The Problem with Most Job Descriptions
Here’s a real job posting we found:
Software Engineer
We are looking for a software engineer to join our growing team. You will work on various projects and contribute to the company’s success. Must have experience in software development. Strong communication skills required. Competitive salary.
It’s vague. It’s generic. It could describe 10,000 jobs. And it’s a conversion killer.
When this job posts:
- Unqualified candidates apply (wastes your time screening)
- Great candidates skip it (boring, no clear opportunity)
- Your team doesn’t take the hiring seriously (generic job description = low priority role)
- You get fewer applications overall (Google doesn’t rank vague descriptions)
Here’s the reality: Your job description is your first sales pitch. It’s not just HR paperwork—it’s marketing.
A great job description:
- Attracts qualified candidates
- Repels unqualified ones (self-filters)
- Ranks in Google (draws organic traffic)
- Sets clear expectations (reduces bad hires)
- Establishes your brand (shows culture, values, what you care about)
This article shows you how to write one.
Why Job Descriptions Matter (More Than You Think)
1. SEO Impact (Google Ranking)
Every job posting is a webpage. Google crawls it. If it’s well-written with strategic keywords, it ranks.
Example:
- Weak description: “Senior Developer Needed”
- Strong description: “Senior React Developer: E-Commerce SaaS (Kuala Lumpur, Remote Option)”
The second one ranks for:
- “Senior React Developer”
- “React developer jobs Malaysia”
- “E-Commerce developer Kuala Lumpur”
- “Remote React jobs”
Result: You get organic traffic (free candidates finding you through Google) instead of only paid job board traffic.
2. Candidate Quality
A clear job description attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones.
Example:
Vague description: “Looking for marketing manager”
- Everyone applies (marketer, product manager, coordinator, recent grad)
- You waste 20+ hours screening unqualified people
Clear description: “Marketing Manager—B2B SaaS Growth (5+ years, proven product-led growth)”
- Only experienced B2B marketers apply
- You interview 5 people; 4 are qualified
- Hiring speed increases 40%
3. Reduced Hiring Costs
Better job descriptions = fewer bad hires = lower total cost.
| Metric | With Weak Description | With Strong Description |
|---|---|---|
| # of applications | 100 | 30 |
| # qualified | 15 | 25 |
| Screening time | 30 hours | 8 hours |
| Interview rate | 15% | 83% |
| Time-to-hire | 12 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Hiring cost | RM 40K | RM 18K |
4. Setting Expectations
A clear job description prevents bad hires. The candidate knows:
- What they’ll actually be doing
- What success looks like
- What the culture is really like
- What you’re looking for (no surprises)
Result: Self-selection improves. Wrong candidates opt out early.
5. Building Your Employer Brand
Your job description is a brand statement. It says:
- Are you organized or chaotic?
- Do you care about culture or just filling roles?
- Are you transparent or hiding something?
- Do you respect candidates’ time?
A thoughtful job description signals: “We care about getting this right.”
The 8-Step Framework: How to Write Great Job Descriptions
Let me give you a framework you can use for any role.
Step 1: Job Title (Specific & Searchable)
Bad titles:
- “Developer” (too vague; could be frontend, backend, DevOps, junior, senior)
- “Software Engineer” (same issue)
- “Manager” (manager of what? how senior?)
Good titles:
- “Senior Backend Engineer (Node.js/TypeScript)”
- “Marketing Manager—B2B SaaS Growth”
- “Product Manager—E-Commerce Platform”
- “Finance Manager—FP&A (Kuala Lumpur)”
Formula: [Seniority Level] [Role] — [Specialization/Focus Area] ([Location, optional])
Why it matters:
- Candidates search for specific roles (“Senior React Developer,” not “Developer”)
- Google indexes exact match job titles
- Signals role specificity (shows you know what you need)
Step 2: Job Summary (1-2 Sentences, Problem-Focused)
Don’t describe the role yet. Describe the opportunity and impact.
Weak summary:
“We’re looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join our team and work on backend development.”
Strong summary:
“Help us build the infrastructure that powers fintech in Southeast Asia. As Senior Backend Engineer, you’ll design and scale APIs serving 500K+ daily transactions, leading a team of 4 engineers while mentoring junior developers.”
Formula:
- Opportunity statement (what they’ll do at high level)
- Impact statement (what difference they’ll make)
- Context (company stage, market, vision)
Step 3: About the Company (2-3 Sentences)
People don’t just apply for jobs. They apply to companies, teams, and cultures.
Weak version:
“We are a growing company in the fintech space.”
Strong version:
“Fintech Innovations is Malaysia’s fastest-growing fintech platform. In 3 years, we’ve grown from RM 50M to RM 400M GMV, served 200K+ users, and recently closed a Series B at RM 100M valuation. We’re backed by Tier-1 VCs and building the infrastructure for Southeast Asia’s fintech revolution. Our culture is direct, ambitious, and execution-focused—we move fast and support each other through hard problems.”
Include:
- What you do (clear, specific)
- Market position (size, growth, traction)
- Stage & funding (if relevant—signals opportunity, salary, equity)
- Culture statement (2-3 words describing your culture)
Step 4: Key Responsibilities (5-7 Bullet Points, Action-Oriented)
This is what they’ll actually do on a weekly basis.
Weak version:
- “Develop backend systems”
- “Collaborate with team members”
- “Solve technical problems”
Strong version:
- “Design and implement RESTful APIs supporting 100+ endpoints serving mobile and web clients; focus on performance and reliability”
- “Lead bi-weekly architecture reviews; mentor 2 junior engineers on code quality, testing, and system design best practices”
- “Reduce API response time by 50%+ through optimization and caching strategies; set performance targets for the team”
- “Participate in on-call rotation (1 week/month); troubleshoot production issues and implement permanent fixes”
- “Drive adoption of new technologies and best practices; research and evaluate tools to improve developer experience”
Formula for each bullet: [Specific action] [toward what outcome] [at what scale]
Instead of: “Work on database optimization”
Write: “Optimize database queries to reduce average response time from 800ms to <200ms, improving user experience for 100K+ daily active users”
Step 5: Required Qualifications (Must-Haves)
These are non-negotiable. If a candidate doesn’t have these, they won’t succeed.
Weak version:
- “Strong programming skills”
- “5+ years experience”
- “Self-motivated”
Strong version:
- Technical skills: 5+ years backend development; expert-level TypeScript/Node.js; experience designing systems handling 100K+ QPS
- Experience: Built and scaled APIs for consumer products; experience with microservices architecture
- Problem-solving: Can debug complex system issues; thinks in terms of tradeoffs (performance vs. reliability, speed vs. quality)
- Communication: Can explain technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders; comfortable mentoring junior engineers
Why this structure:
- Technical skills (what they need to know)
- Experience (what they’ve done)
- Problem-solving (how they think)
- Communication (how they work with others)
These are testable. During interviews, you can assess each.
Step 6: Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Haves)
These differentiate candidates but aren’t required.
Example:
- Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, or container orchestration
- Open-source contributions (GitHub profile preferred)
- Experience scaling from Series A to Series B
- Published technical writing or speaking experience
- Familiarity with fintech, payments, or regulatory compliance
Step 7: Compensation & Benefits (Be Transparent)
Weak version:
“Competitive salary and benefits”
Strong version:
Compensation: RM 180K-250K salary (based on experience); target bonus 20-30% of base; 0.05-0.2% equity (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)
Benefits:
- Health: Comprehensive medical insurance (covers family), dental, vision, mental health
- Flexibility: Hybrid work (2 days/week in office KL), flexible hours, 20 days annual leave
- Growth: RM 3K/year learning budget, annual conference stipend, 1 paid training day/month
- Equity: Participate in success (meaningful equity stake as early team member)
Why transparency matters:
- Top candidates compare offers. You being transparent saves negotiation time.
- You attract candidates who value what you’re offering.
- You repel candidates whose expectations exceed budget (before interview, not after).
- Shows professionalism (you know your market rates).
Step 8: How to Apply (Clear Next Steps)
Weak version:
“Send your resume to [email protected]”
Strong version:
How to Apply:
- Submit your application with resume, LinkedIn profile, and GitHub profile (optional but encouraged)
- Tell us about: A technical challenge you solved recently and how you approached it (1-2 paragraphs)
- Timeline:
- Week 1: Initial screening and feedback
- Week 2: Technical discussion (30 min call)
- Week 3: Interview and architecture discussion (60 min, virtual)
- Week 4: Team fit conversation and offer
Questions? Reach out to [email protected] or message us on LinkedIn.
Real-World Example: Senior React Developer
Strong Version:
Senior React Developer—E-Commerce Platform (Kuala Lumpur, Hybrid)
About the Opportunity
Help us build the next-generation e-commerce platform serving 500K+ sellers across Southeast Asia. As Senior React Developer, you’ll own the frontend architecture for our marketplace, drive performance optimization that improves conversion 5%+, and mentor a team of 3 junior developers.
About TechCommerce
TechCommerce is Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing e-commerce platform. Founded in 2020, we’ve reached RM 200M GMV, serve 500K+ sellers, and just closed a Series B. Our culture: Direct, ambitious, user-obsessed.
What You’ll Do
- Design and implement frontend architecture for complex marketplace features; optimize performance (Lighthouse scores >90) serving 2M+ MAU
- Lead code reviews and technical design discussions; mentor 3 junior engineers on React best practices
- Reduce frontend bundle size by 30%+ through code splitting, lazy loading, and optimization
- Collaborate with product and design; prototype new features to validate concepts
You Have
- Technical: 5+ years React development; expert in JavaScript/TypeScript; deep understanding of React internals
- Scale: Built consumer-facing products handling 100K+ concurrent users
- Leadership: Mentored junior engineers; comfortable with code reviews and architectural decisions
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary: RM 180K-250K (based on experience)
- Bonus: 20-30% target annual bonus
- Equity: 0.1-0.25% (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)
- Health: Medical insurance (family covered), dental, vision, mental health
- Flexibility: Hybrid (2 days/week KL office), flexible hours, 20 days annual leave
Why this works:
- Specific job title (keyword-rich, searchable)
- Clear opportunity (what they’ll build, impact)
- Company context (stage, funding, vision, culture)
- Specific responsibilities (scale, impact, mentorship)
- Transparent compensation (salary range, equity, benefits)
Common Job Description Mistakes
Mistake 1: Impossible Requirements
❌ “5+ years with Kubernetes” (technology is 6 years old) ✅ “3+ years containerization; Kubernetes preferred but not required”
Mistake 2: Vague Seniority Levels
❌ “Senior engineer” (who knows what this means?) ✅ “Senior engineer: Lead technical discussions, mentor juniors, make architectural decisions”
Mistake 3: Generic Company Description
❌ “We’re a growing tech company” ✅ “We’ve reached RM 100M ARR, serve 500K+ customers, and just closed Series B”
Mistake 4: Missing Compensation
❌ “Competitive salary” ✅ “RM 180K-250K salary; 20-30% bonus; 0.1-0.25% equity”
Mistake 5: Too Long
Job descriptions should be 600-800 words, not 2000. Use sections to keep it scannable.
Mistake 6: Focus on Company, Not Role
❌ “We’re a VC-backed startup solving hard problems” ✅ “You’ll lead development of our data pipeline, supporting 100K+ QPS”
Candidates care about what they’ll do, not what you’ve done.
Malaysia-Specific Tips
1. Be Clear on Remote/Hybrid
Malaysia has diverse work preferences. Be explicit:
- “Fully remote (Malaysia-based)”
- “Hybrid (2 days/week KL office)”
- “On-site (Selangor facility)“
2. Include Public Holiday Info
Malaysia has 11-12 public holidays + state holidays. Be clear:
- “18 days annual leave + public holidays”
- “Flexible holidays (plan around business needs)“
3. Address Salary Transparency
Malaysia has growing salary transparency movement. Posting salary ranges attracts better candidates:
- RM 80K-120K (not “competitive salary”)
- Include bonus structure
- Be clear on equity (if startup)
4. Mention Languages
Malaysia is multilingual. Be clear:
- “English fluency required”
- “Bahasa Malaysia preferred”
- “Bilingual (English/Mandarin) preferred”
Key Takeaways
-
Job description is marketing. You’re selling the opportunity, not just listing requirements.
-
Be specific, not vague. “Senior React Developer—E-Commerce (KL, Hybrid)” ranks better than “Software Engineer.”
-
Lead with opportunity & impact. “You’ll scale APIs for 2M+ users” attracts better than “Develop backend systems.”
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Transparency builds trust. Post salary ranges, equity, benefits. Be clear about expectations.
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Structure matters. Use headers, bullets, and sections. Scannable descriptions rank better in Google.
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Rank in Google. Good job descriptions drive organic traffic. Use strategic keywords and structure.
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Self-filter works. Clear descriptions repel wrong candidates early, saving screening time.
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Set expectations upfront. Clear job description = fewer bad hires = lower total cost.
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Include real data. Specific numbers (RM 100M revenue, 500K users) attract serious candidates.
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Culture matters. Be honest about your culture. Right candidates self-select; wrong candidates opt out.
Ready to Improve Your Job Descriptions?
Great job descriptions attract great candidates. They also rank in Google, saving you recruiting costs.
Book a Free Consultation — We’ll review your current job descriptions and recommend improvements that attract better candidates faster.
Or explore our Talent Acquisition Services — We can help you source, screen, and interview candidates. Your job descriptions + our sourcing = fast, high-quality hiring.
