Why Your Job Description Is Failing (and How Headhunters Deliver Results)

I'm tired of reading unicorn job descriptions

That no actual human could ever match...

Just last week I saw a Creative Director role demanding someone who's equally brilliant at art direction, copywriting, UX design, video production, data analytics, AND managing a team of 20 prima donnas with delicate egos.

Oh, and they need 15 years of experience but must be

"digitally native" and an expert in a platform that's existed for 3 years.

And let's not even begin on the AI transformation experience needed.

This isn't a job description. It's a pathetic wish list from someone who doesn't understand the role they're hiring for.

The worst part? Companies actually believe these people exist. Then they wonder why their searches take 9 months and end with hiring someone who meets about 60% of the criteria.

A CCO I placed recently showed me the job description his predecessor had been hired against. It was seven pages long.

SEVEN. The poor guy was doomed from day one.

Here's a radical thought: try focusing on the 3-4 things that

ACTUALLY matter for success in the role.

Instead of asking for someone who's world-class at everything, decide which skills you need them to have already and which ones you can develop or support with the team around them.

Because nobody's good at everything. Not even that perfect ex-FAANG VP your board is fantasizing about.