What Your Job Posting Is Actually Saying

A hiring manager shared a job posting with me recently and asked, “This looks good, right?”

At a glance, it did. Clean format. Clear title. Solid list of requirements. But when we walked through it from a candidate’s perspective, it told a very different story. It didn’t explain the role. It didn’t show what the person would actually be doing. And it left more questions than answers.

That’s the part most people miss. Job postings don’t just describe a role — they signal how a company operates. And candidates are reading between the lines more than you think.

Why Most Job Descriptions Don’t Work

Most job descriptions aren’t written to attract the right candidates. They’re written to check a box.

They follow a familiar format: overview paragraph, long list of responsibilities, even longer list of requirements. On paper, it looks complete. In reality, it’s often not helpful.

The language tends to be generic. Phrases like “fast-paced environment,” “strong team player,” or “ability to manage multiple priorities” show up in every posting across every industry. They don’t tell a candidate anything about your company or your role specifically.

Then there’s the requirements section. I regularly see postings with 15 to 20 bullet points outlining qualifications. The intention is to be thorough. But what it often does is push strong candidates away — especially those who meet most of the criteria but not all of it.

And underneath all of it, there’s usually a gap in clarity. What does this person actually do day to day? What does success look like? What kind of environment are they stepping into?

If those questions aren’t answered, candidates either move on or apply without really understanding the role. Neither outcome is what you want. And both of them slow the hiring process down in ways that compound over weeks.

What Candidates Actually Look For

Candidates don’t need more information. They need better information.

The strongest candidates I work with are trying to answer a few key questions quickly: What will I actually be doing? Who will I be working with? What stage is this project or team at?

Scope matters more than a long list of responsibilities. Saying “responsible for project coordination” doesn’t mean much on its own. But saying “coordinating between engineering and construction teams during execution phase on a multi-site project” gives a candidate something they can picture themselves doing.

Reporting structure is another big one. Who does this role report to? How visible is it? Is there a clear leader, or multiple stakeholders pulling in different directions?

I posted a Project Manager role recently for a Calgary real estate developer, and the response was strong. Part of the reason was that candidates could immediately understand the structure — reporting directly to a respected leader, with visibility across the full lifecycle of projects. That kind of clarity builds confidence before a single conversation happens.

Project phase also matters, especially in technical and project-based industries. Joining a team in early-stage planning is very different from stepping into a project mid-execution. The type of work, the pace, and the expectations change significantly. When those details are clear in the posting, the right candidates recognize themselves in the role. When they’re not, you get a much wider — and less relevant — range of applicants.

The Problem With Wish Lists

One of the biggest issues I see in job postings is what I call the wish list.

It usually looks like this: 10+ years of experience, multiple certifications, experience across several industries, strong leadership and technical capability. Individually, each requirement might make sense. Together, they often describe someone who doesn’t exist — or who isn’t actively looking.

The result is predictable. Strong candidates read the list and assume they don’t quite fit. Less qualified candidates apply anyway. You end up reviewing a high volume of applications, but fewer that are actually aligned with what you need.

There’s also a subtle impact on how the role is perceived. When a posting lists everything, it often signals that expectations aren’t clearly defined internally. That the company is still figuring out what they need. Candidates pick up on that.

I’ve had conversations where candidates say, “It feels like they want two or three roles in one.” Whether that’s true or not, that’s how it comes across.

The fix is straightforward: separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves and be honest about which is which. For a recent Project Engineer search, the must-haves were clear — 8+ years in oil & gas, EPC environment experience, P.Eng with APEGA. SAGD experience was listed as an asset, not a requirement. That distinction matters. It keeps the door open for strong candidates who might otherwise self-select out.

Why Specificity Wins Every Time

The job postings that perform best aren’t the longest. They’re the clearest.

They focus on what matters: what the person will actually be doing, what environment they’ll be working in, and what success looks like. They don’t try to cover every possible scenario. They describe the role as it actually exists.

I kicked off a Project Planner search recently, and the posting described not just the qualifications but the day-to-day reality. It explained how the role sat between engineering, subcontractors, and project teams. It named the tools — Primavera P6, MS Project. It described the environment — complex EPCM. And it framed the role in terms of impact: “bringing visibility to performance through earned value and progress reporting.”

The response was strong. Not because it was more detailed, but because it was more specific. Candidates could quickly assess whether it was the right fit. And the ones who applied were much closer to what the client was looking for.

Compare that to a posting that says “scheduling experience required.” That could mean anything. It doesn’t help a candidate understand what they’d actually be doing or whether their specific background is relevant.

When you name the project phase, the environment, the reporting structure, and the tools — you’re not just describing a role. You’re helping the right candidates find you faster.

The Title Problem

Titles are one of the most misleading parts of a job posting.

They’re necessary, but they’re not enough.

I posted a part-time Marketing Manager role recently that made me pause. It wasn’t really marketing in the traditional sense. It was business development, relationships, and industry credibility — the kind of work that only someone with 15+ years of EPC experience and a strong network could actually do.

If a candidate saw “Marketing Manager” and expected a traditional marketing role — campaigns, content, social media — they’d be completely wrong. The title didn’t match the reality of the work. And I wrote about this exact dynamic in a recent post about how senior careers are evolving — roles at this level are often defined by relationships and influence, not by traditional job categories.

The same happens across technical roles. A “Project Engineer” in one company might be heavily involved in field coordination across multiple work fronts. In another, it might be more documentation and reporting. A “Construction Supervisor” could mean hands-on site management on a 14/14 rotation, or it could mean oversight and planning from an office.

Without context, the title creates assumptions. And those assumptions don’t always match reality. That’s why the description around the title matters so much.

What Your Posting Signals About Your Company

Every job posting sends a message — whether you intend it to or not.

A clear, well-structured posting signals organization. It tells candidates that the company understands the role and has thought through what they need. It suggests that the hiring process will be similarly organized, that decisions will be made clearly, and that communication will be consistent.

A vague or overly broad posting suggests the opposite. It can signal lack of alignment internally, unclear expectations, or slow decision-making. When hiring workflows start to break down, the job posting is often the first place you can see it.

Even the tone of a posting reflects something about the company. Does it feel direct and realistic? Or does it feel overly polished without saying much? Candidates notice. Especially experienced ones. When every candidate on your shortlist is strong, the clarity of your posting and process is often what differentiates you from the other opportunities they’re considering.

How to Fix Your Job Postings

Improving a job posting doesn’t mean making it longer. It means making it clearer.

Start with a simple question: what does this person actually do in the first three months? If you can answer that specifically, you’re already ahead of most postings.

Then describe the work, not just the qualifications. What projects will they be on? What phase? Who will they interact with daily? What does the team look like?

Keep the requirements honest. Separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves. If SAGD experience is a bonus but not a dealbreaker, say that. If a P.Eng is non-negotiable, make it clear. Candidates appreciate honesty about what’s actually required versus what would be ideal.

Include context that a candidate can’t get from the title alone. The environment (EPC vs. EPCM vs. owner-side), the rotation schedule if it’s field-based, the reporting structure, the project phase — these details help candidates self-select accurately.

And finally, have someone outside the hiring team read the posting and ask: would you apply? If they can’t tell what the job actually involves, you’ve got more work to do.

The goal isn’t a perfect posting. It’s one that attracts the right three to five candidates instead of the wrong thirty.

Ready for a Conversation?

Your job posting is your first conversation with a candidate. If that conversation is clear, focused, and grounded in reality, you’re much more likely to attract the right people.

If it’s vague or overly broad, you’ll spend more time sorting through the wrong ones.

At Debbie Mastel & Associates, we help companies define and position roles clearly before going to market. Because better alignment at the start makes the entire hiring process smoother — and faster.

If your postings aren’t attracting the candidates you need, I’m always open to a conversation about what might need to change.

What Your Job Posting Is Actually Saying FAQs