What to Say on LinkedIn When You're Hiring Your First Engineer
What to Say on LinkedIn When You're Hiring Your First Engineer
Hiring your first engineer is a big deal.
It means:
- You’ve validated the problem
- You’ve shipped something scrappy
- You’re ready to build with leverage
But on LinkedIn, just saying “we’re hiring” doesn’t cut it.
If you want to attract people who care—not just click—you need a post that communicates:
- The mission
- The momentum
- And why it’s a rare opportunity
Here’s how to write a LinkedIn post that does just that.
🧠 Why This Post Matters More Than a Job Board
Great engineers don’t scroll job boards.
They notice vision, momentum, and authenticity.
Your post is a chance to:
- Show the real story behind your startup
- Signal who this role is not for
- Get reshared by people who believe in what you’re doing
✅ Structure of a High-Trust, High-Talent Hiring Post
1. Start With the Why
Hook people by explaining the mission and the pain you’re solving.
“We’re building Relay because meetings are broken—and async tools haven’t cracked it yet.”
2. Show the Progress
“In the last 3 months, we signed 12 teams, rebuilt onboarding twice, and talked to 47 users.”
Momentum builds confidence.
3. Frame the Opportunity
“Now, we’re looking for our first full-time engineer to join us—not just to build features, but to shape the future of the product.”
Make it sound like what it is: a founding moment.
4. Clarify the Fit
“This role is for someone who’s excited by ambiguity, shipping fast, and shaping early systems—not someone looking for a scaled process.”
This filters in the right people, and filters out the wrong ones.
5. Make It Personal
“If I had to pitch this role to myself five years ago, I’d say: ‘You’ll move fast, ship constantly, and learn more than any senior IC role at a big company.’”
Founders who sound like humans attract humans.
6. Call to Action
“If this sounds like you—or someone you know—DM me or tag them. Happy to chat.”
✍️ Example Post
We’re hiring our first engineer at Relay.
Relay is a lightweight async check-in tool built for distributed teams who want fewer meetings and more momentum.
We’ve onboarded 12 teams, rewritten our UI twice, and found surprising insights from every user call.
Now it’s time to build real velocity—and we can’t do that alone.
Looking for an engineer who wants to ship fast, own key decisions, and shape the product alongside me.
If you're technical, curious, and comfortable with early-stage chaos, let’s chat.
Not for everyone. But perfect for the right someone.
DM me or tag someone who comes to mind.
🛠️ Pro Tips
- Use your voice—skip recruiter-speak
- Add a link to the full JD (Notion works great)
- Pin the post and comment on it later to boost reach
- Encourage your network to reshare it with a soft ask
TL;DR — Hiring? Don’t Just Announce. Inspire.
The right engineer isn’t looking for a job.
They’re looking for a challenge, a mission, a moment to build something meaningful.
Show them that your startup is that moment.
P.S.
We built Jerry to help founders turn hiring milestones, user feedback, and founder lessons into consistent LinkedIn content—without sounding like every other post.
If you're building in public, Jerry helps you build momentum too.