A job ad is a conversion page, not a legal notice. Its only job is to get the right people to apply and the wrong people to self-select out. Most ads do neither, because they are written as an internal requisition with a headline on top. A few deliberate changes will lift both the number and the quality of applicants you get.
Lead with the role, not the company
Candidates skim. The first two lines decide whether they keep reading, and "we are a fast-growing company" is not one of them. Open with what the person will actually own and why it matters. Name the problem the role exists to solve. People apply for work they can picture themselves doing well, so help them picture it.
Separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves
Long requirement lists do real damage. Strong candidates read ten bullet points, miss two, and move on, while the requirements were never that firm in the first place. This costs you good applicants and it costs you diversity, because under-represented candidates are the most likely to rule themselves out.
Keep the genuine non-negotiables short, and clearly mark everything else as a bonus. You will be surprised who applies when you stop scaring them off.
- Must-have: the few things the role genuinely cannot work without
- Nice-to-have: everything you would like but can train or grow
- Cut entirely: anything you cannot actually justify
Be honest about pay
A pay range is the single biggest filter you can add. It saves your time and theirs, and in a growing number of places it is becoming the law anyway. An ad with a range gets more applications from people who are a real fit, and far fewer from people who were always going to be out of budget.
Write like a person
Drop the corporate voice. Short sentences, plain words, and a tone that sounds like the team the person would join. If your ad could be swapped with any competitor and nobody would notice, it is not working. The personality is the point: it is what makes a passive candidate think this one might be different.
Make the call to apply effortless
End with a clear, simple ask and a short application. Every extra field and every "please also attach" is a drop-off point. If you only need a resume to start a conversation, only ask for a resume. You can always gather more from the people who are genuinely interested.
Treat the ad as a conversion page. Lead with the work, trim the requirements, show the pay, write like a human, and keep the apply step short. Better ads do not lower the bar, they widen the door to the people who clear it.