How to Write a Job Brief that Attracts the Right Talent
Hiring Insights ...
You don’t lose your best candidate at the offer stage.
You lose them when your job brief doesn’t speak to them in the first place.
So, why are businesses not finding the right candidates? In our experience, unclear or misaligned briefs are one of the top reasons hiring stalls, delays, or falls apart altogether.
Get this one document right, and everything else flows: better candidates, faster interviews, stronger hires.
Over the years, we’ve been supporting organisations, hiring managers and business owners across Cardiff, the South West and the wider UK with their recruitment requirements and we’ve seen just how much difference a sharp, aligned brief can make before a single CV lands in your inbox.
If you’re replacing a key team member or building out a new function within your business, how you scope and structure your brief can make or break the hire.
This guide shows you how to get it right.
Why a Strong Job Brief Matters
A strong brief will align internal teams, speed up sign-off and set clear expectations for prospective candidates. If you’re working with a recruitment partner (like Yolk Recruitment) what they need to deliver fast, focused results.
A vague, bloated or misaligned job description can stall your process, confuse applicants and cause your top candidates to quietly walk away. With a hiring market more competitive than ever, that’s a risk you can’t afford.
How to Write a Job Brief That Works
1. Anchor the role to your business goals.
Instead of opening with tasks, start by answering: Why does this role exist?
Ask yourself:
What business priority will this person support?
What are the short and long-term goals for this hire?
How does this position fit into your wider team or structure?
This is especially important when working with an external recruiter. They can sell your opportunity better when they know your “why”.
2. Focus on outcomes, not activities.
The best briefs are outcome-driven. That means talking about what this person will achieve, not just what they’ll do.
For example:
“Manage CRM systems” isn't enough.
“Lead the migration to a new CRM and improve reporting accuracy by 40% in 6 months” is better.
Clear expectations help candidates self-assess their fit and help your team focus during interviews.
3. Get internal buy-in early.
If your job brief hasn’t been aligned across hiring managers, HR and senior stakeholders, you may find yourself facing red tape. Misalignment leads to process delays, inconsistent interviews and rejected offers, each increasing that all-important time-to-hire.
We recommend a 15-minute internal sync (a short meeting between everyone involved in the hire) to confirm:
Essential vs desirable skills.
Salary expectations and flexibility.
Remote/hybrid working model options.
Timeline to hire.
Hiring managers who skip this step typically face two to three weeks of added delays and often lose out on their top-choice candidate.
4. Define your non-negotiables.
Want a unicorn? That’s fine. Just make sure you know which parts of the brief you’re flexible on, and which are dealbreakers.
Be realistic about:
Industry or tech experience.
Location and flexibility.
Management requirements.
Sector-specific knowledge.
When dealbreakers are clearly defined, recruitment agencies can typically reduce shortlist time by 30-40% and avoid wasting time on interviews that were never going to convert.
5. Benchmark it against the market.
Your role may be well thought-out internally, but is it truly competitive in the current market?
Before you go live, ask yourself:
How high is the demand for the type of candidate you’re looking for?
Is what you’re asking for realistic for the salary, location, and market conditions?
How does your benefits package stack up?
The Yolk team share recruitment insights daily with hiring teams across Cardiff, Bristol and the wider UK and we’re always happy to provide a quick market sense-check . You can request a bespoke Talent Report from our recruitment specialists that highlights salary benchmarks, industry insights, and in-demand roles to help you make smarter hiring decisions.
Better Briefs = Better Hires
Hiring is hard enough. Don’t let a vague or misaligned job brief slow you down.
A strong brief means fewer mis-hires, better interviews, and faster decision-making. It also makes it easier for your recruitment partner (like Yolk) to deliver with precision, speed and confidence.
If you're hiring in Cardiff, Bristol, or across the UK, take the time to get this right. We promise it’ll pay off.
Not sure if your job brief is helping or hurting your search?
Our specialist recruitment consultants can tell you exactly what’s missing, what’s unrealistic, and how it compares to what competitors are hiring for right now.
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