Your job ads are why nobody's applying
Most startup job ads read like they were written by a committee. Here's why yours aren't working and what to do instead.
Nobody reads your job ad the way you think they do
You spent an hour writing a job description. You listed every responsibility, every qualification, every "nice to have." You posted it on LinkedIn. And now you're getting 200 applications from people who clearly didn't read it, or zero applications from people who did.
Both problems have the same root cause: your job ad sounds like every other job ad.
What's actually wrong
You're writing a legal document, not an ad
Most job descriptions read like compliance paperwork. "The successful candidate will be responsible for..." Nobody talks like that. Nobody gets excited reading that. Your job ad is competing with Netflix and Instagram for attention. Act like it.
Your requirements list is a wish list
When you ask for 7 years of experience, a master's degree, fluency in 3 languages, and expertise in 12 tools - the best candidates look at that and think "they don't know what they want." Meanwhile, underqualified people apply anyway because they ignore requirements lists entirely.
Pick the 3 things that actually matter. Be honest about which ones are real requirements and which would just be nice.
You buried the interesting stuff
The salary range (if you even included one) is at the bottom. What the person will actually do day-to-day is hidden behind corporate language. Why this role matters to the company isn't mentioned at all.
Lead with what the candidate cares about: what they'll do, what they'll earn, why it matters.
What good job ads look like
They sound like a real person wrote them
Read your job ad out loud. Would you actually say those words to someone at a coffee shop? If not, rewrite it. "We need someone who can run paid campaigns and isn't afraid to kill underperforming ads" beats "The ideal candidate will possess strong digital marketing capabilities" every time.
They're honest about the hard parts
Every job has downsides. The startup that admits "we're growing fast and things change weekly - this will be messy sometimes" gets more respect than the one pretending everything is perfect. Good candidates can smell dishonesty. They appreciate honesty.
They include the salary
If your salary range isn't in the job ad, you're filtering out the best candidates. Senior people won't waste time on a process that might end with a lowball offer. Just put the number in. You'll get fewer but better applications.
A simple structure that works
First paragraph: What this role is and why it exists. One short paragraph. Make it interesting.
What you'll do: 4-6 specific things. Not vague responsibilities - actual tasks. "Run our Google Ads campaigns with a monthly budget of 15k" not "manage digital advertising initiatives."
What we need: 3-4 real requirements. Things you'd actually reject someone for not having.
What you'll get: Salary range, benefits, remote policy. The stuff people actually want to know.
About us: 2-3 sentences max. Nobody reads the company boilerplate. Keep it short and specific.
The test
Before you post your next job ad, show it to someone outside your company. Ask them two questions: "Would you apply?" and "Can you tell me what this person would actually do?" If the answer to either is no, rewrite it.
Your job ad is your first impression. Most startups treat it like an afterthought. The ones that don't get better applicants.