Ep 115 Leadership: How to write an effective and unbiased job description

Show notes

Welcome to the 115th episode of The Crazy One Podcast. I’m your host, Stephen Gates, and this is the show where we talk about creativity, leadership, design, and everything else that empowers creative people.

Remember, you can find all episodes and show notes at thecrazyone.com (that’s thecrazy and the number one dot com). Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to get new episodes as soon as they’re released. If you enjoy the show, please consider rating it or writing a quick review—it’s free and helps others discover it. Also, check out The Crazy One on YouTube for career coaching, tutorials, masterclasses, past keynotes, and more (thecrazyone.com/youtube). You can follow me on Twitter or Instagram for updates, or follow the show on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Why Job Descriptions Matter

Imposter syndrome is a recurring theme in our episodes—and job descriptions are one of its biggest sources. These documents often contain unrealistic, cookie-cutter expectations that discourage great candidates. For example, I’ve seen postings requiring five years of Figma or XD experience when those tools have only existed for three. These types of demands are absurd and alienate potential talent.

If job descriptions are so broken and a key reason why innovation stalls, why aren’t we fixing them? There’s too much bias baked into the process, and yet little action taken to change it. That’s what this episode is about: identifying the most common issues in how we hire, writing better job descriptions, removing bias, and rethinking the process from top to bottom.

What NOT To Do

If you’re a hiring manager, here’s what to avoid:

1. Don’t delegate writing to HR or recruiters – No one knows the role or team better than you. Treat it as the foundation of a great team, not a burden.

2. Avoid tired formats – Just as we expect candidates to be creative and personalized in resumes, we should do the same.

3. Don’t copy/paste from other job listings – Borrowing descriptions from admired companies leads to job description “inbreeding.” Think for yourself and write something tailored and authentic.

How To Write a Better Job Description

Start with these basics:

• Who does the role report to?

  • Transparency builds trust. Be clear about who the boss is and what their title is.

   

• Role and Responsibilities

  • Describe real tasks and expectations. If you can’t do that clearly, the role might need restructuring.

   

• Critical Success Factors (First Year)

  • Go beyond business KPIs. Define what the person will actually accomplish: launching a design system, moving a product forward, etc.

   

• Skills

  • Define tangible abilities like presenting, storytelling, or technical tools. Skills are tools to achieve the success factors.

   

• Personal Characteristics

  • These are traits like grit, creativity, passion, humility, and integrity. For example:

    • Walks your talk: Someone who is honest, acts in line with values, keeps confidences, and leads with integrity.

     

   

This approach gives candidates a holistic view of the job, the team, and the culture they’d be entering.

Recognizing and Reducing Bias

Too many job descriptions reinforce systemic bias:

• Avoid gendered titles and language – Phrases like “rockstar,” “guru,” or even using “he” in leadership roles often skew toward white, male candidates.

• Remove unnecessary superlatives – Words like “flawless,” “prodigious,” or “first-rate” can discourage diverse applicants.

• Be realistic about requirements – Excessive requirements (years of experience, specific degrees, etc.) narrow your pool and disadvantage nontraditional candidates.

• Rethink education/experience norms – Consider eliminating degree requirements or years-in-field metrics. They often reflect privilege more than ability.

Use tools like:

• Textio – Analyzes job listings for biased language.

• OnGig – Offers similar analysis and suggestions.

Beyond the Description: Changing the Hiring Process

You can make your team’s hiring more inclusive—even if your company won’t:

• Set standards for candidate diversity

  • Require a minimum slate of candidates from underrepresented groups before hiring.

   

• Blind resume reviews

  • Remove names, schools, and employers to focus on the work.

   

• Standardize interviews

  • Evaluate everyone using the same process and criteria.

   

• Focus on work samples over portfolios

  • Give real assignments or working sessions instead of judging candidates on polish or pedigree.

   

Also:

• Highlight family-friendly benefits.

• Clearly state your commitment to equality and diversity—and back it up with real examples.

Final Thoughts

If we want better teams and stronger innovation, we need to treat job descriptions—and the entire hiring process—as a serious design challenge. That means recognizing where bias exists, holding ourselves accountable, and genuinely doing the work to improve.

Perfect isn’t the goal. Better is.

If you’ve created job descriptions that are working well, send them my way. Let’s collaborate and share best practices.

Legal wants me to remind you that these views are mine alone and don’t represent current or former employers.

Thanks for your time—truly the only real luxury any of us have. If you want to make your team and this industry better, go look at your damn job descriptions. Stay crazy!

Tagged as:
clear job descriptions diversity in hiring equitable hiring equitable hiring pract hiring process imposter syndrome inclusive hiring inclusive job postings job description bias job descriptions removing bias Stephen Gates The Crazy One podcast