Hiring feels hard. We chase culture fit. We obsess over “value alignment.” And yes, they matter. But if I’m honest, I’d bet that 95% of failed hires come down to one boring thing: bad, or nonexistent, job descriptions especially in small companies.

I’ve seen it in my own businesses, and I’ve seen it when friends ask me why their new hire isn’t working out. If the role itself isn’t clear, no amount of culture magic will fix it.

Over the years, here’s what I’ve learned makes a job description actually work:
1️⃣ Purpose – why the role exists at all
2️⃣ Reporting – who they answer to
3️⃣ Company intro – why someone should be excited to join
4️⃣ Objectives – the real outcomes you expect
5️⃣ Day-to-day duties – what they’ll actually be doing

It sounds simple, but most job descriptions I see are either vague (“we just need a VA”) or contradictory (“do our marketing and fix IT”). No wonder the hires don’t stick.

So before you go looking for “the perfect cultural fit,” ask yourself: would a smart, motivated person even know how to succeed in this role? That clarity is where good hiring really starts.