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What Job Descriptions Don’t Tell You
One of the questions I find myself asking when I read a job description is: What is this person walking into?
I can usually tell what someone will be responsible for. I can see the qualifications, reporting structure, schedule, and key duties. What I often can’t tell is whether people receive support, how decisions get made, how much ambiguity is built into the role, or what happens when things get hard.
Candidates are trying to answer these questions whether we answer them or not.
What to look for
Sometimes the clues are hidden in plain sight with phrases like:
- “Fast-paced environment.”
- “Self-starter.”
- “Must thrive under pressure.”
- “Ability to wear many hats.”
The phrase itself isn’t usually the problem. The question is what it’s standing in for.
I’ve seen “fast-paced” used to describe exciting, collaborative work. I’ve also seen it used to describe an organization where everyone was stretched thin and constantly reacting to the next urgent thing.
I’ve seen “self-starter” mean “you’ll have a lot of autonomy.” I’ve also seen it mean “we don’t really have the capacity to train you.”
A surprising number of hiring problems start with a mismatch in expectations.
I’ve seen organizations struggle with retention when the role people stepped into wasn’t the role they thought they were accepting. I’ve seen staff spend months trying to navigate realities that nobody intended to hide but nobody had ever clearly named.
Every nonprofit I know is navigating constraints, uncertainty, and competing priorities. The issue isn’t that those challenges exist. It’s when candidates are expected to discover them on their own.
That’s why clarity matters. It helps people make informed decisions about whether a role is right for them instead of relying on assumptions, guesswork, or insider knowledge.
A few places to start:
- Describe the workload as honestly as possible. Instead of “managing multiple priorities,” explain what those priorities actually are and whether they shift frequently.
- Name what support, onboarding, and supervision will actually look like. Will someone have weekly check-ins with a supervisor? A formal onboarding plan? A mentor? Don’t leave people guessing.
- Be clear about what is still evolving or uncertain. If the role is new, systems are being built, or responsibilities may shift, let people know.
- If the organization is navigating challenges, say so. A leadership transition, staffing changes, rapid growth, or funding uncertainty may shape the experience of the role.
- Explain how decisions get made and where the role will have autonomy. What decisions can someone make on their own? What decisions require collaboration or approval?
- Replace vague buzzwords with specific expectations. The goal isn’t to make the role sound impressive. It’s to help people understand what they’re saying yes to.
People can handle hard jobs. What is much harder to navigate is uncertainty about what they’re actually signing up for.