As companies change, job descriptions change. At least, they should. If someone has been in a role for a year and you are replacing them, it makes sense to review the job description to see how it has changed over that period of time.
Too often, this review does not happen and job postings and the interview process are all designed around stale material. It is no wonder that candidates in the process don’t seem to “fit”.
Just taking a few minutes to hear from the departing person how they feel the role has changed well be helpful. Their soon-to-be former colleagues may have comments as well.Even something like a software platform change is useful to note. Hiring someone who is already familiar with the tool will all value to the team way faster than someone with the skills everyone used to use. It’s pretty simple to work that into a job description.
There are other factors as well. If your organization has a new leader who is charged with making positive change or the company has merged or acquired another group, potential candidates want to know. You need your role to stand out and be interesting. When a company shows that it is moving forward in a positive way, it represents growth and challenge to the right kind of candidates.
To get the best applicants, resist the temptation to post the same old thing. It will get you the same old candidates and that’s probably not what you need.
Recruiter's Couch 