When it comes to writing an IT job description, it’s important to follow a few ground rules.

Not only should each employee have a clear job description as part of the HR process, crafting the perfect job description can actually help you to secure the best talent.  But it’s not just that! A poor job description, or none at all could actually be preventing you from hiring the best IT talent.

Here’s our top tips to make your next IT job description the best yet.

Job title – stay away from buzzwords

Ensure that you keep your job title simple by using keywords that accurately describe the role. Keep away from using complicated jargon. For example, stick to using standard experience levels such as ‘senior’ rather that ‘VI’. Whilst it’s important to stand out when recruiting, keep the job description as factual as possible to avoid room for confusion.

To begin with, focus on the job title. A job title is the start of the process and will be used to advertise your role.  Consider the level of expertise you want for the job, not just the role itself. If you are looking for a 2nd Line Support engineer, but the experience you need is more Systems Analyst, you’ll need to remember that the job title may put some people off. It’s the age of LinkedIn and people are proud of their achievements and their career. Do bare this in mind when writing your job description.

Job summary – the start of an IT job description

Standing out in a crowded market can be hard. The demand for talent for IT jobs is rising each month. Begin by capturing a candidate’s attention with a short and engaging summary. This should include the expectations of the role and a brief overview of your company. Why are you unique and why is working for you such a fantastic opportunity?  Think of the job description as another step in the journey. Remember that it’s usually what a candidate sees before they come for an interview. Don’t lose their interest at this stage. Remember to still sell the opportunity!

Here’s a top tip to help you stand out –

In the current market more and more that candidates are looking to give something back and this could be your chance to shine. Ask yourself ‘How does this role contribute to making people’s lives better, or solve existing problems?’ then fill in the blank – ‘come and join a team dedicated to…..’  You may be surprised how effective this can be.

Include clear responsibilities and duties for your job

Less is most definitely more!  Whilst you want to clearly define the main responsibilities of the position, make them detailed yet concise.  If there is a lot of responsibilities with the role, why not group them into categories? This will make them much easier to read and absorb.

It’s also important to think long-term too. We advise thinking about how this position will contribute to the goals and business objectives of the company. Is there the potential for advancement for candidates?  By presenting the whole opportunity, you will attract the best candidates.

Refresh often

When you look to hire, do you go to HR and dust off that old job description again?  Has the experience needed changed?  Is the culture different now?  It’s important to make sure that you review and even re-write your job descriptions regularly.  Make sure that it is still fit for purpose!

One of the things that has changed for most companies is flexibility with working from home. In fact, there was an article in The Times yesterday (15.08) that showed how software engineers in particular we in control of working arrangements due to the candidate shortage. If you have a work from home policy, it’s important to include reference to this in the job description.

TOP TIP: – get your employees involved when writing your job description!  No one knows the job better than those that already do it.

Things to avoid when writing your IT job description

• Discrimination – Be aware of unconscious bias’s
• Asking too much – Unrealistic expectations could prevent star candidates from applying
• Negativity – Be sure to write the description in a positive tone
• Forgetting about structure – Make the job description easy to read. Bullet points are always a good idea!
• Being mysterious – Be intriguing without holding back crucial information
• Mistakes – Check and check again for mistakes.  Candidates will be quick to judge if there are spelling mistakes!

Following these 5 steps to writing a fabulous job description could help you secure your ideal IT candidate.

If you are looking for experienced IT experts for your business, whether permanent or contract get in touch with the team at Langley James today!