Finding top engineering talent is a significant challenge for tech companies. With the war for talent fiercer, recruiters must rethink their strategies and think outside the box.
This includes leveraging social media platforms to find talented candidates. Additionally, companies should focus on offering perks that attract engineering specialists, such as flexible work schedules and encouragement to take PTO.
Look Beyond Traditional Resumes and Keywords
A successful recruiter will find tech talent they have vetted somehow, whether through an employee referral or social media channels. This means that the candidate will already be more than a resume or keywords and has been positively evaluated by someone else in the industry.
For the candidate, this means using a clean and straightforward layout on your resume that clearly labels sections such as “Summary,” “Education,” and “Experience.” It’s also important to be clear about what hard skills you possess and use in the “Skills” section rather than relying solely on a generic list of standard software engineering terms.
Additionally, it’s essential to demonstrate your impact on cost, productivity, revenue, and efficiency through metrics in the “Work Experience” section. This will impress your recruiter and show that you’re not just another resume in a sea of others. Finally, social responsibility has become a significant factor for many engineers who want to align their values with the company culture.
Focus on Experience
As tech experts, software engineers are used to coding and learning new technologies. But what sets them apart is their long work experience and proven success. This makes it crucial that recruiters focus on a candidate’s professional history.
During the interview, recruiters should ask candidates to discuss their key accomplishments and technical prowess. It’s also a good idea to ask candidates about their side projects and how they keep up with the latest technological developments. This shows a candidate’s passion for the industry and demonstrates that they are proactive about learning new things.
Many software engineering recruiters also look at how candidates contribute to open-source projects. This is a great way to see how they work in teams and how their problem-solving skills are developed.
Finally, it’s important to remember that most tech talent is passive, meaning they don’t actively search for jobs. However, this doesn’t mean they’re unwilling to move if the right opportunity comes. Studies show that passive candidates are 120% more likely to impact a company positively.
Hire a Recruiter
Many software engineers have bad experiences with recruiters, who may need to be more helpful or helpful. However, there are great recruiters out there who understand tech talent and know how to find the right people for the job. These recruiting professionals can save you time and effort by screening candidates for you, interviewing them, and providing you with a shortlist of qualified applicants.
Hiring a recruiter may cost you more than doing the work yourself, but it may be worth it in the long run, as a skilled recruiter can help you find a better candidate more quickly and efficiently. Additionally, a recruiter often has a much larger talent network than you do and can be a valuable resource for finding the best candidates for your open positions.
Employing a recruiter also allows you to keep your current staff focused on the day-to-day tasks of running your business instead of having them spend too much time searching for candidates.
Be Flexible
Recruiting software engineers can be time-consuming and stressful, especially if you’re looking for high-level talent. But it’s essential to be flexible when hiring to ensure you find the best talent for your company.
Rather than focusing solely on resumes and keywords, you should consider the unique qualities that software engineering candidates bring to your team. These may include experience with SaaS, an entrepreneurial spirit, or a DevOps mindset. Moreover, you should also pay attention to your company’s culture and benefits when recruiting software engineers. These can include a competitive salary, perks like free snacks or gym memberships, flexible working options, and tuition reimbursement.
It’s also important to be flexible when removing requirements in your job ad. For example, suppose you’re seeking a software engineer with an alternative credential. In that case, you might consider offering an immersive training program at your company or starting a returnship program that connects with experienced IT professionals who have been out of the workforce for a while.
Go Direct
Search to filter through job boards, career sites, ATS or CRM candidate databases, and Google searches; recruiters are finding new ways to source passive software engineering candidates. This includes SEO solutions that make it easier to find candidates through social media, email address lookup tools, and other sourcing technologies.
Nontraditional ways to source software engineers include coding boot camps and professional societies. In addition, tech recruiting firms often partner with coding schools to offer students apprenticeships and other internship opportunities.
Software engineers require a company culture that inspires their creativity. For example, a flexible work variant or encouragement to take PTO is essential. Asking potential candidates what they want from a role helps recruiters find the right fit. Finally, a great way to test an engineer’s skills is to ask them to write a programming challenge or design a mockup. This will help recruiters gauge if they’re the right fit for the team and culture.