Despite recent tech layoffs, the very best tech and software talent is still in high demand. One reason being the incredibly unique and valuable technical skills and talent required in many industries like manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, and more.
Because of the high demand and competition for the very best of the best tech talent out there, it may spell trouble for your company to fill its most critical tech positions.
The good news? There are proactive measures you can take to improve your tech talent recruitment and attract the best talent pool to your growing business.
Here are our eight top strategies for boosting your tech talent recruitment efforts.
1. Make Hiring Decisions Quickly and Strategically
While you certainly don't want to rush into a hiring decision (especially when recruiting for a skilled tech role), leaving your job seekers in limbo can also be problematic.
Many of the skilled tech candidates you're interviewing have already gone through interviews with other companies — and there's a pretty good chance they may already have job offers pending. They may be "shopping around" to find the right fit, and a lengthy hiring process can be a huge turn-off.
If some of your best candidates drop out of the process because they've accepted roles elsewhere, you're left with second and third-choice candidates — which doesn't bode well if you want the best tech talent in the industry.
Remember: Top tech talent is in high demand.
When you make faster hiring decisions, you can also potentially lower your hiring costs by getting job offers accepted before you end up in a bidding war with another company.
2. Be Transparent Throughout the Hiring Process
This point ties directly with the first, and it's just as equally important if you want to secure the very best talent.
There's no reason to keep things vague during your screening and interview process: Top tech talent will actually look at your company more positively if you're as clear as possible about what to expect during the interview and hiring process.
This means taking the time to let applicants know how many rounds of interviews to expect and what kinds of skill sets and assessments may be involved.
It also means following up with prospective talent when you say you will. This level of transparency and open communication can build trust between your company and prospective candidates while improving the overall candidate experience. This, in turn, can make your company more attractive to potential candidates.
3. Build a Positive Work Culture
Strong company culture is more important today than ever — and this remains true in both tech and non-tech jobs. A study by MIT Sloan Management Review finds that negative or toxic workplace culture was the single best predictor of employee attrition and turnover in 2021 alone.
If your company has a reputation for being an unpleasant place to work, you'll have a hard time recruiting tech talent (and keeping them around).
So, what are some steps your organization can take to build a more positive work culture?
Start by focusing on policy changes that will improve the work-life balance of your employees, as this seems to be one of the most important aspects of a positive employer brand among today's workers (especially following the pandemic).
If there's a way to allow your employees to work from home on occasion or enjoy other on-the-job perks (like a free gym), these seemingly small benefits can go a long way.
Of course, work culture isn't just about the tangible things you can offer your employees. It's also about fostering open communication and transparency while celebrating diversity within the workplace.
In simplest terms, think about what you would look for in an employer — then aim to reflect those qualities within your company.
4. Offer Competitive Compensation Benefits Tech Talent Cares About
The best tech prospects out there likely know that recruiting competition is fierce. They know what they're worth and are more willing to hold out for the "perfect" job offer.
In fact, according to research by The Economic Times, the average job acceptance rate for such common tech roles as data scientists and front-end engineers has fallen from 80% to just 50% in 2022.
When was the last time you revisited the compensation and benefits packages you're extending to prospective tech talent?
If it's been a while (or if you're having a hard time getting candidates to accept your offers), then it's time to dig deeper. Take some time to research how much your closest competitors offer their tech employees and what benefits they include. Then, find ways to do better.
5. Attend Industry Events
Industry events, including tech conferences and trade shows, can be great opportunities to meet and network with prospective talent.
You might consider having hiring managers or members of your HR team posted at your company's booth to speak with tech professionals who may be looking for work. Depending on how proactive you want to be here, you could even set aside a small area of your display to hold on-the-spot interviews.
At the very least, tech industry events can help you strike up new relationships with people in the field. And because successful recruiting efforts are all about who you know, these connections could lead you to your next great candidate.
Even if you don't meet somebody at an event who is directly looking for tech work, you might talk with a connection who is.
Not sure where to begin when it comes to this year's biggest tech conferences and events? You can explore a more comprehensive list here, but some top conferences and summits for 2023 include:
- Mobile World Congress (February)
- CloudFest (March)
- RSA Conference (April)
- London Tech Week (June)
- AI & Big Data Expo World Series (September)
- Web Summit (November)
(Even if these events have passed by the time you read this, don't worry; these are annual conferences, so you can be on the lookout for next year's round.)
6. Use a Recruiting Agency That Specializes in Tech
If your business is growing and you need help filling open tech roles, you may consider using a recruiting agency to help. A recruiting agency can take a lot of the time and hassle out of the hiring process, handling everything from creating (and promoting) job listings to conducting interviews and negotiating offers.
It's no wonder that 99% of today's Fortune 500 companies are using some form of recruitment and applicant tracking software (ATS).
To maximize your chances of finding the right tech candidate while minimizing the amount of time it takes to do so, your business will want to work specifically with a recruitment agency that specializes in tech.
This way, you can rest assured that the tech recruiters working for you truly understand the industry, its unique challenges, and the nuances that go into finding the best talent for the job.
At Hunt Club, we know what it takes to recruit the best tech teams to keep your business growing and thriving — and we understand that today's best tech talent can be more difficult to recruit than ever before. That's why we put our innovative and tech-driven talent acquisition services to work for you, sourcing industry leaders who can maximize your output and bring the best innovations to your company.
Learn more about how Hunt Club can help you construct a powerhouse engineering team.
7. Offer Opportunities For Growth and Development
Nobody wants to find themselves in a dead-end job — especially tech candidates, who have already put a lot of time and effort into their unique education and training.
In addition to honing in on your compensation and benefits package, it's also important to focus on what you have to offer your tech talent once they're onboard.
For many tech professionals, this will mean providing real opportunities for advancement and growth within your company. Otherwise, your talent may feel stagnant in their roles at some point and explore other job opportunities, leaving you back at square one.
In a 2021 hiring report by Monster, 45% of job candidates reported being more likely to stay at a job if they were offered more training. Not only do employee development programs help employers improve retention, but they also boost productivity and help workers achieve their full potential.
So, what does investing in employee growth and development look like in a tech position? Start by considering what kinds of technical skills and advancement opportunities your tech talent would be most interested in pursuing (hint: you can start by surveying your current tech teams).
Perhaps you hire a lot of tech professionals with bachelors’ degrees and could launch an initiative to reimburse employees pursuing a Master's degree in technology — or maybe you could offer opportunities for employees to learn more advanced and innovative coding languages, like Arduino and Raspberry Pi.
8. Invest in College Campus Recruitment Efforts
College campuses — especially those with robust technology programs — are excellent sources of potential candidates for tech companies.
Whether you're looking to hire software engineers, software developers, or other tech team members, college graduates (and soon-to-be graduates) tend to be the most open-minded about their job opportunities because they are just entering the workforce.
Research nearby colleges and universities that offer tech programs, then work to form meaningful partnerships with them. Check to see whether any of these schools offer career fairs throughout the academic year.
If so, consider setting up a booth at a college career fair to establish relationships with potential talent at an opportune time. If you're actively hiring during one of these events, you might even consider accepting applications or offering on-the-spot interviews.
In addition to attending career fairs, your company can also benefit from sending a current tech employee or another team member to speak to individual capstone classes at local tech schools. Even if you aren't actively recruiting during these visits, this can still be a great way to establish your business as a great place for new hires to work while building relationships with potential talent later on.
Even offering internships for current tech students can go a long way in recruiting tech talent.
Hire Top Tech Candidates With Hunt Club
At Hunt Club, we understand the unique challenges of recruiting in the tech industry. We know that finding tech applicants with solid technical acumen and a strong aptitude for execution is difficult — and that getting a job offer accepted in today's market can be even more difficult.
We find success in tech recruitment by taking a different approach to the entire process. Using our innovative and tech-driven network recruiting model, we have access to more than eight million uniquely-qualified candidates and leverage automation to help you find the exact right person for the job.
Whether you're looking to hire software developers, software engineers, fintech specialists, or even a VP of Data Science, our knowledgeable Talent Advisors can help you build the right compensation packages and company culture to attract top talent.
Learn more about Hunt Club's engineering and tech recruiting.
