Writing Job Descriptions and Role Pitches That Attract Candidates

Recruiters need two documents for every search: the client's job description, which defines the role for people inside the company, and your own role pitch, which gives a passive candidate a reason to reply. The job description covers duties, must-haves and reporting lines. The pitch leads with what's in it for the candidate: the problem they'd solve, the growth, the team and the pay.

What's the difference between a job description and a role pitch?

The client's job description is an internal document. It lists responsibilities, qualifications and who the role reports to, and HR often uses it for leveling and compliance. It's written to describe the job, not to sell it.

Your role pitch is written for one reader: a strong person who already has a good job. It's short enough to read on a phone, and it answers the question every passive candidate asks first: why would I leave what I have for this? Much outreach fails because recruiters send the first document when they need the second.

How do you turn the job description into something candidates want to read?

1. Start with the problem. "Build the finance function for a company that just doubled in size" says more than "oversee accounting operations."
2. Cut the must-haves to the real ones. Three to five requirements the client confirmed at the intake call, not the full wish list.
3. Name what's different. Ownership, a strong boss, a growth path, flexibility, a mission or stability. Pick the one or two that are true and specific to this role.
4. Be clear about pay and location. A salary range and the remote, hybrid or on-site expectation save everyone a wasted call. Some states and cities require pay ranges in public job postings, so check the rules that apply before anything goes public.
5. Be honest about what's hard. A turnaround, a demanding founder, a long commute. Candidates trust a recruiter who tells them the hard parts first.

How do you write for a confidential search?

When the client is replacing someone who doesn't know yet, or entering a market quietly, you can't name the company. Describe it instead: the industry, the size, the stage, the region and what makes it a good place to work. "A profitable, family-owned manufacturer in the Mountain West with about 300 employees" gives candidates enough to be interested without giving the search away. Agree on the description with the client before you use it, and share the name only after a candidate has agreed to keep it confidential.

Where should the job description live?

Keep the client's version, your pitch and any confidential description together with the search, so everyone working the role uses the same wording. identifyd stores the job description on the job order alongside the hiring manager, the signed agreement and the candidates, so the current version is never buried in an email thread.

Can AI help write a role pitch?

Yes. Paste your intake notes into an AI assistant and ask for a short role pitch in plain language, then a second version for a confidential search. Ask for a few different opening lines and pick the one that sounds most like you. Check every fact against your notes and get the client's approval before anything goes out.