IT-Recruiting: Value Proposition in the Developer-Advertisement!

Hiring TipsEmployer Branding

Not only do most developer job ads look the same, they also fail to target the candidate specifically. If your employer promise is worded too broadly, it may struggle to appeal to the IT profile you're looking for, or it won't encourage a developer to apply to you.

In order to be attractive to a broad audience, employer branding statements tend to be very general. The truth is, however, if you try to appeal to everyone, they speak to no one.To attract developers to specific projects and teams, each subgroup needs its own value proposition tailored specifically to the target audience. To capture the attention of coveted tech professionals flooded with inquiries, try placing tailored branding in your ad.

Ask your employees

In a highly competitive market, you need to encourage potential developers to look into your company, or your employment opportunities. Your employees know best about the benefits of having their own development department. "Find out what your developers like about a particular project, or about your department, and what motivates them." What attracts your software developers? Is it the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology? If so, mention specific tools and programs. Is it the low bureaucracy or the freedom to work on side projects? Is it the realities of saving lives by building surgical robots or providing a cleaner environment by developing novel energy systems? If so, describe the opportunities in a big picture way. Pay attention not only to what your own employees say, but how they say it. If your development team doesn't care that the company was founded in 1965, remove that information from your brand statement. "You have limited space in an ad, so the message must interest potential developers and not necessarily you ".

Keeping the attention of your target audience

Once you've created some branding statements, test them on focus groups. Many companies don't test your value proposition: they just launch and wait to see what happens. The test market conducted and fine-tuning your brand will ultimately help you save a lot of time and get to know your target audience even better. Highlight your brand prominently in your job ad to grab the attention of IT professionals. Once you have their attention, also link to your career page, company profiles, or social media profiles.