The world is going through a technological revolution and tech professionals like software developers are one of the most in-demand tech professionals right now.
Corporations of all sizes, including multinational companies and startups, need a regular supply of software developers to function properly. Moreover, this is not limited to tech firms as software developer recruitment is a prime concern for companies across many industries. Sectors like healthcare, finance, law, defense, space, and retail are heavily dependent on talented tech professionals.
The below infographic shows the concentration of software developers in different US states.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
It has become more important than ever for HR leaders to have a robust strategy in place to recruit top-of-the-line software developers.
How To Build a Solid Software Developer Recruitment Strategy
The acute shortage of talented software developers in today’s labor market makes the recruitment process more challenging. Still, hiring managers can acquire the most talented individuals and retain them for years to come by formulating a robust software developer recruitment plan.
Recruiters can develop a comprehensive hiring strategy to attract the most talented software developers by following a few simple steps.
1. Assess What Type of Developer You Need
The first thing that hiring managers should consider is deciding which type of software developer they want to recruit. Software developers can be classified into three main types based on their skill set, front-end developers, back-end developers, and full-stack developers. Besides these, mobile app developers, web developers, and data science developers are some more notable types.
Front End Developers
Front-end web developers are experts who create websites and web applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript so that users can view and interact with them directly. The goal of website design is to present the content in an understandable and pertinent manner to users as soon as they access the site.
Back End Developers
The professionals that create and manage the systems that allow websites to handle data and carry out operations are known as back-end developers. Back-end developers work on server-side tasks that the end user doesn’t see, such as data storage and security, in contrast to front-end developers who are in charge of everything people can see on a website or an application.
Full-Stack Developers
Full-stack engineers are experts in both the front end and the back end of the technology that makes up a website. They are experienced with frontend and backend languages and frameworks in addition to server, and hosting requirements. To acquire this wealth of knowledge, the majority of full-stack engineers will have years of valuable experience.
Besides the above-mentioned criteria, companies must also decide whether they want to hire a full-time employee or a freelance developer. They can also outsource their projects to an external software development firm for a fee. Going with a full-time employee is the most expensive option among these, but it provides more control and supervision over the projects.
Meanwhile, the other two options might be cheaper but have a few demerits. For instance, a company that hires a freelancer loses a certain amount of control and often has to provide flexible deadlines.
2. Look In Underutilized Places
Most HR managers will search in general places when looking for the most talented software developers. Traditional job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and Linkedin are excellent sources to find brilliant tech professionals. However, the most gifted software developers are found in other places that are a hub for tech professionals across the globe. These include:
GitHub
GitHub is one of the most popular online communities for programmers, software engineers, and other IT professionals. Coders from different corners of the globe can collaborate on projects and store their work on this special hosting platform. Large organizations working on commercial projects and developers experimenting with personal projects use GitHub due to the platform’s wide features. GitHub is a great resource for finding the top software developers, whether you’re seeking more details about a current applicant or vetting future candidates.
AngelList
Angellist is an established name for businesses looking for the brightest individuals in the tech field. Since its modest beginnings in 2010 as a job portal, it has developed into a sizable global network where business owners can connect with angel investors and hire qualified personnel. Developers with AngelList profiles are either already employed by startups or are looking for work in small firms. According to some estimates, there are between 3 and 5 million active AngelList subscribers.
Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow is another excellent source of talent for streamlined software developer recruitment. It is a knowledge-sharing website that functions like a question-and-answer forum promoting online contact between IT specialists, business owners, and tech firms. Users’ ability to amend their responses and upvote or downvote other users’ answers has prompted parallels to a hybrid of Reddit and a wiki for techies. With extraordinary technical capabilities, enterprises may reach more than 5 million people by selecting the subscription plan that best suits their needs.
3. A Good Job Description Is Crucial
Now that you know the most reliable places to find the most talented software developers, it’s time to create an attractive job description. Hiring managers should keep certain factors in mind when framing a job description during their software developer recruitment process.
When looking for work, the average candidate for software development submits multiple applications. As a result, the majority of developers give each position a cursory glance and generally scan the job descriptions.
Long, boring job descriptions frequently strike these techies as a significant obstacle and unattractive. Recruiters and hiring managers should write concise, to-the-point job descriptions. These job descriptions must clearly state the qualifications the organization is seeking and briefly outline the candidate’s roles and responsibilities.
Your job description should be between 500 and 600 words, suggests Undercover Recruiter. As a result, it’s a good idea to keep a software developer job description brief.
4. Skill Testing and Interview
Software development is a highly technical field that requires individuals to have a strong understanding of computer science, coding, and basic mathematics. Besides these rudimentary skills, a competent software developer must have a portfolio of skills that will aid them in a competitive business environment.
Programming languages like C/C++, Python, and Java, and knowledge of frameworks such as Angular, React, and Node.js, are must-have skills for modern software developers. The below graph shows the most preferred web frameworks among global software developers:
Source: True List
Hiring managers should ensure that the people they hire are highly competent in the above-mentioned technologies. A great way to do this is by conducting technical skill tests. Recruiters should also prioritize talent over experience when looking for the best results in their software developer recruitment. Besides being technically proficient, a good software developer should also have soft skills like business communication.
Recruiters generally test the soft skills of any candidate through interviews, and we recommend firms use structured interviews when hiring for any technical position. The utilization of a set of common questions is an essential component of structured interviews.
In contrast to unstructured interviews, where the interviewer does not prepare a list of pre-determined questions, these questions are frequently written before the interview starts. According to a Wired study, unstructured interviews only accurately predict 14% of a candidate’s actual performance on the job, just 7% more than background checks.
Contact BenchPoint right away if you’re interested in learning more about software developer recruitment, we’re among the top healthcare IT recruiters globally. We’ll demonstrate how to keep a continuous hiring pipeline so that qualified prospects are always accessible with just a click.
We may collaborate with you in the future to develop hiring strategies that are clearly defined and quickly yield the necessary results.