I’ve lost count of how many job postings I’ve read in the last few years that feel less like an employment opportunity and more like a wish list for a ‘Unicorn” employee.
30 “core responsibilities.”
Dozens of technical skills and higher education degrees and additional certifications required.
Ten years of experience in areas that barely existed three years ago.
Leadership. Strategy. Execution. Emotional intelligence. Project management. Content creation. Data analysis.
Oh, and don’t forget “other duties as assigned.”
All for a salary that’s either mysteriously missing or painfully low.
At some point, we must ask, “how much is enough?”
These postings often describe what looks like three full-time jobs wrapped into one.
They expect candidates to be endlessly adaptable, perpetually motivated, and deeply committed, while offering compensation that barely reflects one role, let alone several.
Not to mention the interview process that might span months and involve 4 or 5 rounds with numerous people and even panels.
I have personally experienced this myself a few years ago. A few peers of mine also told me they were required to travel for part of the recruitment process at their own expense just to be “ghosted” at the end.
What message does all this send?
To me, it tells people their time isn’t valued.
It tells them burnout is built into the job description i.e. “a fast-paced environment.”
It tells them transparency is optional on their part, and they are comfortable being in the position of power.
And then employers wonder why they’re struggling to attract or retain good talent.
Here’s the thing, in my experience, many people don’t mind working hard.
Most of us want meaningful work.
We want to learn and grow and contribute in a tangible way.
Yet there must be balance.
There must be respect and trust built by extending trust first on the part of the employer.
If you need someone to do the work of three people, say so, be candid and pay accordingly.
If your budget is limited, be upfront as well and have measured expectations.
If the role is evolving, acknowledge it and prepare people for what they will face.
Long lists of demands paired with vague or low compensation does not invoke trust.
It signals inequity.
In a world already exhausted by uncertainty and constant change, clarity and equity are not luxuries.
So maybe it’s time for organizations to pause before hitting “post” and ask themselves the same question job seekers are asking, “how much is enough?”
And, for me, to organizations and talent acquisition advisors and managers, I say, enough is enough.