how to write a job description Archives

You wrote the job description. You posted it on Indeed, LinkedIn, maybe even tossed it on a few niche boards for good measure.

And then… nothing. Or worse, you got a flood of applicants who weren’t even close to qualified.

Sound familiar? We’ve heard this same story from so many of our clients and Indianapolis-based employers alike. In this job market, hiring managers and HR teams keep running into the same wall: job posts that don’t perform.

And in 2026, you really cannot afford a job listing that blends into the background.

The good news is that this is a fixable problem.

The better news is that once you know what’s actually turning candidates off, you can flip the script and start getting more applicants without doubling your recruiting budget.

TLDR: If your job posts are getting crickets, the problem usually isn’t the job itself. It’s how you’re describing it. Candidates have options, short attention spans, and zero patience for vague postings. This post breaks down the most common reasons your listings fall flat and exactly what to do differently to get more applicants, faster.

Jump to What You Need

Why No One Is Applying to Your Job Posts
What Indianapolis Candidates Actually Want To See
How the Right Indianapolis Staffing Agency Can Help
FAQ: Your Job Posting Questions, Answered

Why No One Is Applying to Your Job Posts

Your Job Title Is Working Against You

This is the number one silent killer of applications. If your job title reads like something an org chart generated in 2003, it’s not going to click with your candidates.

Titles like ‘Operations Specialist III’ or ‘Client Success Ninja’ either mean nothing to a job seeker or feel like a red flag.

Job seekers search Google (yes, Google) for roles the same way they search for anything else. They type what they’re looking for in plain language, like “accounting jobs Indianapolis” or “healthcare admin jobs Indiana.”

If your title doesn’t match actual search terms, your listing won’t surface.

The fix is simple: use the actual job title candidates search for. ‘Entry Level Accountant‘ beats ‘Numbers Rockstar’ every single time.

Your Description Tells Candidates Nothing About the Job

Long lists of requirements. Bullet points that say ‘must be a team player’ and ‘self-starter.’ A wall of corporate-speak with zero personality. This is the hiring equivalent of a first date where someone only talks about themselves.

Here’s what candidates truly want to know:

What will I actually do all day?
Who will I work with?
What does success look like?
Why should I choose your company over the three other tabs I have open?

If your job post doesn’t answer those questions, you are leaving applications on the table.

You Buried the Salary (or Skipped It Entirely)

This one might be hard to hear, but it needs to be said: in 2026, candidates expect real salary ranges, not just including “competitive salary” in your job listing.

The share of US job postings that include salary information has grown significantly over the past few years, driven both by new pay transparency laws in several states and by candidate expectations that have simply evolved.

Indiana doesn’t currently have a statewide pay transparency law, but that doesn’t mean you should hide the compensation. Listings without salary information consistently underperform compared to those that include a range.

Candidates assume the worst when they don’t see numbers, and they move on. like a pro? Check out our Resume Guide for templates and tips tailored to Indianapolis job seekers.

Not sure what number to put in that salary field? Compensation ranges are genuinely hard to get right, and posting the wrong range can do more damage than posting nothing at all.

Our Indy Salary Guide takes the guesswork out of it with current data on what Indianapolis employers are actually paying across a range of roles.

Your Application Process Has Too Many Steps

Did you know that 60% of Gen Z candidates will abandon a hiring process that takes longer than two weeks from application to offer?

But even before they get that far, a clunky, multi-page application form with redundant questions will cause drop-off before someone even submits.

If you require candidates to fill out a form, attach a resume, and answer five essay questions just to be considered, you’re filtering out the very people you want. Motivated, qualified candidates who have options will simply apply somewhere else.

Your Post Looks Like Every Other Post

With hundreds of thousands of open job postings across your industry, the competition for attention is fierce.

A generic listing with no sense of company culture, no voice, and no compelling reason to apply is just noise.

Candidates notice when a company actually seems like a good place to work. They also notice when the listing feels like it was written by a committee.

What Indianapolis Candidates Actually Want to See

Every city has its own hiring culture, and Indianapolis is no different. Candidates here tend to be grounded and straightforward. They want a company they can grow with, a manager who communicates well, and benefits that make sense for their life.

Here’s what consistently moves the needle when it comes to attracting local candidates:

Salary range: Candidates expect it, and they will scroll right past a listing that doesn’t include one. Leaving it blank signals either that the pay is low or that your company isn’t transparent, and neither is a great first impression. Post the range, and you will immediately stand out from the listings that don’t.
Flexibility: Yes, even for roles that are primarily on-site. Not every candidate needs to work from home five days a week, but they do want to know their employer isn’t stuck in 2015. Can someone leave early for a school pickup and make up the time? Is there any schedule flexibility built in? Even small accommodations are worth mentioning. Be upfront about what you can and can’t offer, and let candidates self-select. Vague is worse than honest.
Benefits that actually matter: Don’t just paste in a bullet list that says “health insurance, 401k, PTO.” Instead, speak to what makes your benefits worth having. Is your health plan actually affordable? Do you match the 401(k)? How much PTO are we really talking about? Specifics build trust.
Company culture: You don’t need a paragraph about your ping pong table or your commitment to innovation. You need one honest sentence that tells a candidate what it actually feels like to work there. “Our team is small, collaborative, and genuinely good at what we do” is more compelling than a paragraph of buzzwords. Indianapolis candidates can smell inauthenticity from three job boards away.

How the Right Indianapolis Staffing Agency Can Help

The right Indianapolis staffing agency sources, screens, and presents candidates to your company, saving you the time and cost of doing it entirely in-house.

For Indianapolis employers, working with a local staffing partner like That’s Good HR means you get access to:

A pipeline of pre-screened, locally-based candidates
Market expertise on what Indianapolis candidates expect in terms of salary and benefits
Faster time-to-hire, because we’re doing the sourcing and initial screening for you
Flexible options, including temp, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements

Staffing partnerships work especially well when you have roles that are hard to fill, when your team is stretched thin during a hiring push, or when you need to scale quickly without committing to a permanent headcount increase right away.

The bottom line: if your job posts aren’t converting, the problem isn’t always the post. Sometimes you need a new pipeline of qualified candidates, and that’s where That’s Good HR comes in with a real competitive advantage.

FAQ: Your Job Posting Questions, Answered

How long should a job description be to get more applicants?

There’s no magic number, but research consistently shows that descriptions between 300 and 700 words tend to perform best. Too short, and you’re not giving candidates enough to evaluate the role. Too long, and you risk losing attention before they even get to the qualifications. Aim for thorough but scannable: use short paragraphs, bullet points where appropriate, and clear headers.

Should I post salary ranges on every listing?

Yes, whenever possible. Listings with salary information attract significantly more applicants than those without. You don’t have to post a single number; a range is fine and gives you flexibility.

When should I consider working with a staffing agency in Indianapolis?

A few good indicators: your listings are getting very few applicants or mostly unqualified ones, you’ve had a role open for more than 30 days, you need to hire quickly and don’t have time for a full search process, or you have a specialized role where finding the right candidate requires active sourcing rather than waiting for applications. A staffing firm (like That’s Good HR) can step in at any of those points and move significantly faster.

That’s Good HR: an Indianapolis Staffing Partner Who Knows the Market

At That’s Good HR, we’ve been helping Indianapolis employers hire smarter for years. We know the local market, we know what candidates expect in 2026, and we know how to get your open roles filled with people who are actually a good fit, not just the first warm body who applied.

Whether you need help with a single hard-to-fill role or want a long-term staffing partner to support your hiring strategy, we’re here for it.Ready to get more applicants and make better hires?

Submit a job with That’s Good HR or connect with our team. We can’t wait to serve you!