Key Takeaways
- HR managers find it challenging to recruit developers but they can make it easier by ensuring the candidate is a cultural as well technical fit for the role.
- A positive recruiting experience for candidates can go a long way in boosting your employer brand and attract numerous applicants through word of mouth.
- The hiring team should look in places like AngelList and Stack Overflow for the most talented software developers.
Hiring software developers is routine work for companies, especially those in the tech sector, and hiring managers must recruit developers with a high degree of scrutiny.
The hiring manager must concentrate on the requirements of the position, the deadlines to fill it, and the process for selecting the best candidate. Recruiting developers is slightly different than hiring non-technical personnel, as the HR department must have prerequisite knowledge about technology.
The talent pool of software developers is growing at an unimaginable rate, with some studies expecting more than 200,000 new job openings in the next few years. Hence, hiring managers should rethink their recruitment strategies when recruiting developers.
The below infographic shows the projected growth of the software development job market in the coming years.
Source: ACM
Mistakes You Should Avoid When You Recruit Developers
Anyone who has ever hired a developer will know that it can be a tricky process. There are many things to consider, and if you make the wrong decision, it can cost you dearly. A bad hire costs the company significant financial resources while wasting the HR department’s valuable time.
Therefore, HR managers should be wary of common mistakes and challenges they might encounter when they want to recruit developers. Here are some of the most common pitfalls they should avoid while hiring software developers:
1. Unpleasant Recruiting Experience For Candidates
For the candidates, the hiring process must be seamless and straightforward. Be it the process the applicants must go through, or the job advertisement used to solicit applications. The applicants must enjoy the procedure. A company can lose a talented developer due to minor mistakes made during the hiring process.
A study by StandOut CV found that a candidate is 38% more likely to accept a job offer after having a positive hiring experience. The same survey found that 70% of the applicants might not work for a company again after having an unpleasant experience while recruiting.
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How To Avoid
HR Managers should work with the technology department and other top people from the development team to design a holistic and effective recruitment strategy. The focus of this strategy should be to hire the right people and ensure that the candidates have a pleasant experience.
For instance, the rejected candidates should be intimated via email or call so that they can look elsewhere for work. Such practices are highly beneficial when building a strong employer brand and a go long way in boosting your reputation in the minds of potential candidates.
2. Improper Skill Testing
It is not advised to hire software engineers based solely on their qualifications and formal education. As software development is a highly technical field, your primary concern as a hiring manager should be carefully assessing the technical prowess of the applicants.
Companies with enormous financial resources have layers in their hiring procedures that span numerous rounds and take several months to complete. It also proves to be an expensive error in the long run.
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How To Avoid
Given the abundance of employment possibilities accessible for software developers, it is possible that applicants will withdraw from the test phase if it is not handled well.
The hiring team should work with the software development team to create an appropriate test for the position. The new hires must demonstrate a high degree of competency with the most recent technology and tools.
You’d probably be able to find the proper fit between the candidate and the post by giving the candidates a chance to demonstrate their understanding of software development and coding. The number of exams administered and the length of the hiring procedure should be balanced, so it only takes a little bit of time during the entire recruitment process.
HR managers should prioritize talent over experience when hiring developers for the greatest results. A talented software engineer should be technically proficient and possess soft skills like business communication.
3. Not Looking in the Right Places
It’s true that software engineers and developers are in abundance these days, and HR managers can find them anywhere, including the leading job boards like Linkedin, Glassdoor, and Indeed.
However, these places aren’t always the best when it comes to hiring the most talented people in the tech domain. These job boards have millions of profiles of highly qualified people, but it is a daunting task to sift through them and find the perfect fit for your company.
Moreover, the job portals mentioned above do not cater specifically to the tech industry. This means most of the candidates you’ll come across might not be from the technology domain, making the hiring process more difficult.
Hence, it is necessary that HR managers look in the right places when hiring tech professionals like data scientists, machine learning engineers, and Java developers.
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How To Avoid
Hiring managers can easily avoid this pitfall by expanding their search and looking in the right places for the most talented tech people, including software developers. The HR department should work closely with the software development team to gain access to tech-specific communities and organizations where they can reach out to potential applicants.
AngelList, Stack Overflow, and GitHub are some of the most famous online communities where tech enthusiasts come together and connect with recruiters and other professionals from the industry. Some of these platforms are free while others have a small subscription fee. These places will give you access to a massive talent pool of millions of competent individuals.
Moreover, with remote working becoming more popular, HR managers can connect with professionals from any corner of the globe and hire them. A report suggests that more than 75% of engineers prefer working remotely, and it could be an excellent way to attract top talent.
4. Overlooking The Importance of Cultural Fit
The HR department should always remember that software engineers are expected to function as a team in the firm when employing them. On the other hand, when you hire people primarily on experience and talent, you tend to overlook their cultural fit with the company.
Always keep in mind that the candidate is not supposed to be a code-writing machine but rather a person who can collaborate with others in a team environment. Therefore, in addition to the qualifications and experience required for the position, it is crucial to comprehend the candidate’s viewpoint on project selection, cooperation, remote work, and communication.
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How To Avoid
The HR department should focus on the cultural match between the company and the candidate, in addition to assessing the technical capabilities. As a hiring manager, you can include some questions in the interview to aid in making a personality assessment of the candidate. You can ask the candidate about how they handled a situation in which they disagreed with their team lead or inquire about how they view cooperation and teamwork.
On the other hand, many corporations also conduct personality tests in addition to the skill tests mentioned earlier. The demand for cultural fit and the introduction of new ideas and skills at work must be balanced carefully. The hiring procedure for IT positions is more complicated than it initially appears. Many software developers are searching for new opportunities, but if you want top talent to join your team, you must improve the hiring procedure.
Each step you take, whether placing a job ad, setting up a test, or signing a contract, is crucial in helping others build an opinion of the employer. The hiring procedure for IT positions is more complicated than it initially appears. Many software developers are searching for new opportunities, but if you want top talent to join your team, you must improve the hiring procedure.
If you’re interested in recruiting the most talented developers, get in touch with BenchPoint, a healthtech recruitment agency. We will guide you through the entire hiring process and assist you with any roadblocks.