At the turn of the 21st century, the tech industry boomed, and the reliance on technology in all other industries saw rapid growth. Fast forward to the present: everyone realizes that hiring tech talent to develop and regulate the technology we depend upon daily has become an essential business imperative.
As a result, the demand for developers and programmers has become rampant. Those with a penchant for coding are currently scarce commodities in the job market. This puts even more pressure on filling those tech vacancies. The ball is very much in their court, and companies are left to duke it out and compete for the best candidates. But what can you do to make your company the more attractive choice for computer geniuses?
How to Recruit Like Top Tech Companies
Here are the top ways to successfully recruit the best tech talent:
1. Organize Tech Events
Leading tech companies regularly host tech events to attract and recruit top tech talent. These are not your standard career fairs. That is because the best of the best in the tech field aren't interested in just finding any old job. The best tech recruits are looking to be challenged, showcase their skills, network with the tech community, and learn more about what's happening in the industry today.
Thus throwing a great tech event will involve catering to all these needs. This will make it an unmissable experience for potential tech recruits. Typical activities at a tech event include coding challenges, workshops and boot camps, hackathons, tech demos, and social meetups.
Don't forget to promote your company's benefits in a presentation and give out company-branded merchandise and other cool parting gifts inside a complimentary swag bag.
2. Implement an Employee Referral Scheme
A common practice amongst top tech companies is to implement an employee referral scheme. This scheme is a way to utilize your workforce's network to search for sought-after talent. Tech giant Google is one company amongst many that champion employee referral schemes. In fact, their own findings indicated that referrals tend to make the best hires.
Companies generally offer an incentive for good referrals that are eventually hired. This is a gesture of appreciation and typically comes in the form of a cash bonus – money saved from all the expenses involved with a normal recruitment process.
However, Google's research suggested that, surprisingly, money was not the best motivator to obtain referrals. Instead, it was found that nudging their employees by consistent and specific reminders of open positions at the company was a key strategy.
Employees would be asked direct questions such as:
- Do you know a great data scientist in California?
- Who is the best software engineer you have ever worked with?
In addition to this, they would hold "sourcing jams," where a group of around 25 employees would sift through their LinkedIn and Facebook connections to source potential candidates. The results would then be forwarded to a recruiter on standby who would immediately take action.
It is also important to stress that employee engagement and providing a pleasant work environment is the highest influencing factor in motivating employees to make referrals. Employees are more likely and will happily make referrals if they themselves enjoy working at the company.
3. Reduce Time to Hire
Top techies are hard to come by, so if you don't snatch them up as soon as possible - somebody else will! Avoid letting coveted programmers slip from your grasp by reducing the time to hire. Fast-track the application process using a reliable ATS system and shorten interview stages.
Having an overly drawn-out recruitment process puts your company at a competitive disadvantage. So, if you are experiencing high dropout rates during your recruitment phases, then it is time for an overhaul.
4. Give an Excellent Candidate Experience
Shortening the recruitment process can also improve candidate experience, as interactions will be more frequent, and decisions are made quicker. However, there are various other strategies you should be implementing to make a great impression on potential tech recruits.
Research has shown that many top-tier tech talents tend to base their decision on whether to accept a job offer based on their experience during interviews. So, providing a great interview could be the turning point that seals the deal for a candidate.
The best programmers likely have multiple companies vying for their attention simultaneously. Therefore, you must pull out the big guns and make your candidate experience strategies targeted and personal.
Some great ideas include:
- Giving them a virtual or in-person tour of the workplace
- Introducing them to their potential colleagues and bosses
- Inviting them to a business lunch
Keep track of your candidate experience efforts when hiring tech talent by encouraging responses to feedback forms. Ratings will also help you to gain insight into areas that need improvement. Providing an enjoyable candidate experience improves the company brand overall, and candidates are likely to spread the word and sing praises about their time to friends, family, and online reviews.
5. Promote Your Perks
Advertising quite clearly the perks you offer for jobs is a great way to attract more applications and make your company stand out from the crowd. It's not just what employees can do for you, but what you can do for them! Give them an offer they can't refuse and show them that your company values and rewards their workers.
Perks aren't just to bribe candidates; they can also be a reflection of the company culture and values. Examples include:
- Off-site events – remote working is extremely common in tech-related jobs and is often preferred. In addition to ensuring that you have the technological abilities to facilitate the smooth functioning of daily tasks, you need to ensure that remote workers aren't forgotten. It can be isolating at times for IT whizz kids to work from home. So, letting them know right off the bat that there will be frequent off-site events to bring teams together will make candidates feel they will still have opportunities to mingle with their co-workers.
- Subsidized learning – research has shown that career development is one of the most important goals for those in the IT field. This is no surprise, as the most dedicated IT professionals usually want to keep up to date with the latest advancements in the rapidly changing world of tech. By offering paid training courses or supporting higher education and learning, you are showing that you are invested in your employees and their personal growth matters.
- Generous healthcare packages– healthcare is also a main concern amongst the average tech candidate, as it is for all Americans. Offering a generous healthcare package tells candidates that their health and fitness are a priority.
- Paid time off during the day – although it may seem counterintuitive, this benefit has been proven to increase productivity. The autonomy also makes employees feel trusted, and loyalty is also bolstered. Tech jobs often require long hours staring at computer screens, so breaks are highly recommended and appreciated by coders.
Details of the benefits package on offer should be included in your job postings, and the better the benefits, the more enticing it will be for prospective candidates. You should also draw attention to the benefits available on your company website and advertise them well with pictures and testimonials.
Hiring tech talent is a major challenge every HR department faces, and the skills shortage in the job market does not alleviate the situation. Top programmers are inundated with job offers on a regular basis. Therefore, company branding and awareness can play a huge part in attracting and persuading top tech talent to choose to work for you.
Contact Talenteria today for more information on how we can assist you in optimizing your careers page to boost candidate engagement. For more top tips to improve your recruiting processes, check out our other articles!
