One big challenge Tech businesses face when hiring is the issue of exaggerated or bloated resumes - candidates exaggerate their skills and achievements to impress hiring managers and secure interviews.
This situation leads to time wastage, loss of valuable resources, and frustration for the hiring managers and the business at large.
For example, if you go to a computer village to purchase a laptop and you find one with the following specifications pasted on the cover: Core i7 processor, 500 SSD Hard disk, and 8 GB RAM. However, when you get home after purchasing it, you discover that the system actually has a Core i3 processor, 250 HDD hard disk, and 4 GB RAM. You have been deceived by a bloated description. You would definitely not be happy, would you?
This is similar to what recruiters face when Software Engineers submit exaggerated and bloated resumes.
Unfortunately, the tech industry is fast-paced, so companies cannot afford the luxury of spending limited recruitment time on underqualified candidates.
Crafting a compelling and highly detailed job description is one way to ensure you sieve out underqualified prospects and attract only qualified candidates.
Hence, this article explains the roles of software engineers and how to write an excellent job description when hiring for this position.
What are the Roles of Software Engineers?
Software engineers build computer software and applications. These include the operating systems in your Personal computer (Windows, IOS), the mobile applications on your phone (Facebook, Instagram, Soccer games), and web browsers, sites, and applications.
Software Engineers generally belong to any of two broad categories – system engineers and application engineers.
System engineers develop and maintain computer systems, such as operating systems, while application engineers build Apps for users.
On a day-to-day basis, software engineers perform the following tasks:
Designing the architecture of software systems and applications.
Programming and coding software programmes and applications.
Testing existing software.
Debugging.
Installing protection products on software.
Obtaining licenses for software development from the appropriate authorities.
Collaborating with other members of a software development team.
With almost every sector of life going digital, these responsibilities prove the indispensable role of software engineers in our economy.
However, hiring a high-quality software engineer requires a lot of effort. And the success of a hiring process begins with an excellent job description.
Why is the job description so important?
Without a good job description, you may end up attracting the wrong talents. However, with an excellent job description, you attract mostly the right talents with the skill set and experience level you need.
How to Write an Excellent Software Engineering Job Description
Here is how to craft a compelling software job description to attract highly experienced talents:
1. Start with the Job Brief/Background Information
: It is important to give background information about the job you’re hiring for.
Relevant background information to a software engineering role includes:
The job title.
The location where the candidate will be working. Will they work remotely, onsite from your office, or in a hybrid mode? Include the city they will be working in if it’s onsite or hybrid.
Job type. Is it a full-time role, part-time job, or a contract position?
A brief overview of your company and your work.
How it feels to work for you. That is your work culture.
A brief overview of the role.
The projects the new hire will be working on.
Look at this job posting for a Principal Software Engineer at Alchemy.
The Job brief includes the Job Title, location, and work mode in a branded graphic.
Below the image is a brief overview of the company, their work, and what it generally looks like to work at Alchemy.
Then, there’s also a brief overview of the role and what a candidate should expect on the job. All this background information gives the candidates a glance at what they should know to decide whether to apply or not.
Also, take a look at this IntApp job brief below:
While this example is less detailed, it also contains important information, including the job type (full-time) that was missing in the first example.
After the job brief/background information section, the next task is to write the job responsibilities.
2. Draft a Comprehensive List of Job Responsibilities
: After the background information comes the job responsibilities. This list should include the potential candidate's major duties if hired.
The job responsibilities section is one of the sections that potential candidates pay attention to while reviewing your job advert. Hence, you must make it as clear and detailed as possible to attract high-quality applicants.
Importantly, this section should include the actual day-to-day activities that software engineers perform in your company, plus the Tech stack your Engineers work with. It should not just be a copied template from the web.
So liaise with existing engineers in your firm to draft an accurate job responsibility.
This Alchemy Job responsibilities section is a perfect example. Pay attention to how the tasks listed align with the blockchain functions that happen at Alchemy on a day-to-day basis.
3. State the Job Requirements/Eligibility Criteria
: In this section, list the pre-requisite skills and qualifications you seek in a potential hire. This is where you list all the mandatory technical skills for the role.
Once again, the Alchemy job description provides a potent example as shown below.
4. State Preferred Skills
: Optionally, you can include additional advantages/Nice-to-haves that can set highly qualified candidates aside from the rest.
This could be a portfolio of existing projects or proficiency in a new technology.
See how Tangocode did it in their job description.
5. Include Relevant Keywords in the Job Description
: Include keywords relevant to the role you’re hiring for.
For instance, Java developers will likely search keywords like “Hiring Java Developer” in search engines while looking for open positions. Hence, if you’re hiring for a software engineer proficient in Java, be sure to include keywords like “Java Developer,” “Must be Proficient with Java,” “Experience Working with Java,” and others.
This will help the suitable candidates to find your job description easily.
6. State the Salary and Other Benefits/Perks
: Include items like basic salary, HMO subscriptions, gym and fitness subscriptions, performance bonuses, etc.
The basic salary should appear first, just as Allergan Data Labs put it in this example below.
Then, you add a list of other benefits and perks. Again, this Allergan Data Labs perks list is a good example.
7. Advise Candidates on How to Apply
: Let prospective applicants know if there’s a form to fill out or an email to submit their application to.
Alchemy included a beautiful “Apply” button below other sections of the job description.
Meanwhile, Allergan Data Labs opted for a form, also at the end of the job description.
Both are good practices. Importantly, you should also include an apply button at the top of the job description, just as in the Alchemy and IntApps examples above.
However, if you’re working with an application form, the “apply” button you include at the top can be an on-page reference redirecting people to the form at the end of the job description.
Final Thoughts
Hiring good software engineers for your technical teams can be tasking. However, writing a good job description makes it easier to hire the best Software Engineers.
Meanwhile, most businesses try to save time and money by working with extended teams or hiring vetted Software Engineers from third-party partners. If you would consider any of these options, Tribesquare can help you.
How Can We Help You At Tribesquare?
If you need help with your team management and hiring needs, you should consider one of these Tribesquare’s services:
1. Extended Teams: Tribesquare’s Extended Teams services can help you build, extend, and manage fully set-up teams without going through the conventional hiring process.
2. Hire a Talent: Do you have great product ideas and need a technical team to build them? You can save time and money by hiring pre-qualified intermediate and senior software engineering and product talents at Tribesquare.
Visit our website to learn more about how we can help you achieve your team management and product development goals.
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