Most JDs are historical artifacts dressed up as hiring tools. Someone leaves, you dust off their description, tweak a few bullets, and post. I've seen the same job description recycled across three companies over twenty years. Same role. Different decade.

Here's the downstream damage: your sourcing targets the wrong profile. Your screening filters out the right candidates. Your interview questions assess for the past. And you wonder why the hire doesn't stick.

Research consistently shows top performers meet 60–70% of listed requirements. If you're filtering for 100%, you're filtering out your best people before they apply.

Before you write your next JD, answer these three questions first: — What does this person need to accomplish in year one? — What do our best current performers actually have in common? — What's changed since we last hired for this role?

The description comes last. The thinking comes first.