How to write an Excel VBA programmer job description

A VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) programmer with experience working in Excel can help you build automated workflows for your spreadsheets. With the right programmer, you can increase productivity across your business and eliminate manual tasks that can lead to costly errors.

It’s important to get the right person for the job when hiring an Excel VBA programmer. A developer with mediocre VBA or Excel skills can leave you with error-filled spreadsheets or buggy workflows. 

In order to hire the best VBA developer, you need a compelling job description. It should outline your vision of the ideal candidate and encourage top programmers to apply for your role.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to write an Excel VBA programmer job description and share a template you can use.

What is an Excel VBA programmer?

An Excel VBA programmer is someone who’s an expert in Excel and proficient at coding in VBA. This is a programming language specific to Excel, Word, and other Microsoft Office applications.

Programs written in VBA can be used to automatically import data into spreadsheets or create automated workflows for sharing spreadsheets across your business. Hiring a VBA programmer to create these automations can be a great way to improve productivity in your business.

VBA can also be used for data analysis in Excel. So, a programmer can help you leverage your existing data to generate insights into your business and identify opportunities for growth.

Key skills to look for in Excel VBA programmers

Here are some important skills to look for in an Excel VBA programmer:

• VBA proficiency: Candidates should be experts at programming in VBA.

• Microsoft Office proficiency: Candidates should be confident using built-in functions in Excel, Word, and other Office products.

• SQL competency: Applicants should be comfortable with database management systems for importing and exporting data from Excel.

• Data analysis: Applicants should be able to design robust statistical analyses and execute them using VBA.

• Collaboration skills: Programmers need to work closely with office staff to determine what Excel workflows would increase productivity. So, they should bring strong collaboration skills.

• Communication skills: Applicants also need strong communication skills to explain their work and show employees how to use the workflows they’ve created.

How to write an effective Excel VBA programmer job description

A great VBA programmer job description should do two things: clearly describe the candidate you want to hire and explain why that candidate should work for your business.

Describe the VBA programmer you’re seeking

The perfect job description should start with describing your open role and the types of projects you envision a VBA programmer working on. For example, you could describe specific workflows you want to create for your business or data analyses you want to conduct.

Following this overview, you can list the skills the VBA programmer must have. Be specific about their level of experience and cover any additional skills you want in a candidate, such as data analysis, SQL database management, or proficiency in other programming languages.

Don’t forget to include soft skills like communication and collaboration. VBA programmers must be able to communicate clearly about their work to project managers and should be comfortable working as part of a larger team of developers.

Convince your ideal candidate to work for your business

Skilled VBA developers have a lot of job options. So why should they work for your company?

Your job description should convince candidates that your company is a place they want to work. It should cover not only their compensation, but also benefits like time off, work flexibility, remote work options, childcare support, and more. Offering these benefits can give your company a competitive advantage in hiring programmers.

You should also discuss your company’s culture and mission. Many programmers work best when they’re passionate about the business they work for. You’ll attract more applicants to your candidate pool if you have a positive company culture.

Excel VBA programmer job description template

The template below can help you get started writing the perfect Excel VBA programmer job description. Use it as a guide and tailor it to your role and company.

Company introduction

Start your job description with an overview of your company. Discuss when it was founded, where you have offices, what products or services it creates, and any awards it has won.

You can make your job description shine from the start by discussing VBA programming from the get-go. For example, you can mention how automated workflows created with VBA have helped increase workplace productivity. You can also briefly outline your vision for how a VBA developer will help your business continue to grow.

Benefits of working with [your company]

You can then dive into the benefits that a VBA programmer will receive at your company. This can include monetary perks like health insurance and retirement matches. It should also include non-monetary benefits such as time off, remote or hybrid work options, parental leave, and any other extras your company offers.

Excel VBA programmer job brief

[Company name]

Job Title: [For example, VBA Programmer, Data Analytics Specialist, or Workflow Automation Developer]

Reports to: [For example, Senior Software Developer, Senior Data Scientist, or Chief Operations Officer]

Position Type: [Full-time or part-time; employee or independent contractor]

Location: [Remote, hybrid, or on-site]

[Compensation details]

Excel VBA programmer responsibilities

• Writing error-free VBA code

• Building automated workflows for Microsoft Excel

• Analyzing data within Excel

• Managing SQL databases

• Reporting updates to project managers and senior developers

Requirements/qualifications and training required

• A [bachelor’s or master’s degree] in software engineering, computer science, or a similar field – OR equivalent work experience

• [2+] years’ experience as a VBA programmer

Two things to avoid when writing a job description for Excel VBA programmers

Watch out for these two common mistakes when writing your VBA programmer job description.

1. Using biased language

Biased language in your job description can discourage qualified VBA developers from applying for your role. It can also expose your business to fines or lawsuits based on anti-discrimination regulations.

Businesses commonly use phrases that have gendered connotations without realizing it. For example, phrases like “competitive” or “aggressive” may appeal to male candidates while discouraging female programmers.

You should also avoid language that can discourage older candidates from applying. Phrases like “young,” “digital native,” and “energetic” are especially problematic. 

2. Underselling your company

It’s important to go beyond simply listing a salary range in your job description. Non-monetary perks like remote work, a strong company culture, or abundant time off are just as important as salary to many VBA programmers. 

If you don’t mention these benefits, you could miss out on candidates who are looking to change jobs for reasons other than compensation.

Next steps: Attracting and assessing Excel VBA programmer candidates

Post your VBA programmer job description to online job boards, social media, and coding platforms like GitHub. You can also network at developer events or hire a recruiter to encourage more qualified candidates to apply.

Once you have a pool of VBA developer applicants, you can quickly narrow down the top candidates using pre-employment testing platforms like TestGorilla. Our extensive library offers more than 300 tests to evaluate applicants’ programming skills, soft skills, personalities, and more.

Great tests to use include the VBA programming test and advanced Excel test. There are also tests for database management, SQLite coding, exploratory data analysis, and more. Pair these technical skills tests with tests that assess candidates’ soft skills, including communication, time management, and people management. 

TestGorilla also offers personality tests, like the Enneagram test, to evaluate how applicants will mesh with your existing development and data analytics teams. Plus, you can ask one-way video interview questions as part of any assessment. Our guide to Excel interview questions can help you develop ideas for what to ask VBA programmer applicants.

By combining programming tests, data analysis tests, soft skills tests, personality tests, and custom interview questions, you can build complete profiles of your candidates and hire the best Excel VBA programmer.

FAQs

Does my business need a VBA programmer?

If your business relies on Excel to manage data, hiring a VBA programmer can help you dramatically increase productivity. VBA developers can create automated workflows in Excel for sharing data, importing data from databases, and more. 

VBA programmers can also run more advanced data analyses in Excel that aren’t possible using the platform’s built-in functions.

Is VBA being phased out?

In 2022, Microsoft announced that Excel files containing VBA code would be blocked when downloading files from the internet. This is to prevent individuals from downloading files that may have malicious code hidden inside them. However, VBA isn’t being phased out and is commonly used for creating Excel workflows and data analyses.

Hire the best Excel VBA programmer with TestGorilla

A knowledgeable VBA programmer can help you build automated workflows in Excel, manage your organization’s databases, and provide key insights into your data.

Hiring the best programmer starts with writing a high-quality job description that describes the candidate you want to hire and attracts them to apply for your role. Once you have an applicant pool, you can use TestGorilla to quickly narrow your candidate search to the best VBA programmers.

TestGorilla offers hundreds of tests for programming skills, soft skills, personality, and more. Plus, you can customize your assessments with interview questions to learn everything you need to know about your applicants.

Sign up for a free TestGorilla account or book a demo today to hire the best Excel VBA programmer for your business.