JD generator uses live market research to optimise for candidate attraction, and the same criteria flow into AI screening so your JD and shortlist stay aligned. Generate a better JD with workro →