The Purple Unicorn problem is when a job description piles on so many requirements, at such a low salary, that no real candidate fits it. At MJL Recruiting & Consulting we see it constantly, and the fix is simple: trim the posting to what the person must do in the first 90 days, and pay what the role is actually worth.
I want to walk through a job posting I saw recently. I'm not naming the company; this isn't about embarrassing anyone. It's a pattern I see constantly, across IT, engineering, and professional services roles alike.
What did this job posting actually ask for?
The role: mid-level project manager in a professional services firm.
The requirements:
- 7-10 years of project management experience
- PMP certified
- Proficiency in six specific software platforms
- Experience across four distinct industries
- Demonstrated leadership of teams of 10+
- A track record managing budgets over $5M
- Bilingual preferred
- "Startup mentality" combined with "enterprise experience"
The starting salary: $72,000.
What is the Purple Unicorn problem in hiring?
A Purple Unicorn is a candidate who exists only on paper. The Purple Unicorn problem is what happens when a job description describes that candidate: someone who either doesn't exist, or who does exist and is already making $140,000 somewhere else with no reason to consider $72,000.
It usually starts because the job description was built by committee, with every stakeholder adding the one thing they personally wish the last person in the role had known. Nobody went back and asked the question that actually matters: what does this person need to be able to do on day one to succeed?
H2: Why does a Purple Unicorn role sit open for months?
Here's what happens next, almost every time. The role sits open for four months. The hiring manager concludes the talent market is impossible.
The talent market isn't impossible. The job description is.
Every additional "nice to have" bolted onto a posting narrows the pool of people who'll even apply, and it does that before you've had a chance to evaluate anyone's actual fit. You're filtering out qualified candidates on paper, before a human ever talks to them.
How do you fix a Purple Unicorn job description?
The fix isn't complicated, but it requires a real conversation. It doesn't take new sourcing tools or a bigger budget. It takes going back to the requirements list and asking three questions, out loud, with everyone who contributed to it in the room:
- What are the three or four things this person absolutely must be able to do in the first 90 days?
- What can reasonably be learned on the job?
- What's genuinely required versus what's just nice to have?
Trim the list to what's real. Pay what the role is actually worth in today's market. You'll see your qualified candidate pool expand, often dramatically, without lowering your standards at all. You're not settling for less; you're finally describing what you actually need.
Where does the Purple Unicorn problem show up most?
It's especially common in growing small businesses and mid-sized firms, where a job description gets written once, then copy-pasted and lightly edited every time the role reopens. Over three or four hiring cycles it keeps accumulating requirements, and nobody stops to ask whether they still apply.
If your last search for a role took twice as long as you expected, it might be worth a fresh look at what's actually on the page.
Frequently asked questions about Purple Unicorn job descriptions
What is a Purple Unicorn in hiring? A Purple Unicorn is a candidate who matches every item on an unrealistic job description. MJL Recruiting & Consulting uses the term for postings that stack so many requirements, at so low a salary, that the ideal candidate either doesn't exist or is already earning far more somewhere else.
How do I know if my job description is the reason a role isn't filling? MJL Recruiting & Consulting looks for a few warning signs: the search has taken twice as long as expected, few qualified people are applying, or strong candidates drop out once they see the salary. If any of those sound familiar, review the requirements list before blaming the talent market.
How many requirements should a job description have? MJL Recruiting & Consulting recommends building the description around the three or four things the person absolutely must be able to do in the first 90 days. Skills that can reasonably be learned on the job, and true nice-to-haves, should be labeled that way or left off.
Does trimming the requirements mean lowering my hiring standards? No. MJL Recruiting & Consulting finds that trimming a posting to what's genuinely required usually expands the qualified candidate pool without lowering standards at all. You're not settling for less; you're describing what you actually need.
Building job descriptions that attract the right candidates, not just a long list of requirements, is one of the most common gaps we help small and midsized businesses fix. See how we approach job description development →