Hiring technical folks for technical jobs can be a chore. After scouring through tons of hiring platforms, looking for that perfect fit can be nerve-wracking. Recruiters have hard days because of this. But even after finding that unicorn, that elusive talent, netting this person is difficult. This person has to like the job profile, the pay, the benefits, and the job have to fit into their future aspirations.
Recruiters cannot convince nor confuse the candidate. They have to present the facts. It is up to the candidate to take the call. Take it or leave it is not the motto; take it or reconsider taking it if you don’t want it seems to be the tempo. Recruiters are finding it hard to keep up with the demand-supply imbalance. Compounding the issue is that organizations only want the crème, and the crème is very little.
Why is hiring tech talent a challenging affair?
Although there could be scores of candidates, all of them might not be qualified. Then there is the issue of fake profiles. Some candidates want to fake it till they make it. They have fake degrees and fake credentials. Recruiters have to weed such people out. Several others have valid credentials but fake their experience. They list technologies that they don’t know or have not worked.
A Gartner report revealed that a talent shortage is why organizations are not adopting new technologies. A majority of them are still stuck with legacy applications and technologies. They are unable to move to newer technological paradigms because of resource constraints. The resources are unavailable, or even if they are, the cost of procuring them is astronomical.
As per Korn Ferry’s insights, by 2030, more than 80 million jobs would have no takers. That’s a huge opportunity loss for the candidates and the companies. Companies need people to build their products and services. But with no proper people around, plans for expansion or new product development will have to wait. Some plans might need to get into plan Bs and plan Cs.
- Competition is tight
High-skilled talent is scarce, and scarcity increases inflation. Now that’s economic speak, but scarcity increases compensation inflation when it comes to hiring talent. The higher a company offers, the better is the bait. The candidate will move to that company for the money and benefits. Many companies may not have the budget for this.
- Changing market dynamics
Tech is always evolving. Recruiters need to update themselves on the latest tech happenings constantly. They have to understand the technicalities behind a role and be able to ask the candidate the right questions. New shiny technology emerges each day, and not all recruiters can play catch up. They have to take time out to understand what it takes to be such a candidate and then work with such a candidate from the first call to the interview letter to the offer.
- The emerging gig economy
Many technical folks are opting to do freelance remote work. They are working for international tech companies remotely. They are sometimes doing multiple jobs because they have the freedom to do so as freelancers. And in the process, they are making more money than they would if they were in a job. The gig economy is vast and evolving, especially in IT and software development. Software developers are enticed by the prospects of working for high-end tech companies on new technologies and get paid well. Companies that want to get such candidates have to do something better than what the gig companies are doing.
What are the 7 Considerations When Hiring and Recruiting for Tech Jobs?
- Identify the hiring needs
A hiring needs analysis opens up many truths. The recruiter gets an understanding of the perfect fit for a job role. The recruiter also understands the second-best fit and third-best fit for such roles. This way, the recruiter can make decisions regarding hiring. Hiring needs analysis is also a continuous activity. Data is generated periodically to understand candidates’ wish lists, their aspirations, the technologies they savor, etc.
Hiring needs also generate valuable behavioral data points. The right behavior to demonstrate at an organization is critical for success. Depending on the score generated in such psychometric tests, candidates can be qualified for certain projects. Some projects demand more timeliness, punctuality, and collaboration, while some can accommodate the lone wolves. So, recruiters can make decisions based on such data.
- Proper job description
A tech candidate is repelled as much by a bad job description as a bad offer. A bad job description does not have complete details, does not list the technologies, and has no structure or information on the company, its products, mission, and vision. So, a recruiter’s task is cut out in this regard. Preparing a proper job description is of paramount importance. The job description should have the job title of the role, company information, work location, work type, qualifications desired, daily responsibilities, salary and benefits, vacation, etc.
It’s upon the recruiter to present the company attractively. Companies employ various means for presenting a job posting. They could use interactive images and videos or use good words and make it exciting and comfortable for the reader reading the JD.
- Skills test
Getting a candidate to read a JD is a win. Getting them to apply is even better. But many candidates are not a fit for the role. Recruiters might waste a lot of time weeding out such candidates. A better way is to direct all candidates through a screening process. This skills test will separate the best from the rest. Studies by the US Department of Labor show that a bad hire can cost more to the company than the hire’s cost.
Pre-employment assessments are an effective and innovative way to ensure that only the right candidates are let in. It saves the organization from dealing with a variety of issues. The technical assessments also help an organization understand the mindset of the candidate. Those who willfully and dutifully take up assessments and complete them professionally are likely to do well in large projects.
- Technical Interviews
After pre-employment assessments, the project management test and technical interviews are other layers of vetting. These interviews help assess a candidate’s technical skills. They help the organization determine the candidate’s reasoning, critical thinking, numerical ability, and general cognitive ability. One of the other aspects of technical interviews is that it helps assess the problem-solving capability of the candidate. Problem-solving is one of the most important aspects of working in a collaborative team environment. Technical interviews have to be taken by a mix of project management, program management, technical management, and human resource representatives. The interviews should test a candidate’s all-around ability and not just technical savvy-ness or cognitive skills alone.
- Using popular job boards
There are many job boards out there, but some job boards are more popular than others. So using these job boards is important. But mere using won’t get the candidates. There are best practices for using these job boards. Recruiters have to not only learn about them, but improve upon them. The job boards or job sites have tips and tricks for recruiters on many aspects of hiring. All of these have to be used to good effect. Remember that posting a job requirement on such a job site won’t automatically get views. There is a degree of passing around of the information and passive marketing that needs to be done. The site’s facilities to increase views and visibility of the job postings have to be used.
- Using HR metrics
Data is generated not only from an organization’s recruiting methodologies and processes but also from other companies. Some of this data is shared by companies with each other. At the same time, some data is also captured by independent market research companies that publish them for free or for a cost. Using such HR metrics is helpful for recruiters. The data can be interpreted to derive many types of insights. One of them is the technologies being favored by candidates. The number of qualified versus unqualified candidates for a skill set. Current supply-demand elasticity and so on.
- Don’t prioritize quantity
Sometimes recruiters are tempted to hire in bulk, forgoing the HR principles of quality over quantity. This principle must be maintained irrespective of the project requirements and their urgency. It has to be done even if it means waiting for several months for the right candidate. As much as it is for the outside world, this hold’s good for recruiters, too – better to be safe than sorry.
Conclusion
Hiring and recruiting for tech jobs can be challenging. But with the right strategies and techniques, it can become manageable and start rolling more. After the hiring process is completed, companies can use performance appraisal software to understand their staff, increase their engagement, and create a rewarding work environment.
EDTECH 4 BEGINNERS 
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