Recruiters and hiring managers have their work cut out for them in the competitive IT industry.
The fact is, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the IT industry is expected to see job growth of approximately 12% over the next eight years.
On top of that, there’s a huge IT talent shortage here in the U.S. that’s left employers scrambling to fill the void.
That means a lot of recruiters and hiring managers are looking for the most compelling IT job descriptions to draw top talent away from the competition.
But how do you write a compelling IT job description?
A Job Analysis
First things first, before you even think about writing your job description, you need a clear idea of what position you are hiring for and what your recruit will be doing on a day-to-day basis.
Too often, employers come into a candidate search without having clear expectations or development plans for their new hire.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to perform a job analysis before beginning the hiring process.
Your job analysis should be rooted in information from current employees, as well as in-depth competitor analysis and industry research. And it will help not only with your job description but also during the interview process.
During a job analysis, you will 1) establish the essential functions and day-to-day tasks of the job, 2) create competitor analysis, 3) establish the requirements and qualifications of the position, and 4) compile the data in a usable format.
Only after that can you begin writing a compelling, and most importantly accurate, IT job description.
How To Write a Compelling IT Job Description
There are five essential parts of any job description:
- the job title,
- a summary,
- duties and responsibilities,
- requirements and qualifications, and
- an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) statement.
Today, we will go over some tips and tricks for each of these sections to help you create an effective IT job description and draw in top IT talent even in this competitive job market.
Job Title
Many employers don’t put a second thought into job titles. They just throw up the first thing they think of and hope that draws in the right candidate.
Obviously, this isn’t recommended. It’s much better to do some competitor research to see what job titles perform the best on job boards. Then, tailor your job title to deliver the best results.
Overall, IT job titles aren’t too complex. As long as they are accurate, don’t exaggerate the status of the position, and avoid creative names, titles are usually pretty self-explanatory.
Job Summary
After you’ve decided on your job title, you’ll need to write an engaging job summary that draws in potential candidates.
Once again, it’s never ok to exaggerate a job’s significance, but this is an opportunity to highlight the benefits of your position.
The summary should contain a quick overview of the position and the business that includes location, information about company culture, and what it takes to be successful in the job.
Duties and Responsibilities
To create a worthy duties and responsibilities list for IT jobs, you’re going to need to rely on current IT employees for some help.
The duties and responsibilities section should include specific, core duties, and responsibilities only. It doesn’t need to be an exhaustive list of potential job tasks, rather just the bread and butter duties, so to speak, of the position.
Also, remember to avoid vague language. Instead, take the time to do your research and ask questions of current employees until you know the specific duties and responsibilities of the position—even if that requires some technical jargon.
This will eliminate the number of unqualified applicants you have to sort through when all is said and done.
Requirements and Qualifications
The majority of the time, it’s a good idea to keep the industry jargon to a minimum in job descriptions, but when it comes to IT, things are a little different.
IT jobs often require very particular, and at times, technical language.
While the requirements and qualifications section should mostly detail general hard and soft skills required for the job, it might also need to include specific language.
For example, you might need to know if an IT tech has been certified by specific organizations like CompTIA A+ or Microsoft Certified IT.
Or you might need to find IT security candidates who can navigate intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems. Don’t be afraid to include this type of technical language.
Overall, the requirements and qualifications section needs to be thorough for IT professionals. That means including everything from general requirements like a degree in Computer Science or engineering to specific qualifications like those listed above.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Finally, there’s the equal employment opportunity statement that should be included in every IT job description as required by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Including an EEO statement is not just about the law; however, it’s been proven candidates view EEO statements positively, and it helps build a more diverse workplace, which is a win-win for everyone.
You can include a General EEO statement like this one from SHRM in your listing:
“[Company Name] provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.”
Or, you can take the opportunity to go above and beyond with an EEO statement that looks something like what Google puts on their job descriptions.
EEO statements are a great opportunity to show what your company values are and practice inclusivity.
In that spirit, also remember to be inclusive throughout your IT job description. Refrain from using gender or age-specific language so that everyone feels welcome.
Conclusion
When all is said and done, as long as you do the proper research, ask the right questions of current employees, and stick to the facts, writing IT job descriptions isn’t too difficult.
And of course, if things get too time-consuming, you can always reach out to a staffing firm to bring in the right talent for you.