Let’s Roast.
Think a job ad can’t be both brilliant and baffling? Think again. This week’s roast features a Learning Experience Designer role that excels at employer branding, but soon stumbles into a maze of contradictions. With Jonny Havey’s expert insights, we explore how a job posting can promise autonomy and creativity… while demanding enough hats to outfit an entire team. Whether you’re a job seeker decoding the fine print or a hiring manager crafting your next ad, this episode is a masterclass in reading between the lines.
Follow along with the full job ad here:
The Bigger Picture
How do you design a role that balances creativity, strategy, and execution without collapsing under the weight of its own expectations? This episode challenges the notion that more responsibilities equal more value, making a case that clarity and focus are the real keys to sustainable job design.
At a Glance: The Job Profile
Job Title: Learning Experience Designer
Report-to Title: Unknown
Company Size: 11 - 50
Industry: eLearning
What do they do?: A learning and development consultancy that helps organizations design custom training programs, eLearning, onboarding, learning experiences, and training videos to improve employee performance and organizational capability.
Head Office Location: Milton, ON, Canada
Job Location: Remote, Canada
Geographical Operating Area: Unknown
Job Type: Full-Time, Contract
For the Job Seekers
Did you come across a job ad like this? These questions might help you shed some light on what working there is really like:
Does this role truly offer the autonomy and creativity it promises, or is it a bait-and-switch?
How will the lack of clarity around reporting structure and team size impact my day-to-day experience?
Are the qualifications realistic, or are they a wishlist that no single candidate could fulfill?
What does the emphasis on “rapid writing” and “fast-paced environment” signal about the company’s expectations for workload and work-life balance?
If the role involves client-facing work, why isn’t that explicitly stated in the responsibilities?
For the Job-Seeker Seekers
Are you writing a job ad for a similar role? Consider these hidden issues that might impact the success of your recruitment campaign:
Outcomes of the Issues
Misaligned Expectations: Candidates may apply expecting a focused design role but find themselves overwhelmed by project management and strategic duties, leading to high turnover.
Legal Risks: The contract structure and defined work hours could legally classify the role as employment, exposing the company to liability for benefits and severance.
Talent Shortage: The overly broad qualifications and responsibilities may deter qualified candidates, leaving the role unfilled or filled by someone underqualified.
Cultural Misrepresentation: The ad’s emphasis on fun and flexibility may clash with the reality of a high-pressure, multi-functional role, eroding trust and employer branding.
Suggested Fixes
Clarify the Role: Split the responsibilities into distinct roles (e.g., Learning Experience Designer, Project Manager, Strategist) to attract candidates with the right expertise.
Adjust the Title: Rename the role to reflect its true scope (e.g., “Fractional Chief Learning Officer” or “Senior Learning Strategist”) to align with expectations and compensation.
Define the Team: Clearly state the reporting structure, team size, and whether the role is client-facing to set realistic expectations.
Comply with Labor Laws: Either remove fixed work hours from the contract ad or reclassify the role as full-time employment to avoid legal risks.
Simplify Qualifications: Focus on core, non-negotiable skills and separate soft skills (e.g., collaboration, communication) from technical requirements to avoid overwhelming candidates.
The Verdict
Jonny Havey
3 / 10 (Job Ad)
1 / 10 (Role Design)
The job ad was well-written, until it wasn’t. The role design would have been pretty good… except that it didn’t reflect what a Learning Experience Designer actually does. I really feel like they were trying to get a more experienced professional at a discount by sneaking some things in.
Paul Austin-Menear
4 / 10 (Job Ad)
3 / 10 (Role Design)
The job ad had some great elements of employer branding… it told a story that was compelling. But it ended on a confusing note, leaving me wondering what happened. Did they get distracted and just hit the button? As for the role design… dumpster fire. This poor soul will bounce out after a few months, and they’ll be back to square one.
Jennifer Houle
3.5 / 10 (Job Ad)
2 / 10 (Role Design)
They put pen to paper, and started the job ad out pretty well. Too bad they lost focus and took a nap instead of finishing strong. The role design? Well, we taped this on a Thursday so why not give them a two? What they wrote down made just as much sense.
About the Guest
Jonny Havey is the founder of eLearning Partners, a business consultant, and former CPA and IT auditor at PwC. He partners with forward-thinking business owners and teams within S&P 500 companies to identify and eliminate hidden profit leaks by turning education into a competitive advantage.
Through his work, Jonny helps organizations increase product adoption, improve customer and employee retention, and drive measurable profit growth. His approach focuses on closing the gap between what businesses are doing, what customers and employees actually need, and what creates real, lasting results.
Support the Show
Roast the Post is a passion project of Jennifer Houle and Paul Austin-Menear. The show helps job-seekers and employers get dud job ads out of their lives. There are several ways that you can help us on our mission to unf*ck the hiring process…
1 —> Share this episode with someone who’d like it.
2 —> Pick up a copy of our new e-Book, the Job Description Decoder and leave a review. The price is pay-what-you-can (even free), and all proceeds will be donated equally to Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon, and the Toronto Humane Society.
3 —> Send us a one-time or recurring tip on Buy Me a Coffee. This helps pay for our production costs.
