Attracting developers isn't easy. Most engineers you are trying to attract are passive candidates, they are most likely in a job already. Providing brief and to the point job details will result in attracting the right developers and makes initial conversations with them more meaningful.
Requirements
If you are not a technical person talk to your engineers and get some help to define proper requirements:
Have a maximum of one or two firm requirements. Avoid long lists! If you want more experienced candidates, don't up the requirements but make the job more attractive.
Make it very clear which requirements are mandatory and which are nice to have.
Ask for concepts, not specific technologies.
State whether your candidate needs qualifications (certificates or a degree), specific domain knowledge or industry experience. Make sure you clarify whether these are vital in order to be considered for the role, or whether they are just advantageous.
Scope of work
This piece of the job ad is about helping the candidate understand the role they will play, and the contribution they will make within the business. Therefore, make sure to validate your text with the hiring manager and senior developers from the team (Don’t rely on the job description you have as it may be outdated).
Only include tasks that are essential to this job. Try to limit yourself to two to four things. Summarise the most interesting parts of the job.
Give an insight on the project(s) the person will be working on, as well as the level of autonomy and how your engineering team works.
Mention if your company is using automated tests or continuous integration, and if you have a QA department.
Make it clear what tech the person in this role will be working with. Technical details can make a difference for passive candidates, or developers hesitating between job options.
Developers care about processes, development methodology and management style within the team they are joining. Together with technical details this can make a difference, especially for passive candidates hesitating between job options.
Benefits
Benefits not only complement your salary offer, they also showcase your company values and corporate culture. Benefits can make a make a big difference in who you’ll be able to attract. Use this section to improve your talent attraction, offer acceptance and talent retention.
Here is a list of benefits we've seen in the past and developers actually care about
Settling In
Visa sponsorship
Help finding a flat
Relocation package
Language courses (German, English)
Office
Latest hardware
Company parking area
Flexibility
Work from home option
Flexible working hours / Flextime
Budget for home office setup
Repay for home office costs (e.g. internet)
Financial & Personal Growth
Allocated time for learning
Learning stipends
Education budget
Equity compensation plan
Discounts on company products/services
Additional paid paternity/maternity leave
Baby on board' financial package
Career
Performance-based bonuses
Growing people from within the organisation
Work on projects with high visibility
Entertainment
Pool table / Ping Pong table / Gaming consoles
Game room
Team bonding events
Health & Wellness
Additional dental care plan
Additional healthcare insurance
Gym membership
Extra vacation
Gastro
We pay for part of your lunch
Fruit and hot drinks for free
Conclusion
Treat this job post just as you would any other important piece of company marketing. Get the right people to read it and provide you with honest feedback.