So You Want To Hire A Developer?
So you want to hire a developer? Guess what…. You’re not alone! Whenever a developer who has good technical skills, good soft skills and an appreciation for best practice shows interest in the market, it’s a sure bet that he/she will not struggle to secure multiple interviews in a market that is driven by the candidate.
One thing that I feel is constantly overlooked by both recruiters and companies looking to hire is the process that developers have to go through to secure a role. Facebook/Google aside, it is often those with the best process that will secure the strongest talent in the market! Below I have listed 5 key points to consider when looking to attract and secure the best developers:
Good developers are tough to find, so if you find someone you like, there is strong possibility that your direct competition (not to mention other companies hiring developers) will also want them. As obvious as it sounds please don’t ever forget the importance of a fast turn-around and a swift process or you will run the risk of losing the candidate. Please be thorough in your process, but let’s not be anal (or non-responsive!)
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Technical Test? Make it relevant!
Is it wrong to get developers to do a coding exercise at home/onsite… quite the contrary, after all it’s what you’re employing them to do, however use this opportunity to sell your business and give them better insight into the role. Get them to do something that is unique to the job they are interviewing for/technology they will be using. Let’s excite them about the prospect of working on your platforms and get them motivated to do a good job. Nobody wants to do a test that is either generic or holds no relevance!
P.S – if they spend 3-4 hours on a technical test please make sure they get feedback. Not only is it the decent thing to do but importantly it reflects well on you, which will no doubt be discussed in the technical community.
Oh wait… you didn’t speak to them before issuing a technical test?! Shame on you. Before any test is issued, speak to them. There’s a chance you may not like the person so you can save everyone’s time. Although it might be a time consuming let’s not forget this developer has 5 technical assignments to complete (equating to a days’ worth of coding). Let’s make your technical assignment their preference.
Irrelevant of how good they are, tell them what they need to hear not what they want to hear. This is the recruiter’s job to make sure their expectations align with the job/environment in the first place but it’s your job as the employer to explore this, making sure you manage expectations. Otherwise, make sure you have an exceptional rebate structure!
So, they tick all the boxes for you technically and you think they will be the life and the soul of the Christmas party. Don’t play ‘hard to get’ and say “there’s other people in process” or “you need to see more people”. Most importantly, don’t under any circumstances try and under offer the candidate to save a little bit of money!
DO show them round the office, introduce them to the team/key influencers in the business and if they warrant it, offer them what they want the first time with no delay.
