The JD Fix: Quick Fixes. Smarter Job Descriptions. Better Hiring.

A candidate tells you they always check AI’s work.They explain why it matters. They walk you through their process. They say everything you’d hope to hear.Then they show you their AI-generated code.And the answer is completely wrong.That’s a real example Kat Stam shared during our conversation. And it gets at a question a lot of hiring teams are trying to answer right now:How do you know who can actually do the job?For this episode of TA Talk, part of The JD Fix, I sat down with Kat, CEO of Assess Dev, former CTO, and AI engineer who has interviewed more than 2,500 technical candidates.We talked about AI-assisted assessments, the gap between hiring conversations and job descriptions, and why being good at your job doesn’t automatically make you good at interviewing someone for it.Listen to the full conversation in the audio above, or keep reading for some of my favorite takeaways. Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

Recruiters have more technology than ever. AI can help write job descriptions, screen applications, schedule interviews, and handle just about everything in between.So why are candidates still waiting weeks (or months!) to hear back about a job?And why does recruiting sometimes feel more complicated than it did before all these tools came along?For this episode of TA Talk (part of The JD Fix), I sat down with Aaron Tittsworth, also known as the Superhero Recruiter.Aaron has spent 16 years in talent acquisition, working across recruiting strategy, employer branding, and recruiting operations.We talked about where AI is helping, why recruiters need to become more strategic, what’s happening with the candidate experience, and why better communication might be the simplest fix of all. Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

Recruiting has come a long way from faxed resumes and Rolodexes. (Yes, those were real recruiting tools. And yes, some of us remember them.)Today, we’ve got AI helping us write job descriptions, source candidates, screen applications, and automate just about everything in between.But are we actually making recruiting better? Or are we just making everything move faster?For this episode of TA Talk (part of The JD Fix), I caught up with Julia Levy, a talent acquisition leader with 20+ years of experience across recruiting, TA operations, recruitment marketing, and global talent leadership.Julia has led TA teams at companies like CommScope and AutoZone. These days, she’s consulting, advising HR tech companies, writing books, and even building her own AI-powered tools.We talked about what she heard at RecFest, where AI is helping (and where it still has some growing up to do), why recruiters are drowning in applications, and what she’d change about hiring if she had a magic wand.And yes, we talked about job descriptions. You knew that was coming. Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

Recruiting in 2012 looked a whole lot different than it does today.Back then, you might have had a clunky applicant tracking system, a CareerBuilder subscription, and a whole lot of patience.Today? We’ve got AI tools for just about everything, candidates applying to hundreds of jobs, and recruiters trying to figure out which applications are even real.Progress, right?I recently sat down with Luke Hardwick, who’s been recruiting since 2012, for an episode of TA Talk: The JD Fix.We covered a lot of ground, from AI and candidate experience to job descriptions and the never-ending struggle to get hiring managers to actually make time for hiring.And yes, we had a few good laughs along the way. Because if you’ve spent any time in recruiting, sometimes you really do have to laugh. Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

TA Talk is part of The JD Fix, where I talk with people working in talent acquisition about what’s changing, what’s frustrating them, and what they’re learning along the way.In this episode, Michael Yinger and I get into AI adoption, recruiter workloads, exploding applicant volume, job descriptions, TA data, broken processes, and what recruiting might look like three years from now. Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

In this short episode of The JD Fix, host Heather Fenty breaks down what Quebec’s Bill 96 means for HR software companies and talent leaders operating in Canada.🔍 What We Cover:The basics of Bill 96 and its update to Quebec’s Charter of the French LanguageWhat “software compliance” really means — and why it includes both candidate-facing and admin-side interfacesHow HR tech vendors (including Ongig) are adapting by adding a French user interface (UI)Why localization is not just about compliance — it’s about inclusion and user experienceWhat global HR and product teams can learn from Quebec’s approach to language accessibility💡 Key Takeaways:If your HR tools are used in Quebec, they must be fully available in French — no exceptions.Compliance is just one piece of a bigger picture: building inclusive, multilingual experiences for global teams.Ongig’s new French UI is designed to make switching languages as simple as turning on dark mode.Expect to see more multilingual UIs across HR tech as companies expand globally.🛠️ Resources Mentioned:Bill 96 — Charter of the French Language Update (2022)Ongig’s Blog on HR Tech & Compliance Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of The JD Fix, I chat with Kat Kibben — founder of Three Ears Media, LinkedIn Top Voice, and author of The Bounce Back Factor — about what it really means to lead when you’re burned out and tired of pretending everything’s fine.We talk about:Why burnout feels different right nowHow fear and uncertainty shape leadershipThe link between self-compassion and better teamsAnd the one small thing you can do today to bounce backIf you’re ready to lead with more honesty, rest, and resilience — this one’s for you.📘 The Bounce Back Factor → https://amzn.to/4hrbitl🌐 threeearsmedia.com Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when a small TA team of fewer than 10 people is tasked with fixing over 4,000 job descriptions—all while keeping recruiting operations running?In this episode of The JD Fix, Heather Fenty shares a behind-the-scenes story from a healthcare organization that turned an overwhelming JD cleanup into a scalable, streamlined process.You’ll hear:The common pitfalls of large JD libraries (bias, missing sections, formatting chaos)How one team leveraged just two templates and AI-assisted optimization to save hundreds of hoursThe measurable results: JD scores skyrocketing, bias scores improving, and recruiters saving serious timeWhy you don’t need a big team to make a big impactIf you’ve ever stared at a mountain of messy job descriptions, this episode will show you there’s a better way.👉 Learn more at ongig.com/request-demo. Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

Managing job ads at scale can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re juggling dozens, hundreds, or even thousands across a team. In this episode, I share how you can pair Mitch’s.ai, one of the best AI job ad tools I’ve tested, with Ongig’s platform to take your hiring content to the next level.You’ll learn:Why I test new job ad tools (and why Mitch’s.ai stands out).How recruiters can use AI to write better job postings, faster.Where Ongig fits in—helping you analyze, templatize, store, and scale all your job content in one place.Why combining AI speed with Ongig’s structured workflows is the best long-term strategy.If you want to see how Ongig can help you write, store, and scale better job postings, head over to ongig.com to request a demo. Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of The JD Fix, Heather Fenty sits down with Ongig writer Laurenzo to talk about how AI is reshaping the way we write job descriptions—and where the human touch still matters most.We cover:How AI streamlines research and editing for JD writingWhy AI sometimes pushes content toward bland, generic languageThe importance of plain, conversational wording in job postingsHow companies can use prompts and templates to guide toneWhy culture is the one thing AI can’t capture without human inputThe balance between efficiency and authenticity in writingHe shares practical insights from his work writing about job postings, along with candid thoughts on where AI helps—and where people need to step in. Get full access to Heather Fenty at itsjustbarbs.substack.com/subscribe