HUV DESIGN OFFICE
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JOURNALOctober 3, 2026

Do Your Job Postings Match Workplace Reality? Five Things to Check Before Hiring

Conclusion: Verify the Claims Before Making Them More Appealing

When recruiting for small and medium-sized B2B companies, do not leave HR to finalize the wording of job postings and careers websites alone. Cross-check it with operational managers, employees doing the work, and staff responsible for employment matters. Before using phrases such as “autonomy,” “thrive with no prior experience,” or “minimal overtime,” confirm whom they apply to and under what conditions. If you discover facts you cannot communicate, consider improving practices as well as revising the wording.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s guidance for hiring companies calls for the appropriate presentation of job information and information about the company itself, avoidance of false or misleading statements, and accurate, up-to-date job information. These are legal requirements. The five items below are practical recommendations for aligning recruitment promises with workplace reality, not an exhaustive list of legally required items.

1. Job Responsibilities: Check Daily Tasks and Exceptions

A job title alone does not help applicants picture the actual work. Ask the team about the customers the role serves, its main tasks, collaboration with other departments, and duties that increase during busy periods. If the posting says “responsible for the entire process, starting with planning,” also check how far the employee’s decision-making authority extends. If the formal job description differs from the work employees actually do after assignment, clarify the reasons before hiring.

2. Working Arrangements: Distinguish Averages from Individual Differences

Check expectations for office attendance, customer visits, overtime, work on days off, and working from home. For example, describing arrangements available only in certain roles as though they apply company-wide creates mismatched expectations. When presenting averages, identify the roles and period covered, and explain fluctuations during busy periods. If you do not have the figures, decide how to record them before publishing estimates.

3. Compensation and Conditions: Match the Actual Terms of Employment

Confirm the type of employment being offered, pay range, allowances, probationary period, work location, and other conditions with the staff responsible for employment matters. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s guidance identifies advertising a regular employee position when the actual job is casual or part-time, or listing pay higher than the actual amount, as examples that may constitute false advertising. For the disclosure of specific conditions, cross-check the latest laws and official guidance against your company’s employment contracts.

4. Growth and Culture: Support Claims with Real Examples

If you write “opportunities to grow” or “we welcome new challenges,” confirm what employees will learn after joining, who will support them, and what work they will be entrusted with. The existence of a program does not mean everyone will have the same experience. Clearly distinguish opportunities you can actually provide from those that depend on individual preferences or assignment conditions. When publishing an individual employee’s story, have that person review it, and avoid presenting an exception as the norm.

5. Responsibility for Updates: Who Corrects Information When Things Change After Publication?

Check whether the same conditions appear in job postings, on the careers website, across recruitment platforms, and in interview materials. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s guidance includes promptly asking recruitment platforms to reflect the closure of a vacancy or changes to its details, and making clear when the job information was current. Assign responsibility for updates, set a review frequency, and use a list of publication channels to check all listings whenever conditions change.

How to Run a Pre-Publication Cross-Check Meeting

Extract each claim from the job posting, one line at a time, and place it alongside “supporting records and policies,” “workplace reality,” “conditions under which it does not apply,” and “wording to revise.” If opinions differ, conduct further checks with the team before choosing stronger wording. Also share the meaning of the published statements and their exceptions with interviewers.

For the overall approach to recruitment branding, see What Is Recruitment Branding?. For connecting it to behavior and practices after employees join, see What Is Internal Branding?.

The Limits of This Approach

Accurate wording does not guarantee employee satisfaction or retention after joining. Required recruitment disclosures, including the possible scope of changes to work locations and duties, must also be checked against the specific employment type and current laws. This article is not a substitute for checking legal requirements or seeking professional advice. If the review reveals workplace issues, revisit policies and management practices alongside recruitment wording.

For support in aligning recruitment explanations with the internal brand experience, see HUV DESIGN OFFICE’s Services.

References

Author: Daisuke Irikura (Representative Director, HUV DESIGN OFFICE Co., Ltd.)

Translated from the original Japanese article. Read in Japanese

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