How To Write a Software Developer Job Posting
If you’re writing a software developer job posting, there are a few things to keep in mind. Just like the title marketing manager can represent a wide range of job responsibilities, so can the title of software developer. From front end to back end, full stack to mobile, “software developer,” like most job titles, doesn’t have a universal meaning.
That means if you’re looking to hire tech talent, you can’t just post some one-size-fits-all job posting and hope the right people can decipher what you really mean. You need to really drill down into what kind of person you want to hire.
Start by hosting an intake meeting with the hiring manager. Make the following things clear:
- Impact: Why do we need to hire this person?
- Aptitude: What codes do they know how to use? What do they know how to do with those tools?
- Autonomy: Can they work independently? Do they need someone looking over their shoulder?
- Communication: Who do they communicate ideas with? Their team? Direct reports? Executives?
- People Management: Who do they manage? Who manages them?
Then you can use this information to write your job posting. A great job posting that will attract the right candidate must answer all of those questions.
Software Developer Job Posting Examples
Don’t: Say “work in an agile environment.”
Do: Get specific. For example: Releases in two-week sprints and real-time problem-solving to understand what’s a priority and what should be put off.
Don’t: Tell people they are in a leadership role when they are an individual contributor.
Do: Be specific about how they will contribute. For example: After our daily sprint sessions, you’re full-stack coding. You are able to take a concept and create it.
Do: Talk about impact of their work, not just a laundry list. It’s not coding a SQL database. For example: As our software engineer, you will create a database that helps customers and doctors make the right recommendations for patients.
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Kat Kibben View All →
Kat Kibben [they/them] is a keynote speaker, writing expert, and LGBTQIA+ advocate who teaches hiring teams how to write inclusive job postings that will get the right person to apply faster.
Before founding Three Ears Media, Katrina was a CMO, Technical Copywriter, and Managing Editor for leading companies like Monster, Care.com, and Randstad Worldwide. With 15+ years of recruitment marketing and training experience, Katrina knows how to turn talented recruiting teams into talented writers who write for people, not about work.
Today, Katrina is frequently featured as an HR and recruiting expert in publications like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes. They’ve been named to numerous lists, including LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Job Search & Careers. When not speaking, writing, or training, you’ll find Katrina traveling the country in their van or spending some much needed downtime with the dogs that inspired the name Three Ears Media.