Write the job description for the candidate you want to attract, not for the legal department. The most common mistake in job listings for small businesses is writing a dry recitation of requirements and responsibilities that communicates nothing about what it is actually like to work there or why a good candidate would choose this role over another. Open with a specific description of the problem the role will solve or the impact it will have. Describe the work in concrete terms. Explain the team structure, the expected growth, and what makes your business worth joining over a larger, more comfortable employer.
Be honest about compensation. Listings that say competitive salary without specifying a range waste the time of candidates who would be disqualified by budget and repel candidates who assume the vagueness is hiding an uncompetitive number. Most candidates are looking for a specific range before applying. Specifying one increases the quality of applications by self-selecting for candidates whose expectations match your reality. In many US states, salary range disclosure in job listings is now legally required.
Indeed and LinkedIn are the two highest-reach platforms for most roles. LinkedIn is strongest for professional, technical, and managerial roles where the candidate actively maintains a professional profile. Indeed reaches a broader audience for hourly, entry-level, and trade roles where candidates are not necessarily LinkedIn users. For specialized roles, consider industry-specific job boards: Dribbble and We Work Remotely for design roles, Stack Overflow Jobs for engineering, Idealist for nonprofit roles, or trade-specific boards in your category.
Your personal network is often the highest-quality source for early hires. The people who know you and trust your judgment, and who are known to someone in your extended network, arrive with a reference pre-baked into the introduction. Before posting a public listing, tell every relevant person in your network that you are hiring, describe the role and the ideal candidate, and ask if they know anyone. You are looking for a specific person, not a general audience, and your network is a more targeted search tool than any job board for a first hire.
Screening applications efficiently is as important as attracting them. Define the two or three criteria that are most important for the role before you receive any applications, and use those criteria to do a first sort before reading applications in detail. A brief screening call of fifteen minutes before a full interview eliminates misaligned candidates early and saves the time of both parties. Consistent screening criteria applied to every candidate also protects your business from claims of discriminatory selection.
The best hiring process for a year-one business is the simplest one that consistently identifies candidates who can do the work and who will thrive in your specific environment, because complexity in hiring does not produce better hires, it just slows down the process.