Attracting software developers starts with a compelling job ad.
But what actually makes a good job advertisement?
During the first TechRecruiting Lounge (from now on an integral part of the WeAreDevelopers World Congress), a track dedicated to HR professionals and tech recruiters, we asked Christian B. Rahe-Helmerichs, a job application coach, and Christoph Schachner, Head of Growth at WeAreDevelopers, provide us with constructive feedback on selected job ads during the live session.
Frontend react developer job ad teardown
For the analysis, we used the Frontend react developer job ad provided by Metro.digital and placed on the WeAreDevelopers job marketplace.
Image
The first thing that catches our attention is the image—designed in similar to comic aesthetics. Software developers will probably associate it with the gaming industry, making it difficult to connect with Metro.Digital. It is fair to say that this image could be more usable with different kinds of industries.
It would be good to use team photos to provide an accurate description of the team atmosphere during meetings, brainstorming, or sprint planning sessions.
Tech stack description
This section combines information about the required tech stack, the scope of work, and other relevant points. The requirements are concise and to the point. Unfortunately, we don’t see any team information.
In this case, always make sure to create a distinction between must-have and nice-to-have skills. That makes the job ad more attractive, but it also adds natural filtering to candidate sourcing.
Benefits
Adding punchy information is suitable for the overall job ad visual presentation. However, it can also be counterproductive and attract false candidates.
A pension plan is nice to have but not so important for this type of workforce. We suggest highlighting flexible working hours as a point of interest in demand during pandemic times, but it will also be important once the pandemic is over.
About section
This section looks alright, but it has a resemblance with an old marketing vibe. When we say “old marketing,” we consider presenting startups as an incredibly cool place to work, constantly changing the world we know.
Nowadays, it should be centered around shocking company culture, enthusiasm, and the willingness to tackle and solve problems.
Node.js developer job ad teardown
For the analysis, we used a Node.js developer (m/w/d) job ad by METATRUST GmbH and placed on the WeAreDevelopers job marketplace.
Image
First of all, we see the image that looks like a stock photo with coworkers from various countries of origin. It doesn’t have to be a general rule, but it’s fair to assume that this is a stock photo. Meaning it comes without character or personality to describe an organization looking to attract software developers.
We further notice the female workforce dominating the image, with a probable intention to communicate the willingness to endorse diversity on many different levels.
The chosen image unravels an additional problem: it doesn’t show the “silver generation” - people between 44-55 years old. We see younger generations depicted, Millennials or even Gen Z. It means that it might reduce the number of potential candidates’ good fits, making it hard to conclude which type of working force this organization wants to attract.
Requirements section
This field contains nonlogical parts. The upper part contains information on proficiency in one of the mentioned technologies. However, further down in the criteria section, the developer has to know all mentioned technologies.
Scope of work section
The scope of the work section looks informative and with the right quantity of information. What we are missing is a statement of team growth opportunity. Also, from time to time, we can find traces of fancy words such as “You will be a part of a highly dedicated team with full responsibility.”
These sentences should be avoided by all means.
About section
This section has been written in German, while the rest of the ad is written in English. It emits the wrong message to any reader. If we neglect that obstacle, the section lacks emotionality while forming a general sense that nothing stated inside this paragraph works together.
It’s easy to notice abstract terms overlapping over another, such as real estate and real estate transactions with powerful investment platforms. That doesn’t contribute to overall job ad attractiveness.
We advise rewriting this section with emotionality, while the overall job ad needs restructuring.
Conclusion
With the overall goal to make job ads interesting and exciting, employers should also make their ads as transparent as possible.
Adding transparency makes it easier to form the first impression about a potential employer.
Most surveys discover that software developers aren’t interested in receiving an already put-together offer. Instead, they want to create a sense of understanding that their potential employer knows what they want before hitting the “apply” button
*Thank you, Metro.Digital and METATRUST GmbH for providing us with approval to deconstruct job ads during the TechRecruiting Lounge session.
Attracting software developers starts with a compelling job ad.
But what actually makes a good job advertisement?
During the first TechRecruiting Lounge (from now on an integral part of the WeAreDevelopers World Congress), a track dedicated to HR professionals and tech recruiters, we asked Christian B. Rahe-Helmerichs, a job application coach, and Christoph Schachner, Head of Growth at WeAreDevelopers, provide us with constructive feedback on selected job ads during the live session.
Frontend react developer job ad teardown
For the analysis, we used the Frontend react developer job ad provided by Metro.digital and placed on the WeAreDevelopers job marketplace.
Image
The first thing that catches our attention is the image—designed in similar to comic aesthetics. Software developers will probably associate it with the gaming industry, making it difficult to connect with Metro.Digital. It is fair to say that this image could be more usable with different kinds of industries.
It would be good to use team photos to provide an accurate description of the team atmosphere during meetings, brainstorming, or sprint planning sessions.
Tech stack description
This section combines information about the required tech stack, the scope of work, and other relevant points. The requirements are concise and to the point. Unfortunately, we don’t see any team information.
In this case, always make sure to create a distinction between must-have and nice-to-have skills. That makes the job ad more attractive, but it also adds natural filtering to candidate sourcing.
Benefits
Adding punchy information is suitable for the overall job ad visual presentation. However, it can also be counterproductive and attract false candidates.
A pension plan is nice to have but not so important for this type of workforce. We suggest highlighting flexible working hours as a point of interest in demand during pandemic times, but it will also be important once the pandemic is over.
About section
This section looks alright, but it has a resemblance with an old marketing vibe. When we say “old marketing,” we consider presenting startups as an incredibly cool place to work, constantly changing the world we know.
Nowadays, it should be centered around shocking company culture, enthusiasm, and the willingness to tackle and solve problems.
Node.js developer job ad teardown
For the analysis, we used a Node.js developer (m/w/d) job ad by METATRUST GmbH and placed on the WeAreDevelopers job marketplace.
Image
First of all, we see the image that looks like a stock photo with coworkers from various countries of origin. It doesn’t have to be a general rule, but it’s fair to assume that this is a stock photo. Meaning it comes without character or personality to describe an organization looking to attract software developers.
We further notice the female workforce dominating the image, with a probable intention to communicate the willingness to endorse diversity on many different levels.
The chosen image unravels an additional problem: it doesn’t show the “silver generation” - people between 44-55 years old. We see younger generations depicted, Millennials or even Gen Z. It means that it might reduce the number of potential candidates’ good fits, making it hard to conclude which type of working force this organization wants to attract.
Requirements section
This field contains nonlogical parts. The upper part contains information on proficiency in one of the mentioned technologies. However, further down in the criteria section, the developer has to know all mentioned technologies.
Scope of work section
The scope of the work section looks informative and with the right quantity of information. What we are missing is a statement of team growth opportunity. Also, from time to time, we can find traces of fancy words such as “You will be a part of a highly dedicated team with full responsibility.”
These sentences should be avoided by all means.
About section
This section has been written in German, while the rest of the ad is written in English. It emits the wrong message to any reader. If we neglect that obstacle, the section lacks emotionality while forming a general sense that nothing stated inside this paragraph works together.
It’s easy to notice abstract terms overlapping over another, such as real estate and real estate transactions with powerful investment platforms. That doesn’t contribute to overall job ad attractiveness.
We advise rewriting this section with emotionality, while the overall job ad needs restructuring.
Conclusion
With the overall goal to make job ads interesting and exciting, employers should also make their ads as transparent as possible.
Adding transparency makes it easier to form the first impression about a potential employer.
Most surveys discover that software developers aren’t interested in receiving an already put-together offer. Instead, they want to create a sense of understanding that their potential employer knows what they want before hitting the “apply” button
*Thank you, Metro.Digital and METATRUST GmbH for providing us with approval to deconstruct job ads during the TechRecruiting Lounge session.
