Put yourself in the position of a highly skilled software engineer. If you received over 80 generic emails in a single day from would-be employers, would you read them all?
Would you read any of them?
Agile, the IT staffing company, conducted an informal study on a candidate’s experience when posting a resume to job boards. This type of overwhelming and impersonal response is common.
It’s also the reason Agile performs a separate annual survey of software engineers. The agency’s research — which includes information from hundreds of job seekers, placed candidates, and contract workers — provides a detailed understanding of the talent market.
The survey helps Agile know:
Justin Ellis, recruiting manager for Agile, shares some of the strategies that have come out of this survey and the company’s experience. As your business seeks new ways to identify and engage talent, consider using these approaches or working with our IT recruiting firm.
A list of where to find developers has to include LinkedIn Recruiter. The platform gives insights into over 700 million professionals, provides advanced search filters, and recommends matches to criteria, even when people aren’t searching for a job.
However, there are a few drawbacks:
Ellis says, “Everyone who’s serious about hiring for their company is using LinkedIn Recruiter, but having access isn’t enough. You have to be able to target the right people with the right messaging.”
He adds that software engineers who put their private information on LinkedIn, such as their phone number, typically get spammed with offers.
“It’s our job to stand out so that high-quality professionals seriously consider the opportunity.”
Thinking about where to find developers? Companies and staffing agencies commonly use job boards to post positions and collect resumes.
Not every website offers the same value, however. Ellis says it’s important to identify the job board that aligns with an employer’s needs.
“For example, you typically see software engineers looking at Dice. A site like Career Builder can be hit or miss for software engineers but useful for support and help desk positions.”
Other websites allow you to share job postings but are less suitable for finding candidate resumes.
“Agile’s annual survey allows us to identify job boards that are growing in popularity,” Ellis states. “It lets us know if we’re overlooking or overusing a source so we can pivot to the best options quickly.”
Let’s say your company is in the final stages of hiring a developer. This is an excellent time to ask that candidate about other people you should recruit.
This type of arrangement is great because it connects you to prospective hires through a solid referral. Also, it gives your new developer a chance to work with someone they already know and like.
Businesses can use the same technique with current employees and with their broader network. It can be more effective than trying to recruit and vet candidates without a preexisting relationship.
“As a specialized staffing agency,” Ellis says, “Agile has connections to thousands of IT professionals nationwide. We incentivize referrals from current candidates as well as people we’ve already helped get hired.”
Software engineers might respond to a great-fit opportunity, but they don’t want to be hounded by recruiters who don’t know their interests, capabilities, experience, or geographic requirements.
To avoid inbox inundation, many developers don’t use career websites or job boards. So, where to find developers when they aren’t actively searching?
“The tech professionals you hire should already be interested in growing their skills and demonstrating their expertise,” says Ellis. “There are a variety of online communities where they can do this, and recruiters can use these sites to connect with them.”
Some examples include:
This approach only works if your technology recruiters understand the job opportunity and the technology very well. Spamming a JavaScript developer with a position working in Java — a completely different language — isn’t a path to success.
“Good recruiters look at what prospective candidates have done in these communities,” Ellis states. “When they reach out, they show their understanding of what the developer does and position the opportunity as a natural fit. That’s how you recruit someone who isn’t in the market for a new job.”
Both virtual and in-person events can help your company reach candidates. The opportunities range in audience size, from local industry groups to large conferences.
Employers can:
“Our agency is a co-organizer of the JavaScript Alpharetta Meetup Group,” says Ellis. “Planning events and offering space lets us connect with developers. It also keeps our recruiters up-to-date on technical skills, helping us target the right people for open positions.”
No single resource is likely to provide your company with all of the candidates it needs. Professionals in varying roles, levels of seniority, and skill areas will respond to the websites, tools, and tactics we’ve covered.
A good first step is planning out the talent that your business requires now and what it may require in the future. Revisit this plan frequently, adjusting it based on employee performance and changes to project scope. This will lead you to the best resources for recruiting.
Along with your internal plan and staffing efforts, consider working with a technology recruiting firm like Agile. A dedicated provider will ensure that your company has the team you need when you need it.
May 23, 2022