Stop posting jobs. Start telling stories.
“We’re looking for motivated individuals to join our dynamic team in an exciting opportunity where you can make an impact, grow your career, and be part of something bigger!”
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- Task
- Task
- Task
- Demand
- Demand
- Demand
- Competitive pay and benefits
There’s your typical job post in a nutshell. They all sound the same, and that’s exactly the problem. Job boards are flooded with copy-paste descriptions full of buzzwords, tasks, and demands, but say nothing about the actual experience of working there. That’s not recruitment marketing. That’s a legal job description with a gimmicky headline.
Calling every job “exciting,” every team “dynamic,” and all compensation “competitive” doesn’t prove anything. Those words have lost meaning by being overused, and usually, without any real supporting evidence or context. This can lead people to assume you’re not sharing details because they won’t impress anyone.
“We’re hiring!” Who cares? Tell them WHY they should care.
Instead of repeating vague claims or listing basic tasks and generic requirements, you need to focus on what makes your version of the job different and better. Postings should answer the questions:
What makes doing the job here different from doing the same job anywhere else, and what’s in it for them?
The “HR Tone” Problem.
A lot of job postings sound like they were written to survive a lawsuit, not inspire someone to apply. They’re technically correct, legally compliant, and completely forgettable.
That’s not on HR. It’s how the system evolved, compliance first. Most HR professionals don’t have marketing and advertising backgrounds. Job DESCRIPTIONS were, in fact, written to help companies survive a lawsuit. They’re there so that someone can’t say, “You never told me I might have to lift 50 pounds or do other duties as assigned.” But then it just became common practice to give those legal documents a dual purpose, using them as advertisements, i.e., job POSTINGS.
Job postings are invitations, not instructions.
They’re supposed to be the thumbnail, the movie trailer, the picture on the front of the box, the best of what you’re gonna get inside, the insight into the culture, tools, and mindset that make your team different from every other crew in town, and possibly better than where your ideal candidate is currently working.
If it doesn’t sound like you, it’s not working for you.
Shifting From Job Descriptions to Job Postings
Unless you’re hiring entry-level helpers or laborers, your target audience already knows what the basic duties are, because they have the required experience. What do they really want to know? The context, environment, challenges, goals, resources, culture, if they’re the right fit, and what’s in it for them.
When you write a post, start by thinking less about what you need and more about what the right person wants.
Here’s the mental flip:
Instead of saying, “We’re looking for someone to…” try, “You’ll get to…”
Instead of saying, “You must…” try, “You’re the type of person who… you enjoy and excel at… you’re happiest when…”
One tells people what you expect (company-centric). The other tells them what they’ll experience based on who they are (candidate-centric). In construction, that subtle difference can make a massive impact.
Suppose you’re looking for a Foreman, and you need one who aligns with your mentorship culture focused on bringing in and raising up the next generation. You might specify, “You’ll guide and mentor a 7-person crew through complex grading projects to help develop their precision and timing.”
That says something. It paints a picture. It gives pride. The weathered vet, low on patience, high on ego, and quick to say, “suck it up,” isn’t going to be attracted to that. But the ones you want, those who love to teach the younger folks and know their craft well, respond to that kind of clarity. They can see themselves in it.
Tell it like it is to the people who want it for what it is.
More often, they’ll just see something generic like, “Responsible for supervising crew members and completing projects on schedule.”
That’s technically accurate, but it’s also a given for someone who’s an experienced construction leader. It says nothing that would help them picture the work in your environment or feel ownership of the outcome. There’s no sense of pride, pace, or challenge, just a list of obvious duties, and sometimes, an exhaustive list of every possible micro and related duty.
In the requirements section, companies typically document what candidates MUST be, do, and have. Instead, it’s better to pretend you’re already talking to that person. Give them compliments instead of demands.
Demanding: “The incumbent MUST possess practical hands-on experience in the fields of infection control, fire safety, NFPA, Joint Commission, OSHA, and DOH regulations, as well as codes and regulations governing health care facilities.”
This company might think they're just being clear about who they're looking for, but the language is self-centered, cold, and demanding.
Complimentary: “Your hands-on experience in fire safety, infection control, and navigating the specifics of NFPA, Joint Commission, OSHA, and DOH regulations means you don't just know the rules, you know how to make them work on the ground in a busy healthcare setting. You're the linchpin that holds a facility's safety, compliance, and accreditation together.”
Speak to their inner hero.
Talk to people like people.
The words and tone you use will either pull people in or push them away. Well-worded content will attract the right people and repel the wrong ones. Long, boring, generic, demanding content does the opposite.
When you write like you talk, you build trust.
When you write like a corporate memo or a legal contract, you build distance.
People tune out fluff. They remember what’s real. Ditch the buzzwords. Cut the clichés. Use real examples. Speak in outcomes and give compliments.
Outcome: Instead of “Adhere to strict safety standards,” say something about what safety means to you. What the outcome of adhering to safety standards is. Something like, “Be the reason your crew goes home to their families the same way (or better than) how they arrived.”
Compliment: Instead of “24/7 availability required, including nights, weekends, and holidays,” try talking directly to the person who’s made for this type of schedule. “You thrive in fast-moving environments that keep you sharp. Hours can be long and unpredictable, and that’s exactly how you like it.”
Be the answer to THEIR problems. Let them know how they will be led, developed, recognized, and supported. A slight reframe can turn a demand into an offer of support.
Demanding: “Must know how to use GPS”
Supportive: “You’ll be provided with GPS for faster, safer, and more precise grading.”
A good opportunity means different things to different people.
It could mean a better schedule, less/more travel, a shorter commute, more opportunities to learn and advance, a stronger culture with more support and recognition, newer systems or technology, more structure or more autonomy, smoother processes, a bigger or smaller company, the chance to learn a different trade, or simply more money and better benefits. I purposely put money last because it tends to be the assumed top motivator. Often, it’s not. Your openings can be the right opportunity for the right people if you speak their language.
Social media isn’t optional anymore.
Job postings are just one piece of your recruitment marketing system. Job seekers and browsers hang out on job boards. The real shift happens when you start showing up where most people hang out - on social. That’s where you reach people whose interest can be piqued by something unexpected and people who know someone who might be interested.
Your company page doesn’t need to be polished or perfect. It just needs to be real, to show life: the morning tailgate meetings, the new apprentice learning from an old hand, the lunch break pushup contest. That’s what people connect to. Show how you take pride in your people.
People want to work for companies that care for and appreciate their people.
And, it’s not just about your company page. Actually, the biggest impact is made on employees’ personal pages. Leaders, supers, estimators, project managers, engineers, foremen, operators, and laborers - all posting about what they’re proud of, what they’re learning, what they’re building, and why they love it. That’s how you turn every person in your company into a recruiter. It’s the equivalent of the “Customer Reviews” section on Amazon. I’ve seen people apply to jobs from across the country purely based on a company’s social content.
People want to work at companies that other people enjoy working at.
What happens when you get this right.
When your messaging shifts from generic to human, from corporate to conversational, a few things happen almost immediately:
You stop attracting people who just need A job. ANY job that could be for ANYbody, and you start hearing from people who want THIS job, and who want to work for YOU.
Your social posts get engagement and reach. They drive people to your website and career page (where you ideally have a “general application” in an ATS that’s always open).
You look like a company worth watching, even to those who aren’t looking yet.
And, the best part? It doesn’t require a marketing degree or budget. Just intention, consistency, and a willingness to tell the truth about what working with you is really like.
Where to Start
Job Posting: Pick a role that’s hard to fill. Pull up the job post you used.
Now, rewrite it like you were explaining it to a friend at a BBQ, someone who’s curious about what you do but not desperate for a job.
Tell them what they’d get to do, what kind of people thrive there, and what the payoff looks like beyond the paycheck. Answer real questions, address potential frustrations, and connect emotionally. Add credibility with specifics, show your company’s personality and values, highlight the work environment and outcomes, and speak directly to your ideal candidate.
Social Media: Talk about what people want - meaningful work, recognition and rewards, a good relationship with their leader, growth and development, support to succeed, and insight into what it’s like to work there. You can use any of the following formats - educate, entertain, inspire, engage, or any combination.
Then share it. Post it on your company page. Post it on your personal page. Have your crew share it. Watch what happens when the story starts spreading from inside your walls.
Hiring in construction doesn’t need to feel like begging for applicants and demanding they conform. It just needs to sound more like the people you’re trying to hire.
When your job posts start sounding like your people, your inbox starts filling with the ones you’ve been trying to find.
Start for free today.
