How to Find the Best Tech Candidates for Your Company
Struggling to find the right person to fill a vacant tech position at your company? In such a competitive hiring market, it can be hard to identify and attract the best candidates for your IT job openings. With so many job boards, where do you start? And once you find a potential candidate, how do you make sure they have the necessary skills to do the job? Fortunately, by using the right strategies (and working with a great IT staffing agency!), you can increase your chances of finding the perfect candidate for the job.
Learn the Language
Hiring for any technical role requires a certain level of knowledge about the required technology and the IT industry, so you can make sure you get the best candidate. If you aren't an IT professional, you'll need to do your research and familiarize yourself with the language and terms used in tech recruiting. At the very least, you'll need to have a basic understanding of the role you're hiring for and the names and functions of the software, hardware, programming languages, and frameworks the employee will need to know. This knowledge will also help you write a targeted job description and ask accurate questions during the interview process.
Craft an Effective Job Ad to Attract Job Seekers
If you want to find the best tech candidates, you'll need to create a job ad that will appeal to them. First and foremost, choose a job title that accurately describes the position. If you're not sure what the difference is between software engineers and software developers, do your research and make sure you use the right IT job title, or you may find the wrong candidates applying.
In addition to using the correct job title, write a job description that accurately reflects what you're trying to hire for. Describe the primary job expectations and duties clearly but succinctly, and use bullet points and action verbs so it's easy to read. Save the minute description of responsibilities for the job interview—most job seekers are skimming job ads, so don't make them read a novel to get all the pertinent information. At the same time, don't try to hide any negative aspects of the job. If the position has on-call or overtime requirements, say so. If the job involves frequent travel to other locations or client sites, include the requirements in the description. Being upfront about the less appealing aspects of the role will help you find candidates who are comfortable with all of the requirements and avoid any negative feelings down the road. The last thing you want is to have a new hire who's unhappy with the scope of the work or who leaves soon after starting because they feel the job was misrepresented.
Finally, sell your job. Include any perks or benefits that will make the job more attractive to potential applicants. This could be anything from a competitive salary to flexible work options, vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or an outstanding work culture. Highlight anything that sets your company apart from other employers!
Use Industry-Specific Job Boards. . .
Are you relying on the same generic job boards for technical talent that you use for every other job posting your company needs? If so, you're likely missing out on a highly qualified candidate pool. Not all job boards are the same, and while some may be great places to find customer service representatives or warehouse professionals, they don't attract as many job seekers who are looking for cyber security, database administration, or DevOps jobs. Don't restrict yourself to the same old candidate pool, and instead post your tech job listings on industry-specific tech job boards like Dice, Tech Careers, AngelList, Stack Overflow, Whitetruffle, or Hired.
. . .But Don't Rely on Job Boards Alone
If you're looking for a particularly specialized or rare skill set (or you just aren't getting the results you want), you may not be able to simply post an ad and wait for candidates to come to you. Use offline recruitment methods— sign up for tech events, industry-specific conferences, and job fairs that are technology focused. You can also start a returnship program to connect with experienced IT professionals who have been out of the workforce for an extended period. These programs are a great way to help professionals get back to work and get access to an excellent (and often untapped) talent pool.
If the job doesn't demand a highly experienced professional or if you are able to train, give more entry-level candidates a chance. Attend college job fairs, offer paid internships with the potential for hire, and focus on actual skills instead of a flashy resume. Some of the best IT professionals are new to the workforce or don't have fancy degrees, so don't overlook talented individuals who are just starting their career journeys, are self-taught, or who have gained their experience through a non-traditional education program.
Put your social media pages to work for you. This goes beyond just posting your job on relevant social media platforms and instead actively looking for opportunities to network! Join groups and forums where tech professionals frequent, start conversations, and make connections. Practice long-term relationship building and personalized outreach as part of an established workforce hiring strategy that will help you not only find the right person for the job but also build a professional network of potential candidates for future positions.
Don't be afraid to get creative and use less conventional websites to source tech talent. Try scrolling through websites like Goodreads, Quora, or Reddit. Search topics related to the job title you're looking to hire for and spend some time reading the reviews, discussions, or answer sections. You'll usually be able to differentiate quickly between those with only general knowledge and those who are experts based on the quality of the content. Follow or friend potential candidates and see if they provide contact information or a link to their website in their profile so you can reach out to them directly.
Work with an IT Staffing Agency
Finding the best tech talent isn't easy. It takes a lot of work to not only find outstanding IT professionals but also verify they really have the required skill set and will be a good fit for your company culture. The more specialized or in-demand the skill set is, the more time and resources you'll have to devote to finding and attracting your perfect candidate. Unless you're an internal recruiter and hiring is your whole job, you probably have plenty of other responsibilities and high priority tasks that are demanding your attention. That's where an IT staffing agency comes in.
An experienced IT recruiter will know exactly who to target and which channels to use, so you don't waste any of your valuable time with unqualified candidates. They'll know how to identify the most talented tech professionals and promote your job opening to the right candidate pool. A professional IT recruiter is an expert in networking and has built a talent pipeline of the best professionals in the field, including many passive candidates who aren't actively looking for work. Plus, they can help you screen candidates and give honest feedback about who is worth bringing on board.
By partnering with a dedicated IT staffing agency, you'll be able to fill positions much faster and find the best IT professionals in the business. With their help, you'll get the right people on board—quickly, efficiently, and at the right cost—so you can focus on the work you do best.
Get Referrals from Your Existing IT Team
Your current IT employees can be a great asset when it comes to finding new team members, and employee referrals are an excellent way to meet candidates who understand your company's vision and work well with your team. Your employees can offer valuable insights into the type of person you should hire, and they often have contacts in their own networks who may be interested in the position. Plus, having a referral from someone is usually enough for many potential candidates to take your job offer seriously. Your current employees probably know what skill set and personality their department needs even better than you do, so take advantage of their input and advice when starting your candidate search and making hiring decisions.
Know What the Best Tech Talent Wants
Technology professionals are in high demand, and they know it. To get the best IT talent, you need to understand their motivations and offer them a job that meets their expectations. This means offering competitive salaries, good benefits like health insurance and flexible hours, performance-based bonuses, and the chance for professional development through training courses or certifications. Furthermore, give prospective candidates a glimpse into your team culture and emphasize the company's vision and the values that make it unique. This will help attract prospective talent who's looking for more than just a job and is seeking opportunities to grow their skills, work with cutting-edge technology, or be part of a team that shares their same values.
If you're not sure why tech candidates are turning down your job offers (or not applying to your job in the first place), talk to your IT recruiter. They are experts in the tech job market and talk to technology professionals every day. They can advise you on the salary rates, benefits, and other incentives that will make your job more competitive, identify missing elements in your job description, or recommend changes to your company culture to help you engage candidates and attract the best tech talent.
Be Open to Flexible Work Options
Now more than ever, many IT professionals prefer the flexibility that remote work offers. Instead of limiting your candidate pool to local candidates or those who can relocate, consider expanding your search to include people from other cities or countries. Many IT positions can be done remotely, and being more flexible in your work options will give you access to a larger pool of candidates with the right skill set. Additionally, your job will be a lot more attractive to potential candidates, and they will be more likely to choose your offer over a competitor's that requires them to make a long commute to a cubicle every day.
Build Your Brand
Brand recognition can be a powerful tool when it comes to recruiting tech professionals. This means having an active presence on social media and job boards, attending industry events and conferences, participating in hackathons or coding competitions, and being active in relevant online communities. The more potential employees know about your company and the projects that you're working on, the better chance you have of getting their attention and attracting them to your job postings.
Pay attention to your company culture and reputation as well. Tech professionals are looking for opportunities that allow them to work in a welcoming, collaborative environment and with the latest technologies. Investing time in team-building activities, offering additional learning opportunities, or providing flexible hours can help you build a better culture and ultimately attract more talent. You want to make sure you have positive reviews from employees on websites like Glassdoor and Google and that your current employees are effective brand ambassadors. To achieve this, communicate regularly with your employees to identify and address issues and create a professional environment that is both productive and welcoming while also being an exciting place to work.
By building your brand, you can set your company up for future growth and encourage more technical talent to come to you instead of always having to search for them.
Ask Good Interview Questions
When interviewing candidates, don't just ask traditional interview questions. Utilize technical questions to verify their knowledge base and behavioral questions to get a better understanding of their personality, soft skills, and cultural fit. If IT isn't your area of expertise, consult with your IT recruiter or your current IT team to help you come up with appropriate screening questions. Ask your current IT employees to meet with a potential team member or participate in the interview process so they can give their opinion on the candidate's skills and fit. You'll be more likely to identify true tech talent if you ask questions that get to the heart of the candidate's experience and abilities, rather than generic questions that will get you generic answers.
Use Skill Tests or Alternative Interview Methods
The traditional job interview has its limitations when it comes to really assessing whether a candidate is the right fit for your new position. That's why many companies are turning to alternative interview methods, like giving candidates small assignments or skills tests to complete during their job interview, or using behavioral interviewing or predictive hiring technology to assess whether they will be successful in the role. These methods can offer a window into the candidate's job performance and show how they will handle projects or challenging problems while verifying they have the necessary technical skills and experience to succeed.
Consider Temp-to-Hire Roles
If you've had trouble finding the right fit in the past, consider using a temp-to-hire role to differentiate tech talent from tech jargon. This hiring model can be a great way to test out a potential candidate before making a long-term commitment. This type of arrangement allows you to bring in an IT professional on a contract basis and have them work with your team for several weeks or months before deciding whether they’re the right fit. It also gives them an opportunity to get a better feel for the job and make sure it’s right for them. By giving both you and the candidate time to assess each other, you'll be able to make an informed and confident hiring decision.
Streamline the Hiring Process
If you're losing candidates before you even make an offer, you may need to make some changes to your hiring process. Make sure you respond promptly to job applications and have a process for quickly screening, interviewing, and onboarding new employees. This means having clear communication between hiring managers or departments and setting measurable timelines so that nothing falls through the cracks. Avoid multiple rounds of testing and interviews that will exhaust even the best candidates. Keep in mind that the more people you require to sign off on a hiring decision, the longer the process will take, and you may lose the candidate if you take too long. Slim down your recruitment team so only the necessary parties are involved in decision-making, and be sure to communicate with the candidate at every stage so they know you are still interested in them. By streamlining your recruiting process, you can avoid losing your best tech talent before you have a chance to hire them.
Find the Best Tech Candidates
Finding tech talent will take time and effort, but following these tips can help you attract and identify the best IT professionals for your team, even if your hiring managers aren't tech professionals themselves. And don't forget to partner with a top IT staffing agency like redShift Recruiting if you need help sourcing tech talent or just want to let the experts do the heavy lifting. With the right strategies in place, you can find the top tech talent that will help your business grow and succeed!
Article Author:
Ashley Meyer
Divisional Business Coordinator
Albany, NY