How to write a good developer job ad
We at Toughbyte help companies in Europe and the US find candidates for their developer positions. Some of our clients ask us to help them write or improve their job ads to make them more appealing, so we know how important this is for the success of a recruitment campaign.
A good job posting does not only attract inbound candidates. Mid- and senior-level developers, who typically need to be approached directly, still read the job ad after you reach out to them and the quality of the ad affects the likelihood of them replying to you. This blog post will explain how to write a good job advertisement that gets candidates interested in what you have to offer.
Define your target audience
Before crafting your job ad, you should first define the requirements for the role and the qualifications the candidates should have. If some of the requirements are still under consideration, try to be as clear as possible about those that should be in the candidate’s profile. Second, determine the level of experience required for the job and identify the technologies the candidate should be familiar with. Third, understand your company’s culture & values and think about the type of candidate that would fit in your team. Being precise about these details beforehand will help you define your target audience. You can even come up with a candidate persona to have a better picture of your ideal candidate, which will come in handy during the recruitment process.
Create a clear and compelling job title
Use industry-standard titles and avoid buzzwords such as “rockstar”, “guru”, “ninja” and “Jedi”. Include the main must-have technologies to make the job title clear. If you’re mentioning two technologies, separate them with “and”, but don’t include more than two in the title. Be as specific as possible: “React Developer” is better than “JavaScript Developer”, which, in turn, is better than “Software Developer”.
Use suitable modifier keywords. For example, if you’re only looking for remote developers, include “Remote” in the title. You should also include the required seniority level - “Junior”, “Senior”, “Lead”, etc. If it’s not strictly defined and, for example, you’re looking for a mid-level developer, don’t put it in the title, but mention it in the job description instead.
Write a clear and detailed job description
Company overview
Make sure to keep the introduction separate since many job sites have a different field for it. Tell the candidates about your company’s background and explain your mission & values. Highlight any significant accomplishments or notable projects your organization has worked on. Don’t assume deep industry knowledge from those reading.
Offer a glimpse into what makes your organization stand out. Touch upon the environment you've created, your management style and how your company supports its employees. Keep it brief and remember that it should be aimed at the candidates applying for your position, not clients or investors.
Mention your industry and company size in the text or in a structured format if the site you’re posting the job ad on allows it. Note that you can publish additional information about your company and culture on your career site rather than including it in the job ad.
Key responsibilities
Provide a clear picture of the scope of work the developer will be expected to do. Explain how the position fits within your organization and list the key responsibilities. Expand on them, if needed, but be concise by keeping the signal to noise ratio high. If you expect the developer to reach certain milestones and take on new responsibilities at some point, mention that.
Required qualifications
Define must-have and nice-to-have skills and have a separate section for each. Try to keep must-have skills to a minimum by mentioning only the crucial ones. When defining soft skills, don’t use vague terms such as “organized”, “motivated”, “showing initiative”, etc. Avoid using words that can scare the candidates off, such as “excellent English” - write “advanced English” instead.
Compensation and benefits
Be as transparent as you can about the salary range and other benefits you’re offering. In addition, it's important to highlight any unique perks that set your company apart from others. These could include flexible working hours, remote work options or access to wellness programs.
If the position allows for professional development opportunities, make sure to emphasize that. Showcasing opportunities for training, mentoring and advancement within your company will make your job ad more appealing to candidates who value career growth.
Interview process
Describe each step of the interview process and the expected timeline - the fewer steps the better. Unless the job ad page makes it clear, explain how the candidates should apply to your position and what will happen afterwards. Give them a sense of how long they should wait for your reply. Additionally, make sure to include all the necessary links and the relevant contact information. You can also add a call to action at the end of the job description to encourage candidates to apply.
Language and tone
Avoid using jargon and technical terms that may not be familiar to everyone. Don't use acronyms that aren't widely understood, for example, “UE4” instead of “ Unreal Engine 4”, “GCP” instead of “Google Cloud Platform”. Always spell check and use the correct casing for each technology, such as "JavaScript" instead of "Javascript."
Make sure to use inclusive language. Avoid gender-specific pronouns such as “he/she”. Instead, use “they” and gender-neutral titles such as “team member”. Refrain from using terms such as “young”, “mature” or “recent graduate” that may discourage applicants based on age.
Pay attention to the general tone of the job ad. It should be professional and friendly. Don’t use colloquial language, but avoid being overly formal or distant at the same time. Avoid using slang, jargon or uncommon words that may be unfamiliar or confusing to non-native speakers.
SEO and readability
Identify the most relevant and commonly searched keywords related to your position and industry. You can use Google Keyword Planner or other keyword search tools to find the right keywords. Incorporate these keywords throughout the job ad, including the job title and description, but avoid excessively filling the ad with them.
Make sure your job description is well-structured and easy to read. Break it down into sections with clear headings. When listing items, use bullet points for clarity, but don’t include unrelated topics within the same point. Don't overuse italic and bold text or add unnecessary newlines and spaces. Review the text a few times before finalizing it and make the content more concise by eliminating unnecessary words or phrases.
Make sure to include the following information in your ad, ideally in a structured form:
- Role - such Backend, Frontend or Mobile
- Candidates from - the list of countries you’re able to consider candidates from
- Relocation and visa support - whether you offer support with relocation and can provide a working visa for those that require it, note that these are separate points
- Work arrangement - whether it’s OK to work remotely (remember to include that in the job ad title, if so!) or one must work onsite out of an office; if you allow for hybrid work, make sure to mention how many days a month you expect people to work from the office
- Location - where the office or HQ is located - this is useful even for remote positions to ensure there’s enough overlap in terms of working hours due to the different time zones
- Language requirements - the language skills required and the level of each
- Type - permanent employee or contract/freelance, as well as whether the position is full-time or not
Candidates will want to find this information quickly to determine if they should apply or not, so make it easy for them to spot it. Many job boards provide separate fields for this. Using structured data also helps search engines better understand the content of your job ad leading to a more attractive display in search results.
Summary
To write a job ad that appeals to candidates, you should:
- Clearly define the requirements, necessary qualifications, years of experience and cultural background of the ideal candidate
- Include specific technologies and details such as seniority level in the job title without using buzzwords
- Write an engaging and concise introduction of your company, mentioning its background, values, culture and accomplishments
- Describe the key responsibilities of the developer and the expected scope of work
- Have separate sections for must-have and nice-to-have skills in the requirements
- Be transparent about the compensation, benefits, unique perks and opportunities for professional growth
- Describe your interview process and provide instructions on how to apply
- Pay attention to the language and tone of the job ad, don’t use discriminatory words, colloquialisms, slang or specific terms that might not be familiar to everyone
- Incorporate relevant keywords throughout the job ad, use bullet points, consistent formatting and structured data to help candidates find important information quickly
We have a few examples of good developer job ads on our website that you might want to check out and use as reference:
If you still have difficulty drafting or polishing your job ad, don’t hesitate to ask agency recruiters for help. They know what skilled developers pay attention to and will help you write a good job posting or improve an existing one, making it more appealing. If you’re not working with an agency, you can also try using modern tools, such as ChatGPT, to help get over the writer’s block or to quickly update the format of your ad.