Issue 551  March 25th 2022

If you’ve visited iOS Dev Jobs over the last couple of months, it might look the same as when it re-launched, but it’s not! I thought it was time for a quick update on some improvements since the new site went live.

There are new features, like filtering jobs on the web version (The original only had filtering for the email and the apps), additional information about each job, like whether a position is full-time/part-time or contract/permanent. Loads of bug fixes and other minor features, like payment via invoice. But there’s one new feature that I think is worth discussing in more detail—collecting compensation information.

Soon after the re-launch last August, Sophie Lambrakis tweeted me advocating for the site to collect compensation information. I had thought about it, but if I’m honest, I knew getting companies to provide that information voluntarily would be challenging, and I wanted to get the basics right first.

Talking openly about compensation can be uncomfortable. In my experience, it’s rare to discuss it with friends, and even more so with co-workers. That said, things are slowly changing, as Jordan Rose’s post from earlier this week illustrates.

Companies have also been reluctant to set expectations around remuneration, although I believe that there are significant benefits in being more transparent. Setting realistic expectations will pre-filter applicants, but it also speaks volumes about how a company thinks about pay equity and fairness. It’s a hugely positive indicator amongst people looking for a new job.

So, I added the field, and then the real work started! I struggle to remember the last time I obsessed over some in-app copy as much as I did about the preamble and help text for this question. I even tweaked it twice today as I wrote this! 😬 There’s no way I could continue to run a successful site if it were a mandatory field, but I hope that by encouraging companies to post this information, I’m helping move things in the right direction.

Since the feature went live about a week ago, only one company has filled in that field. 😅 That’s probably entirely predictable, but I think they deserve recognition for doing it, so please go and check out the job listing for Nelnet Community Engagement. They’re doing plenty of things right in their job description, too.

Is your company hiring? You can post jobs for free, and while I can’t promise you’ll get a massive shout out like that if you include compensation information, I can promise you’ll make people think better of your company when they’re considering applying for your job.

Dave Verwer