When Hiring (Job Posts)

I know this is not about Agile specifically but I wanted to share how I craft Job Posts when hiring, I would love to continue to improve my process.

When writing a Job Post I do the following;

• Have boilerplate about the company itself. Yes, the candidate should dig more but you want them to want to apply and want to research.
• Describe the Role, where the department fits within the company, what the team/departments purpose is, and what normal activities the job will encompass.
• Indicate the type of person/passions which would work well
• List requirements, real requirements, this should be 5 or less, these should be demonstrable items
• Demonstrable - Upbeat attitude is not easy to demonstrate, for example
• Always have alternatives to a major! Great technical people can have humanities majors – i.e. use “or equivalent experience”
• List bonuses/nice to have /additional items that a candidate would benefit by having
• Explain the benefits of the company (should be boilerplate talking about why the company itself is a good place to work, the culture, and the benefits) you are selling the company and the job to the candidate. Reiterate your commitment to equality and diversity and core values you are known for.

Review and verify:

• Gender neutral pronouns
• Avoid gendered language, or at least balance it
• Role title itself is gender neutral
• Avoid buzz words (ninja, etc.)
• Avoid superlatives (the best, expert) and instead, ask for proficiency. 
• I.e. SQL expert replaced with Solid foundation in SQL or Proficiency in SQL

Tools:

• http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/
• https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/gender-inclusive-language/
• https://textio.com/

Ideas:

• Advertise using Special Interest Groups inside the company
• Be sure to include organizations that cater to underrepresented groups (bootcamps, professional organizations, networking groups, alumni associations) in those you send job posting/announcements to.
• Be open to career changes and returnships