Your job posting is often a job-seeker’s first impression of your company’s competency. Since like is attracted to like, competent employees are attracted to clear and competent job postings; they’re not going to waste their time applying for a sketchy opening. And you’re not going to look very competent if you’re including these red flags in your job postings.

Your job posting is scaring off top talent if it has…

• Vague verbiage. A job posting that looks like a shot in the dark is going to attract a lot of candidates you don’t want, and probably very few that you do. At best, applicants will mistake your vagueness for a scam posting. At worst, applicants will translate your inability to describe the job into an unfocused company with a job that lacks structure. So what specifically does this role involve, and what background and skills are required? Make sure candidates can draw a direct line between their skills and their suitability, so the good ones don’t feel like they’re wasting their time.
• A laundry list of requirements. You’ve seen them—those job postings with 42 “must haves” unlikely to exist in the same career trajectory, like a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt with unicycle proficiency. This shows that your expectations are insane, or that you have no idea what the job actually does, so you’re casting a massive net. Level-headed job-seekers know they can’t meet such crazy standards. They figure either you are inept or exacting, and they’re unlikely to pass screening if they only meet 23 of the 42 “requirements,” so why bother?
• A one-sided slant. Ask not what your employee can do for you, but what you can do for your employee. Because if your job posting is “take, take, take,” job-seekers won’t see how they’ll benefit from working for you. You want to look like a company with a rich and inclusive culture, interested in supporting and developing your employees. A good way to do that in the job posting? Include the company’s mission and values, and mention competitive salaries and benefits, and any other fun office perks.
• Poor work-life balance. Does your job posting expect employees to live and breathe their work? Look for phrases that communicate poor work-life outlooks, such as “highly stressful” or “fast-paced” environments, and employees who must be “able to change direction quickly” or be “willing to wear multiple hats.” And as a real-life, real off-putting example, don’t be the job posting that read “Any scheduling limitations [not listed with the application] will not be considered during the first six months of employment.” Yikes.

The best job candidates are tailoring their resumes and cover letters to each job they apply for. So if you put in the effort to make your job posting clear and appealing, you’ll see that effort returned in candidates best suited for your job opening.