Best practices for writing successful tech job adverts

In today’s candidate-driven market, recruiters need to take every opportunity to stand out from the competition. For many candidates, the first impression of a company starts to form when they read a job advert.

The key to writing an effective tech job ad when the increased cost-of-living is a significant concern, is to address issues openly. As companies continue the struggle to close their tech skills gaps, transparency and clear communication can help attract top talent.

This is our best practice guide to writing successful tech job adverts:

Choose a clear (and researched) job title

The job title is the first thing candidates see when scrolling through search results, so it needs to be specific and reflect the search term the candidate has used to narrow their results.

A good job title is unambiguous. It should clearly state the level of the position and indicate whether the role is full-time, part-time, and available as a remote position. Avoid using jargon, acronyms, abbreviations and unusual words. Candidates usually start their search with their current, or desired job title.

A useful tool for finding job titles is CWJobs’ search technology StepMatch. Using artificial intelligence, it intuitively includes similar, or matching titles that can increase the reach of a search and boost the relevancy of the results.

Write an appealing job description

Research from our sister site, Totaljobs reveals that candidates consider an average of 30 potential employers in their job search. The job description presents companies with an opportunity to explain what makes them unique, what their values are, and what plans they have for the future.

An effective description will detail what the job entails, including providing examples of everyday tasks and responsibilities. It should also clearly state why candidates should apply for the role and address typical concerns.

For example, in today’s market, the rising cost of living means that people need to seriously consider location, as travel expenses can prove a costly overhead. If the role is available as a remote position, this should be made clear in the description as it could be the deciding factor for candidates to apply for the role.

Provide salary information (and mention pay rises in line with inflation)

Totaljobs’ research reveals that adverts that provide salary information receive up to 20% more applications. This echoes the findings of CWJobs’ Tech Candidate Survey, which finds that 58% of candidates find missing salary information the most frustrating aspect of the job search.

Companies should try to be as specific as possible when advertising salaries, and at the very least, they should include a salary range, so that candidates have a comparison to what they currently earn.

CWJobs’ Confidence Index 2022 reveals that 17% of tech workers say the impact of cost-of-living on the sector is a concern. As such, companies should aim to provide pay rises in line with inflation to demonstrate their commitment to investing in top tech talent.

What’s more, our Index also reveals that most workers (57%) expect their salary to increase over the next year. Companies that don’t address workers’ salary concerns risk losing out to the competition.

Not only does salary information attract talent, it helps companies manage their hiring budget more effectively. CWJobs’ salary calculator enables companies to view the average salaries for IT and Tech jobs within any location within the UK.

Under ‘salary information’, companies should also include other financial details like annual leave allowance, pension contributions, healthcare, and company car allowance.

List the location

One of the biggest changes in job advert best practice is how the location of a role is communicated. Many workers now expect hybrid working arrangements, and others will only apply for fully remote roles.

If a job is available as a remote position, or if flexible working is an option, this should be highlighted at the top of the job advert – and ideally as part of the job title.

However, it’s still best practice to list the exact company location, particularly when advertising on tech job platforms like CWJobs. We find that jobs with a full postcode attract over double the applications compared to those posted to a town or a county. If a job isn’t within a candidate’s search area, it won’t be shown in results, so an ambiguous location means companies may miss out on ideal local candidates.

Highlight the company benefits

With an increasing number of companies recruiting from a more diverse talent pool, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to company benefits is no longer effective. Benefits packages need to be tailored and be as flexible as possible.

Our research reveals that pensions (49%), annual bonus (42%), and flexible working/working from home (43%) are the top preferred benefits of tech workers, followed by private healthcare (38%), and learning and development programmes (19%).

Recruiters should also highlight any unique perks that workers won’t get elsewhere. For example, companies may offer a free childcare service, wearable technology, or fitness and meditation classes.

By highlighting company perks in job descriptions recruiters can spark an interest in passive candidates, who may not be actively looking for a new role. Overall, 84% of respondents would find it valuable to choose their own employee benefits, so being flexible in what’s being offered can help a company stand out.

Outline potential career paths

With career progression high on the agenda for tech workers, employers need to develop clear progression plans to show employees that they’re valued. In job adverts, companies should aim to provide an outline of what a typical career path could like for candidates applying for specific roles. If tech workers can imagine a future with a company, they’re more likely to apply for roles, stay motivated, and loyal.

Training and development are among the top motivating factors for young people applying for tech jobs. Employers should aim to provide training programmes to enable workers to develop in the areas that interest them.

Companies should also mention on-the-job training opportunities, mentorship programmes, and digital learning sessions in adverts to pique the interest of younger workers.

Use screening questions to attract the right candidate

Including a series of screening questions in a job advert can help ensure that the right type of candidates apply for the role. In pre-qualifying people beforehand, recruiters will have a more targeted talent pool to choose from.

Likewise, it’s important to ensure that job adverts aren’t biased towards a certain type of candidate. For example, research reveals that candidates are less likely to respond to ads that contain words that are biased towards a certain gender.

To overcome this, Totaljobs created the Gender Bias Decoder to help recruiters identify gendered words in emails, job descriptions, or any other text.

Promote tech job adverts on CWJobs

On the CWJobs platform, employers can showcase their job ads to potential candidates and increase the relevancy of candidates applying for roles. For example, for certain jobs, employers may only want to target graduates those specific qualifications, or a certain number of years’ experience.

Companies can also use e-shots, programmatic display advertising, site banners and our Social Job feature to reach a more qualified pool of candidates. We also provide companies with the option to upgrade to a premium advert, which can deliver 16% more relevant applicants.

Contact our Customer Services team for more information.