Writing Job Descriptions (Outcome-Based)
Scope
Covers
- Turning a vague “we should hire X” into a clear role outcome + success scorecard
- Defining competency spikes (major/minor) instead of a generic laundry list
- Writing a high-signal job description that is honest about context (pace, constraints, trade-offs)
- Building a lightweight iteration loop to improve the JD after real candidate conversations
When to use
- “Write a job description / job posting for …”
- “Create a role scorecard / success profile for a new hire.”
- “Make this JD more high-signal (it’s generic and attracting everyone).”
- “Rewrite our JD around outcomes instead of responsibilities.”
When NOT to use
- You haven’t decided whether to hire vs restructure/contract/automation (do org planning first)
- You need a full interview loop, question maps, or structured interview design (use
conducting-interviews) - You need to evaluate candidates, design work samples, or make a hiring decision (use
evaluating-candidates) - You need to build a sales team hiring pipeline or GTM recruiting strategy (use
building-sales-team) - You need to design the new hire’s onboarding experience (use
onboarding-new-hires) - You need legal/HR review for compliance wording (this skill is not legal advice)
Inputs
Minimum required
- Role title + level + function (e.g., “Senior Product Designer”, “Staff Backend Engineer”)
- Team/context (what you build; who the role reports to; key partners)
- Why hire now + the “progress” this role must create
- Success definition: 3–6 outcomes for 12 months after start
- Working model + constraints (remote/hybrid, time zones, travel, on-call, pace)
Missing-info strategy
- Ask up to 5 questions from references/INTAKE.md.
- If answers aren’t available, proceed with explicit assumptions and offer 2 versions: conservative/inclusive and high-intensity/polarizing (if appropriate).
Outputs (deliverables)
Produce a Job Description Pack in Markdown (in-chat; or as files if requested):
- Context snapshot
- Role scorecard: success at 12 months (+ optional 30/60/90)
- Competency spike map: majors/minors + “evidence of strength”
- Job description draft (public): outcome-based, high-signal
- Filters: who will thrive / who should not apply (honest, non-discriminatory)
- Iteration plan + version log: what to test and how to update after candidate conversations
- Risks / Open questions / Next steps (always included)
Templates: references/TEMPLATES.md Expanded guidance: references/WORKFLOW.md
Workflow (7 steps)
1) Intake + constraints (don’t start writing yet)
- Inputs: user request; references/INTAKE.md.
- Actions: Clarify role, level, “why now”, constraints (location, pace, comp bands if available), and what “good” looks like. Identify what you can/can’t say publicly.
- Outputs: Context snapshot + assumptions/unknowns list.
- Checks: You can state in one sentence: “We are hiring X to achieve Y by Z.”
2) Define “success 12 months later” (scorecard)
- Inputs: business goals, current pains, manager expectations.
- Actions: Write 3–6 outcomes that would make you “clink champagne” in 12 months. Add measurable indicators where possible.
- Outputs: Role scorecard (12-month success).
- Checks: Outcomes describe business impact and shipped/owned artifacts, not just activities.
3) Decide the competency spikes (major/minor)
- Inputs: role scorecard.
- Actions: Choose 1 major spike and 1–2 minor spikes. Define what “strong” looks like and how to recognize it (work samples, narratives, portfolio, shipped systems).
- Outputs: Competency spike map.
- Checks: Spikes explain why a generalist won’t work; each spike ties to at least one 12-month outcome.
4) Translate outcomes into responsibilities (progress over laundry lists)
- Inputs: scorecard + spikes.
- Actions: Convert outcomes into 6–10 responsibilities phrased as progress (“Own X end-to-end”, “Reduce Y from A→B”) rather than “attend meetings”. Remove arbitrary requirements.
- Outputs: Responsibilities section draft.
- Checks: Every responsibility maps to at least one outcome; anything that doesn’t map is cut or re-justified.
5) Add the “truth” section (high-signal + filtering)
- Inputs: team reality: pace, constraints, trade-offs.
- Actions: Write a candid “How we work / What’s hard here” section and a “Who will thrive / Who won’t” filter. Use polarizing clarity without illegal/discriminatory language.
- Outputs: Context truth + filters.
- Checks: A candidate can self-select in/out; claims are honest and specific (not hype).
6) Draft the public job description (clean, inclusive, skimmable)
- Inputs: templates; company/role basics.
- Actions: Assemble a complete JD using references/TEMPLATES.md. Keep requirements minimal; separate must-haves vs nice-to-haves; avoid jargon and bias.
- Outputs: JD draft (public).
- Checks: In 90 seconds, a qualified candidate can answer: “What will I accomplish? Why here? What do I need to be great at?”
7) Iterate + quality gate + finalize pack
- Inputs: JD draft; any candidate feedback; hiring manager review.
- Actions: Propose what to test (which section is failing: attract vs filter). Create an iteration log. Run references/CHECKLISTS.md and score with references/RUBRIC.md. Add Risks/Open questions/Next steps.
- Outputs: Final Job Description Pack.
- Checks: The pack is internally aligned and externally high-signal; unknowns are explicit; iteration triggers are defined.
Quality gate (required)
- Use references/CHECKLISTS.md and references/RUBRIC.md.
- Always include: Risks, Open questions, Next steps.
Examples
Example 1 (Startup, high-pace): “Write a job description for a founding Product Designer for a seed-stage B2B AI tool. We need someone who can ship end-to-end in ambiguity. Include success at 12 months and a candid ‘what’s hard here’ section.” Expected: clear 12-month outcomes, a design-major spike, honest pace/constraints, and filters that self-select the wrong candidates out.
Example 2 (Scale-up, specialized spike): “Create a role scorecard + job posting for a Staff Backend Engineer owning reliability for a high-traffic API. Emphasize systems thinking and incident ownership.” Expected: outcome-based responsibilities tied to reliability outcomes, plus a clear major spike (operational excellence) and measurable success criteria.
Boundary example (no outcomes): “Write a JD for a ‘rockstar generalist’ to ‘do whatever is needed’ (no outcomes).” Response: refuse to invent a laundry list; run intake, define 12-month outcomes and spikes first, then draft.
Boundary example (redirect to interviews): “I have the JD. Now help me design the interview loop and behavioral questions.” Response: redirect to conducting-interviews — this skill produces the job description and role scorecard, not the interview process.
Boundary example (redirect to evaluation): “We posted the JD and have 5 applicants. Help me decide who to interview and how to score them.” Response: redirect to evaluating-candidates — this skill defines the role, not the evaluation process.
Anti-patterns (common failure modes)
- Laundry-list responsibilities — Writing 15+ bullet-point responsibilities that describe activities (“attend meetings”, “manage stakeholders”) instead of outcomes. Every responsibility should map to a 12-month outcome.
- Unicorn requirements — Requiring 10+ years experience AND a specific degree AND 5 tools AND 3 industries. This filters out strong candidates and signals org confusion about what matters. Identify 1 major spike and 1-2 minors.
- Copy-paste from competitors — Reusing another company’s JD with your logo. This attracts generic applicants and fails to differentiate your opportunity. The “why here / why now” must be specific to your context.
- Hiding the hard parts — Omitting pace, constraints, or dysfunction to maximize applicant volume. This wastes everyone’s time. Candid “what’s hard here” sections improve conversion of the right candidates.
- One-and-done publishing — Treating the JD as final after one draft. JDs should iterate based on candidate conversations and pipeline signal (who’s applying, who’s dropping off, and why).