Having Trouble Finding Development Talent? Take A Look At Your Job Listings

​Something a lot of people forget about the job application process is that it’s a two-way street, especially if you’re looking to fill the shoes of a developer. See, people with computer science skills know that they’re in especially high demand these days. They can have their pick of a wide range of different positions at a wide range of different companies.

Your job listing is as much an appeal to them as their resume is an appeal to you.

With that in mind, you need to make sure any job listings you post make your business sound like the place someone would actually want to work. To that end, there are certain things you’ll want to do - and certain things you want to avoid. I’ve put together a few of the most important considerations to help you out.

• Focus on what makes your company unique. Do you have a great company culture? A cool office? Awesome perks? Make sure that comes across from the job listing.
• Make sure your post is well-written. Hire a copywriter if you must. Nothing kills the mood faster than spelling or grammatical errors.
• While you do need to focus on the qualities and traits of a good candidate, avoid being too demanding.
  • Don’t ask for several years of experience in an entry-level position.
  • Don’t expect a candidate to have skills in a ton of different areas, particularly if they’re unrelated to one another.
  • Don’t demand your candidates know several hundred different programming languages. Focus on the ones you know are essential for the job.
  • Don’t expect people to do the impossible.  Talk to your development team about what your expectations should reasonably be, and keep them there.
• Don’t be over the top with your job description. While there’s certainly something to be said for using fun, engaging language, you don’t need to get overly creative with the job title. Settle for keeping it simple, descriptive, and accurate.
• Related to the above, don’t load your job posting up with marketing jargon and buzzwords. Most people who actually know what they’re doing are going to glaze over and tune out if the post reads like it was written by someone in advertising rather than development.

Obviously, job listings aren’t the only thing you need to worry about when you’re trying to find development talent for your business. But they are an important step in the recruitment process. And a good listing can be just as helpful as a bad listing is harmful.

You know what to do now - and more importantly, what not to do. The rest is up to you.