How to Write Interesting Jobs Offers for Programmers
A few years watching the labor market from a position of PHP programmers from the perspective of companies. With both sides have a good relationship. I think what they need and what is bothering you. I see that they want each other, just communication is little stuck.
I gave feedback on Jobs.cz, Skrz.cz and few more ads and this is summary of tips, which I want to share with every company trying to hire programmer.
AD is an Advertising Article - Get a Copywriter
The entire ad is one long seduction. At the end of it you should get the candidate to bed and satisfy him. So he will come next morning to your company.
It's not About You - It's About Who You Look For
Plenty of ads are written more like a self-presentation of the company - what they do, what they are best in and what they accomplished.
But people actually read because they want something for themselves - information, money or entertainment. What the job will be, should be right at the beginning. Give it to them in the first sentence!
Be honest
Write about technology that you really have. Not those which you plan or want, but that you really have. Imagine when somebody who is looking forward to PHP 7 will come to your interview and will find out that it's plan for 2018 - you've just lost a candidate.
The text must be honest with and the reader must get what he expects. Only then he or she will trust you and come back to you.
Friends with Benefits
When you work with someone skilled and popular in the community, mention him or her. People will follow known friend more likely than bare company.
Ask for Feedback - Inside and Outside
1. Ask people you've already hired
- "What ultimately led you to us instead of the competitor?"
2. Ask somebody outside your company
- Your employees will naturally be less critical, since you give them money. People from the outside will give you more honest feedback and rather say what they need to establish a relationship.
3. What 2 things are the best and which 2 could you improve?
- Write few people from your target group and ask them this. This is a chance to learn how you perceived in the outside.
Open Source Strip
Show how you do it - really. Evidence beats promise.
Are you doing open-source? Show it! I know that Jobs, Slevomat, PeckaDesign and ShopSys have packages on GitHub. but just few of them share it in the advertisement.
At least, your potential coworkers will get insight into the code of applications you make.
One example for all: I love delejcoumis.cz. Its open-sourced on Github and it allows me:
- to easily determine the company's skill level
- find if I understand the code
- find if I can learn something
- and with
composer.json- see what technology they know and use
Open-source is a very underrated hiring tool.
Sell your Differences
That's why people go to you. Not because you're making PHP, Symfony and Doctrine e-commerce.
What is Attractive difference?
-
"Every month we have a half-day training - voluntary and optional programmers"
-
I've also heard "each month we have a half-day training" . But this is a mandatory and picked by manager - ouch. There is no greater pain than to be in training How be Instagram Star, when I want to learn how to scale with AWS.
-
"We give each year 10 000 CZK for education and can themselves choose how to invest"
-
"Every last Friday of the month we give programmers the option to refactor any part of the code they want"
-
"10 % of work time is for you personal projects"
True stories, bro!
Size and Age Doesn't Matter
Concepts such as junior and senior make no sense to me. Why? Imagine 2 people who are looking for work:
-
A. Senior may be a developer with 10 years of experience, knows the framework A, which he self-taught and does not want to try other, because he thinks it's the best.
-
B. Junior may be a 19 year-old guy, who didn't write any framework. But he knows about Elastic, Doctrine, Nette and begins to read about Symfony.
Who would you pick?
From reader's point of view - if you write We look for Senior in the ad, which one will write you? People tent to underestimate them selves, moreover programmers.
That is my experience collection with PHP job adverts. And what about you?
What got you to your current job? Throw me a link in the comments.
Happy hiring!
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