Scientific Hiring: Day 3

How to write job posts to attract A-Players

Welcome to day three of Scientific Hiring.

Are you ready to attract top talent like a magnet?

Yesterday, you learned the value of a job scorecard.

Did you create yours?

Today we’ll begin with stage two – the Art of Attraction

Let’s begin.

No more will you post job descriptions.

Instead, you’ll craft and post job propositions!

While traditional job descriptions often scare away or bore the best candidates, job propositions are designed to engage and attract top talent.

Instead of a list of responsibilities, job propositions create a compelling vision of growth and opportunity to allow prospective candidates to envision themselves thriving in the role.

(hint: that’s the real magic of attraction)

Your proposition should speak directly to top talent and entice them with the promise of professional development and an exciting challenge.

Done correctly, a proposition is proven to attract top talent because it focuses on what motivates high performers—growth challenge, and impact.

Most job postings fail because they’re written by HR without a hint of creativity—turning into laundry lists of tasks and responsibilities—better suited for a back-room government role like a Medicare claims administrator than an exciting career opportunity—Boring!

A-Players don’t want just any job.

They look for challenges, a mission, and a place to grow.

Here’s how to craft a compelling job proposition:

Step-1: Write an engaging headline

Use an industry-standard title and a question-based sub-heading to hook prospective candidates.

For example,

“Senior Software Engineer:
Are you ready to lead a team of developers in a fast-paced innovative medical devices company?”

This headline clearly states the role, highlights a dynamic work environment and reveals the industry all while posing a question that compels prospects to envision themselves in the role.

The purpose of this crafted headline is to pick out prospects you can interest. You only want interested people reading it and everyone else to move on.

Step-2: Capture their interest early

Your first paragraph should answer the #1 question on their mind,

“What’s in it for me?”

This is where you talk about growth opportunities, team dynamics, and the mission they’ll be part of.

This allows them to visualize themselves in the role from the get-go.

If your description resonates with them, they'll continue to read with genuine interest and excitement.

If not, they’ll leave.

If they leave, that’s great because your job proposition saved you time.

Step-3: Describe what you do

Share your company’s vision and mission.

Be passionate.

Make them feel the excitement of being part of something bigger.

For example, if your company develops groundbreaking medical technology, highlight who it benefits and the impact it will have in your industry.

Step-4: Detailed proposition description

Describe the details of the position by writing in the second person. Use the word (“you”) to make it personal.

For example,

“You will lead the development of innovative software solutions.”
“You will drive the expansion of our market reach and build lasting client relationships.”
“You will oversee our financial strategy to ensure accurate and timely reporting.”

Writing in the second person allows prospective candidates to picture themselves in the role and visualize their future with your company.

Then, describe the daily, monthly, and yearly accountabilities to let prospects know how they’ll be held accountable for their work.

This could be as simple as saying,

“We measure completed work, not hours worked. You will be held accountable based on completed project delivery of two to three projects per year.”

And then continue to describe all the accountabilities you defined on your scorecard.

• Describe what they’ll do

• Previous experience you expect them to possess, and

• Any specific qualifications, like a Master’s Degree, previous track record of success or whatever.

Step-5: Close with a call to action

Tell them how to apply and the steps that follow.

Be specific to weed out the uncommitted.

For instance, ask for a cover letter explaining why they’re passionate about this role and how their experience aligns with your needs.

Or…

Use favorite my closing statement:

“We prioritize the most qualified candidates. If you believe you're the right person for this role, we want to hear from you first. In two to three sentences, email me what excites you about this opportunity and why you’re a great fit.”

This statement works because it encourages candidates to engage with the application process to show their enthusiasm and fit for the role.

This helps you quickly identify the most passionate individuals.

Old school method.

Back in the day, businesses posted generic job descriptions that read like a list of chores and led to weak applicants.

Now, with job propositions, you create a vision that attracts ambitious, top-tier talent ready to make an impact.

This is how you get A-Players lining up at your door.

But in the end, everything you write needs to be compelling and purposeful.

The goal of your job proposition is to attract top talent and deter those who aren't a good fit.

A great job proposition serves as a filter and does all the heavy lifting and sorts highly interested and qualified candidates from those who are not.

Learn from my mistakes.

Early in my career, my job posts were all about tasks and responsibilities.

And they attracted zero A-Players.

When I rewrote them to focus on growth, mission, and excitement, the applications of highly talented candidates flooded in.

They attracted talented individuals who welcomed challenges and accountability in their work.

It gets better…

As a result, applications from less qualified candidates (C-Players) greatly diminished.

The job proposition emphasized accountability, so C-Players rarely applied.

A-Players want assurance they’ll step into a role where they’ll be challenged, have opportunities for professional growth, and can make a significant impact.

A well-written job proposition attracts top talent and discourages the unqualified.

Unless you're an excellent copywriter, hire a professional to craft your job proposition.

Then have HR and legal approve it.

HR is Human Resources—not marketing.

Avoid HR written job propositions because they may focus too much on formalities and compliance, while missing the art of attraction and engagement.

Think of it this way—you’re not filling roles—you’re building a team of A-Players who are motivated, engaged, and aligned with your company’s mission.

By the end of today, I want you to turn one of your job postings into a job proposition.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get your feet wet.

Make it engaging.

Make it exciting.

And make it so compelling the best people would feel stupid to not apply to your opportunity.

Want me to send you an example of a first-rate job proposition?

Reply to the email that brought you here with “job proposition” in the subject line.

Tomorrow, I’ll show you how to conduct a values phone screen—your first step to ensure your top candidates align with your company’s core principles and culture.

Catch you tomorrow,

Applying the 80/20 rule to this lesson:

The 80/20 rule emphasizes that focusing on the most impactful 20% of actions yields 80% of your results.

In this lesson, the key takeaway is to craft job propositions instead of traditional descriptions.

By creating an engaging proposition that speaks to top talent motivated by growth, challenge, and impact, you dramatically increase your chances of attracting A-Players.

This focused effort saves time and improves the quality of your hires.

In short, a well-crafted job proposition does the heavy lifting by attracting top-tier candidates and filtering out those who aren't a good fit.

Additionally, the 80/20 rule suggests:

• Focus on Key Motivators: Highlight elements that attract A-Players, such as growth opportunities and meaningful challenges.

• Use a Strong Call to Action: Ask candidates to demonstrate passion and fit upfront to filter out less committed applicants.

• Filter Out Unqualified Candidates: A strong proposition acts as a natural filter, helping you focus on those who align with your company’s mission.

When you're ready, there's three ways I can help you:

1. The Scientific Hiring Academy: If you find this short series on Scientific Hiring helpful but want help to quickly implement everything you've learned, then try the Academy. It's designed with the power of the Socratic Interview Method and the precision of Scientific Hiring to ensure you make informed data-driven decisions and only hire A-Players.

The Academy doesn’t just guide you—it transforms how you and your team approach hiring, whether you’re building from scratch or refining your current practices.

2. Book a 1:1 call with me to discover how you can apply scientific hiring methods to your business.

3. If you frequently hire for the same role, ask me about customized training to ensure all your hiring managers are aligned with your hiring standards and procedures.

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