How unrealistic job ads quietly sabotage your recruitment
Melanie Mansfield • February 3, 2026
At first glance, a job ad seems like a simple thing.
List the duties, outline the experience required, add the salary, hit publish… right?
In reality, job ads are often where recruitment quietly starts to unravel.
Not because employers don’t care - but because expectations, market realities and legacy role assumptions don’t always line up. And when that happens, even the most well-intentioned job ad can unintentionally work against you.
The “perfect candidate” trap
One of the most common things we see is a job ad that’s trying to cover everything.
Someone who:
- Has extensive technical expertise
- Brings strong leadership capability
- Is strategic and hands-on
- Can hit the ground running
- Fits the culture perfectly
- Comes from the same industry
- And is happy with a salary set several years ago
Individually, these things aren’t unreasonable. Combined? They often describe three different people - not one.
When expectations creep over time (often shaped by what previous incumbents grew into), the role becomes unrealistic for today’s market. The result? Fewer applications, longer time to hire, and frustration on all sides.
When the salary doesn’t match the brief
This is a big one.
We regularly see roles taken to market on the same salary as the previous incumbent - sometimes set five or more years ago - without considering how the role, the market, or candidate expectations have shifted.
Candidates can spot this immediately.
If the responsibilities read as senior, but the salary suggests otherwise, strong candidates will quietly opt out. Not because they aren’t interested in the role, but because they assume the organisation hasn’t aligned expectations internally yet.
And once that perception is formed, it’s hard to undo.
The “nice to have” list that scares people off
Job ads often include long lists of skills that are labelled as “desirable” but feel very much like required.
From a candidate’s perspective, this creates hesitation.
Ironically, this tends to discourage great, capable candidates, while less suitable applicants are often the ones who still apply (with confidence!).
The quiet cost of getting it wrong
Unrealistic job ads don’t usually fail loudly. They fail quietly.
They lead to:
- Roles being re-advertised
- Shortlists that don’t quite hit the mark
- Candidates dropping out mid-process
- Hiring managers feeling like “there’s no good talent out there”
When in reality, the right people were there - they just didn’t see themselves reflected in the brief.
A better starting point
Before you advertise, it’s worth pausing and asking:
- What problem does this role actually need to solve today?
- Which skills are essential, and which can be developed?
- Is the salary aligned to the level of responsibility and the current market?
- Are we clear (and honest) about flexibility and expectations?
A well-considered job ad doesn’t just attract more applicants — it attracts the right ones.
And that’s when recruitment starts to feel less painful, less time-consuming, and far more successful.
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