1. No Salary Listed / Terrible Salary 

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it forever: you have to post a salary with your job openings. Not doing so is inequitable, a waste of time (yours and the candidates’) and frankly, a poor move if you want people to share and respond to your job post. When determining salary, do your homework and make sure you’re offering a reasonable wage for your geographic location, the responsibilities of the role, and the context of other salaries in the organization. And don’t forget benefits - health, dental, retirement, professional development, vacation, remote options - they matter now more than ever.

2. The Role Responsibilities Suck

People are attracted to roles that help them along their career path and have clear expectations (bonus points if it feels like they’re doing something that makes a difference!) When creating a role at your organization, ask yourself whether you have ever met anyone who is qualified for or would be interested in the role as you’ve described it. If the answer is no (or if the person you can think of is in a higher-paying job somewhere), then you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Offer a clear, compelling job description and remember that no one is excellent at everything. What’s critical to nail in this role and what can be addressed through professional development or just by getting some experience on the job?

3. Unrealistic Qualifications

Do you actually need someone with a degree or will experience suffice? Do you really need someone with 5-7 years of experience, and if so, are you offering them a role and a salary that someone at that point in their career would seek out? And this one should really go without saying, but if you call a role an entry-level position and then list experience requirements, well - you do the math. Another common mistake: you've squashed what should be several roles into one. It's one thing to ask an employee to wear a few hats; it's another to ask them to juggle multiple roles with highly varied skill sets.

The job-seeking process is trying; don’t make it even harder by making prospects hunt for the information they need. Include some background about your organization, why you’re hiring right now, and what kind of person you’re looking for. Share information about the workplace or the organization’s focus and what makes it compelling. Why should people want to work for you? Beware that certain phrases may turn candidates off. A fast-paced environment with other duties as assigned? No thanks. Looking for a go-getter who can deliver under pressure and think on their feet? Not unless you’ve got that go-getter, high-pressure money.

5. Your Reputation Precedes You

This is a big one. If you have an employee turnover problem, you probably have a reputation problem to match. There is rarely a stronger marketing force than word-of-mouth, and if your management or work culture leave a lot to be desired, it’s not a secret. Plus, job seekers check job boards on the regular, so if you have the same jobs open in perpetuity, they notice. Excellent applicants do reference checks on organizations, much like organizations do on applicants. What would your prior employee references say about you? Consider it the footnote on every job description you write. Either address it head-on in your hiring strategy or work to correct it. Ideally, do both.