Job Descriptions That Cut Through the Noise...

Angel Academe member and Akaina Talent founder Robin Beattie writes…

Part 2: Founders' Talent Playbook - Standing Out to Top Talent

Most job descriptions feel like a grocery list made by committee. You know the type: "Must have 5+ years experience in X, proficiency in Y, strong communication skills, team player..." If this sounds familiar, it might be why great candidates lose interest.

The reality is that your job description is not just up against others. It's fighting for attention with everything else in a candidate's busy day. Right now, it may not be winning.

The Real Cost of Generic Job Descriptions

This insight comes from my reading of Will Ducey's "Job Descriptions Built for Hiring, Performance and Business Success" *. When Will Ducey analysed hiring patterns across dozens of companies, he discovered something startling. The companies struggling most with talent attraction weren't the ones with the smallest budgets or least exciting missions. They were the ones writing job descriptions that could have been copied and pasted from any company in their industry.

The result is what Ducey calls "recruitment theatre": lots of effort, but not much to show for it. You get applications from people who don't really understand the role, interviews that feel like both sides are just gathering basic information, and offers turned down by candidates who realise the job isn't what they expected.

The real loss isn't just how long it takes to fill the job. It's missing out on great candidates who never applied because your job description didn't catch their interest.

The Performance-Based Alternative

Rather than just listing tasks, explain what the person will accomplish. Focus on what success looks like, not just the skills needed. This approach is not only clearer, but also helps you stand out.

Consider these two approaches for the same role:

Traditional Approach: "Senior Marketing Manager responsible for managing marketing campaigns, analysing performance metrics, and coordinating with cross-functional teams. 5+ years of experience required. Must have experience with digital marketing, lead generation, and marketing automation platforms."

Performance-Based Approach: "Senior Marketing Manager - In 12 months, you'll own our transition from founder-led sales to scalable demand generation. Current state: 80% of leads come from the founder network. Your target: build systems that generate 200+ qualified leads monthly from owned channels, reducing founder dependency to 30%. You'll achieve this by implementing marketing automation, developing content frameworks, and establishing predictable pipeline metrics."

You can see the difference right away. The second version shares a story of change, explains the current situation, and shows the impact the person can make.

The OKR Framework for Job Descriptions

Ducey suggests applying the same OKR thinking that brings clarity to company strategy:

Objectives: What this role will achieve (ambitious and inspiring) Key Results: How success will be measured (specific and measurable).

This approach transforms the entire hiring process. Instead of asking generic questions like "Tell me about your marketing experience," you can focus on specific challenges: "Walk me through how you'd approach building lead generation systems for a company currently dependent on founder networks."

When I work with clients, this is exactly where we start - defining what success actually looks like in measurable terms before we even think about skills or experience. It's amazing how this clarity transforms not just the job description, but the entire interview process and eventual performance management.

The candidate has the opportunity to engage with real-world problems. You get to assess actual problem-solving capabilities, not just credential matching.

Transparency as Competitive Advantage

Here's where most founders hesitate. Being specific about challenges feels risky. What if candidates get scared off? What if competitors see your weaknesses?

This way of thinking misses the point. Being open about your challenges sets you apart from companies that act like everything is perfect. The best candidates want to tackle real problems, not just maintain the status quo.

As Ducey puts it, "There may be fear about putting your weaknesses and threats out there for the world. This might be your most powerful opportunity to attract the right people."

Share context that helps candidates understand the opportunity:

• Is this a new role or a replacement for an existing one?

• What specific challenges led to the creation of this position?

• What does success look like in 6, 12, and 18 months?

• Who have you hired successfully for similar challenges?

The Compound Effect

Writing better job descriptions is only part of the goal. The bigger aim is to create a hiring process where every step shows your value and helps the right candidates picture themselves thriving in your company. When your job descriptions clearly communicate challenges, opportunities, and success metrics, several things happen:

• Better candidate self-selection - People who want easy wins remove themselves. People who want meaningful challenges lean in.

• Focused interviews - Conversations become strategic problem-solving sessions rather than generic capability assessments.

• Aligned expectations - New hires understand exactly what success looks like from the very beginning.

• Faster performance ramp - Clear outcomes eliminate the "figuring out what's expected" phase.

The Bottom Line

Today, top candidates have plenty of choices. If your job descriptions sound like all the others, they will likely be ignored. Performance-based descriptions not only attract better people but also help you make stronger hires and set clear expectations.

Next time you hire, ask yourself, "What should this person achieve?" instead of just "What should this person do?" You'll notice a big difference in the candidates you attract.

About Akaina Talent - Making people your unfair advantage. Building exceptional teams from seed to scale. Talent acquisition and advisory. Executive, commercial, and technology leadership.

* Thanks to Will Ducey for the insights on performance-based hiring approaches. His work on outcome-driven job descriptions provides a practical framework for founders looking to transform their talent attraction strategies.