What do tech candidates want from a job advert: Our top tech recruiting tips 

Learn what tech candidates look for in a job advert. James Milligan, Director UK & Ireland, EMEA for Technology and Project Solutions, offers his top tech recruiting tips.

Tech candidates: Key insights

Tech skills shortages are rife. Competition for top tech talent is only becoming fiercer thanks to increasing demand for niche tech skills across all industries. As such, it is vital that tech employers fine-tune their recruitment processes in order to attract the best candidates.

Our What Workers Want Report 2022 shows that over 90% of employers are concerned about skills shortages. But despite this competitive climate, many employers are missing opportunities to attract talent. The reasons include:

• A lack of transparency in job adverts
• Vague details on benefits
• Inconsistent messaging during the recruitment process.

Read on to learn how to overcome these mistakes when recruiting for technical positions.

Tech candidates: Background

For many tech candidates, a job advert is their first direct experience with a new employer. The messaging, information and detail included in the advert sets the tone for the candidate-employer relationship.

Yet this seemingly simple part of the process is one of the biggest reasons for today’s tech recruitment challenges. For many companies, a poor job advert can have far-reaching consequences, not only for talent attraction but retention too.

So, what do tech candidates want to see in job adverts? Here are our top tech recruiting tips.

1. Transparency

Above all, applicants are looking for transparency when considering a new employer. Tech candidates want to see accurate information on the role itself, its requirements and the culture of the team and organisation. 

You should make this information easily accessible at all stages of the applicant journey. Often, employers fail to provide much information on the working environment or culture, but this is something candidates really value. Not including essential information may deter candidates from applying – or cause them to take a job under false pretences. 

2. Detail

Tech candidates look for detailed information on things like the salary, benefits, working hours, and location of the job. According to our previous research, the top factor for IT candidates when reviewing a job advert is a description of the role itself. IT professionals want to know the exact role requirements. 

These key factors can determine why someone takes a job. By including ambiguous or inaccurate information, you might deter good candidates from applying. Candidates are also increasingly likely to filter job searches based on role requirements – so a poor job advert may actually never be seen.

3. Consistency

Your job advert may be the first thing an applicant sees. But the content you provide about your organisation needs to be consistent at every stage of the applicant journey. 

To stay consistent, ensure your recruiters and interviewers can discuss all aspects of the job description and advert. You should also consider what is being said about you on employee review sites. If necessary, look at where reviews may contradict the image you are portraying through your own channels.

Recruiting tech candidates: Next steps for your business

Recruiting for technical positions can be tricky. But the talent is out there – the key is to follow our tech recruiting tips. Make your job adverts as transparent, detailed, and consistent as possible. Only then will the best candidates get in touch. 

Join one of our events or webinars to find out more about our What Workers Want report. You can also speak to your local Hays office about your tech recruitment needs.