Writing Better Job Descriptions with Claude
Most job descriptions read like they were written by nobody in particular. A list of responsibilities, a list of requirements, the same three qualifications every posting in the industry asks for. Candidates can tell, and the strong ones skip past it.
The fastest way to sound like every other job posting is to skip the part where you describe what makes this role different.
Tip
Give Claude a real example of your company's voice before asking for a job description. A recent blog post, an About page, or even a Slack message you're proud of works fine.
What makes a job description generic
It's worth being specific about what "generic" actually means, since it's easy to write a generic job description without noticing. The tell isn't bad grammar. It's the absence of anything a competitor's posting couldn't also say.
Generic: "We're looking for a talented Product Designer to join our growing team. You'll work cross-functionally to deliver high-quality user experiences."
Specific: "We're hiring a product designer to fix a real problem: 40% of new users drop off during onboarding, and we think the flow itself is the issue. You'll own the redesign, working directly with two engineers and our head of product."
The generic version could sit on any company's careers page unchanged. The specific version tells a candidate exactly what they'd be doing in their first month, and why the role exists in the first place.
A process that avoids generic output
- 1
Start with the headcount request, not a template
Describe the actual need: the team, the problem this hire solves, and what success looks like in the first six months. Skip the job-board boilerplate entirely, Claude will add appropriate structure once it has the real substance.
- 2
Give Claude your voice, not just your requirements
Paste in something you've already written that sounds like your company. Ask Claude to match that tone, not "a professional tone." A generic tone instruction produces generic-sounding copy, the same way a generic brief does.
- 3
Cut the requirements list before you publish
Ask Claude which requirements are truly necessary versus nice to have, and cut anything in the second group. Long requirement lists discourage qualified candidates who don't check every box, particularly candidates from underrepresented groups, who are statistically less likely to apply unless they meet nearly every listed requirement.
A job description that avoids sounding generic usually includes:
What problem this role actually solves for the team
- What success looks like in the first six months
- A requirements list under 6 bullet points
Who the role reports to and who else is on the team
Here's a prompt that gives Claude enough to write a specific draft:
“
We need a mid-level product designer, 3-5 years experience, hybrid in Austin, joining a 4-person design team. The main problem this role solves: our onboarding flow has a 40% drop-off and needs a redesign in the first quarter. Write a full job description, and keep the requirements list under 6 bullet points.
”Writing for different seniority levels
The same role at different seniority levels needs more than a different job title. A junior posting should emphasize mentorship and growth. A senior or staff-level posting should emphasize scope and ambiguity, since experienced candidates are usually evaluating whether the role is actually a step up, not just a paycheck change.
Common mistake
Writing one job description and swapping the seniority word ("Senior Product Designer" instead of "Product Designer") without changing anything else. Experienced candidates notice when the responsibilities and a junior-level posting are identical, and it signals the company hasn't thought carefully about what the seniority actually means day to day.
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Take the job description above and write a senior-level version for the same team. The senior version should emphasize ownership of the entire onboarding redesign strategy, mentoring one junior designer, and partnering directly with the VP of Product on roadmap decisions, not just a longer list of skills.
”
Inside Claude Tutorial
Adjusting a draft like this is a repeatable skill.
If rewriting for a different reader without losing what worked felt useful here, the app has a full lesson on that exact pattern, with practice that applies well beyond job descriptions.
Before you publish
A quick check that catches most of the remaining generic language: read the description and ask whether a specific, real person on your team could have written this exact sentence about this exact role. If a sentence would work for any company hiring any designer, it needs another pass.
A job description is often the first real writing sample a candidate sees from your company. It's setting an expectation, whether you mean it to or not.
Checking for language that quietly narrows your pool
Certain word choices correlate with who applies, even when nobody intends it. Words like "aggressive," "ninja," or "rockstar" tend to skew applications toward a narrower group of candidates than the role actually needs. This isn't about being overly cautious with language. It's about noticing when a word choice is doing work you didn't intend.
Note
Ask Claude directly: "Review this job description for language that might unintentionally discourage qualified candidates from applying, and suggest neutral alternatives." It's a fast check that catches things a busy hiring manager easily misses on a re-read.
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Review this job description for words or phrases that might unintentionally discourage qualified candidates from applying, particularly gendered or overly aggressive language. Suggest a neutral alternative for each one you flag.
”A quick before-you-publish pass
Once the draft feels close, run it through one more short check rather than assuming it's ready:
Would this sentence only make sense for this specific role, on this specific team
Does the requirements list actually reflect what's needed on day one, not a wish list
Is there any language that might narrow the applicant pool without a good reason
Continue reading
- Structuring Interview Evaluations with Claude: the natural next step once candidates from this posting start interviewing, turning scattered notes into a fair comparison.
- Claude for Everyday HR Workflows: the broader set of recurring HR writing this same approach applies to, beyond just job descriptions.