Technology is undergoing a revolution around the world, and software development is one of the fastest growing tech domains at the moment. This is true, in part, because to operate effectively, businesses of all sizes, including startups and large corporations, require a consistent supply of software developers.
In contrast to the combined growth of all other occupations, which is predicted to be 8%, the job market for technology is predicted to grow by 13% between 2020 and 2030.
Companies need a constant flow of skilled software development talent to modernize the industry and meet this rise in demand. Hence, there’s now more than ever a need to think about ways in which your talent acquisition team can attract exceptional tech talent.
In this piece, we look at a few industry-wide best practices that HR leaders can follow for hiring a software engineer that’s the right fit for their company.
Step 1: Go Beyond the Specific Requirements
In the first place, you require a qualified developer. But ask yourself if you truly know what you require. Does your position require a software development specialist? Do you require someone who fixes problems as opposed to making new apps and software?
Or perhaps you need someone with leadership skills to guide your group of experts? Perhaps a team leader with prior expertise would be a better fit than the top software developer available.
Your top priority should be to properly define your tech talent demands before employing experienced engineers. You most likely already know the kind of software or program you desire.
According to a study, firms lose $14,900 on every bad hire, and more than 74% of hiring managers have selected the wrong candidate.
If you are unsure about the best programming languages or technologies to use, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with an experienced IT professional who will walk you through the key technological stack that will work best in your situation. Based on this information, you will be able to determine the type of professional you are seeking and the criteria you will use to screen candidates.
To assess whether future applicants are a suitable fit for your company, you can think about using a list of questions to interview potential hires:
- Why did you pick our business and why do you want to fill this position?
- How do you maintain the technical and soft skills you have?
- Can you describe a concept or resolution you supported and worked to persuade others to adopt? How exactly did you persuade your coworkers?
- Which technologies are you most interested in, and why?
- Which programming language is your favorite, and why?
- Do you have any software or applications in mind that you would technically enhance? How would you resolve such problems?
- How do you often respond to unfavorable comments from your bosses or testers?
- Which technological obstacle have you overcome the most in your professional career?
- Which tools for project management are you accustomed to using?
- How can you make sure your code is of high quality?
- Why would you desire to learn new technical skills?
Step 2: Don’t Focus Only on Technical Expertise
Searching for bare technical talents and professional experience is one of the biggest mistakes recruiters make. They overlook something much more crucial, referred to as soft skills, in the course of the procedure.
If the individual lacks the necessary interpersonal skills, you might have the ideal candidate. The finest technical match may occasionally be someone who is overly preoccupied with their performance and unwilling to consider suggestions.
Additionally, folks that enjoy learning new things are always better choices than those who believe they already know everything. Therefore, while it’s important to value technical skills, you should never overlook the importance of soft skills.
Soft Skills to Consider While Hiring Expert Developers
#1. Communication skills
Having excellent communication skills is a surefire way to have a successful job, regardless of your industry. The development of software is not an exception. Pick someone who speaks clearly and with assurance. It will make it possible for you and your developer to keep clear about the demands, timelines, expectations, and updates and prevent any misunderstandings.
#2. Time-management skills
Professional developers frequently work under intense deadline pressure. As a result, they must have the ability to properly manage their workload and provide high-quality outcomes on schedule.
#3. Teamwork
Any IT professional, including software engineers, must be able to function well in a collaborative environment. Collaboration between team members from other departments is crucial to the development of new software solutions. Consequently, another one to consider is the capacity for productive teamwork.
#4. Problem-solving skills
In computer science, problem-solving abilities are crucial. The software development process is challenging, thus it’s important to be able to tackle any potential issue quickly. A fantastic trait that sets a professional apart from others is the ability to solve problems efficiently.
#5. Critical thinking
A critical thinker will be able to examine the issue with ease and come up with an unexpected solution using a little bit of creativity. It’s crucial to have the ability to consider the problem from various angles and choose the best course of action.
#6. Emotional intelligence
One of the key traits of a mature specialist who can easily integrate into any workplace and become a fantastic employee, a terrific colleague you can rely on, and expect the highest degree of professional dedication is EI, which includes empathy.
Step 3: Invest in the Right Recruitment Software
Modern corporate procedures, especially those in HR and recruitment, are increasingly reliant on automation. The most perfect example of HR automation is recruitment software, which takes the mundane procedures involved in hiring and recruiting and automates them. You’ll receive a big number of applications after posting the position on a job board, all of which need to be fairly evaluated to discover the best applicant.
With the use of applicant tracking systems (ATS), which are increasingly common in global corporations, such jobs can be simply automated. In a recent survey, 86% of recruiting managers claimed that ATS sped up and simplified the recruitment process. When asked about the usefulness of ATS in the hiring process, they provided the answers shown in the figure below.
Source: Get App
Step 4: Put their skill to test
Finding the finest people for your company should be obvious, but assessing developers across a spectrum of talents and skills is essential. Testing plays a significant role in developing this understanding, thus it is important to verify that any technical hire has the expertise, insight, and experience required to meet your needs.
A combination of practical and theory assessments should be used to evaluate their hard skills, allowing them to demonstrate their abilities while also proving their understanding and ability to apply them.
Hard Skills to Consider While Hiring Expert Developers
- Experts in software engineering and development should be knowledgeable in a variety of programming languages, including C++, JavaScript, Python, and others.
- Examine the specialist’s résumé to see if they have experience with source control, which is necessary for software developers to easily make changes, track updates, and manage and save their code using technologies like Git, Mercurial, or SVN.
- Every seasoned developer should have a thorough understanding of testing techniques to guarantee that product functions meet all technical requirements. Hire specialists with a proven track record of testing software and a working knowledge of the three main testing techniques.
- To safeguard the company’s information in unforeseen circumstances, a developer should be aware of how to secure a database and back up all the data. A professional must have a solid understanding of SQL to efficiently run the database to accomplish that.
- A developer should be knowledgeable and skilled in specific cloud-based technologies. Look for an AWS certification, for instance.
Step 5: Look for developers across a wide range of channels
It is frequently easier said than done to find excellent software developers. Finding developers frequently necessitates some creativity in recruitment due to the global supply shortage and the scarcity of those directly available on the market.
#1. Open-source software development platforms
Many businesses examine websites for software development expertise, such as Stack Overflow, GitHub, and CodeProject. By keeping an eye on user behavior, they may determine who is responding to user questions, evaluate the caliber of their answers, and then get in touch to ask more questions. The location is frequently unimportant for many businesses, therefore they frequently contact people who demonstrate their value with job prospects.
#2. Freelance platforms
Freelance marketplaces like Fiverr, Freelancer.com, and Toptal can be used to find experts who are working as independent contractors in the market. If these individuals perform to a high degree on a little assignment that benefits the company before, then discussions can be had about hiring them on a full-time basis or creating a retainer that is tailored to their capabilities.
This can be challenging because these contractors frequently have many obligations that last a variety of lengths and are paid well. However, even if they are unable to be persuaded to work full-time, they can support project delivery as a freelancer as needed. This is practical if the need is brief, but it is less cost-effective over the long run.
#3. Workforce/talent platforms
To quickly fill skill gaps (through team augmentation) or complete a specific scope of work, these platforms enable clients to access, engage with, and source fully vetted software engineering agencies globally.
Organizations looking for technical expertise may locate thoroughly vetted teams using platforms like Andela, YouTeam, and Digital Knights, which enables them to start working on development projects right away.
#4. Hackathons and coding boot camps
Technical specialists from all around the world come together at hackathons and coding boot camps to compete and create technical projects. By giving students a platform to demonstrate their abilities, businesses can observe firsthand what they know and how they use that knowledge, assisting in the evaluation of their potential.
Many businesses often hold boot camps to find the top developers available and hand-pick the most talented people. Flatiron School, Makers Academy, General Assembly, Hackbright Academy, CodeUnion, Hack Reactor, and Launch Academy are just a few of the boot camps that are regularly held.
Reach out to us at BenchPoint right away!
We have some of the best healthcare IT recruiters on our team that can educate and help you more on what you can do to hire exceptional software development talent. We’ll show you how to maintain an evergreen talent pipeline so that qualified candidates are always available.