Imagup General Magazine 2024
When many companies and their teams are struggling to survive, some privileged employees do surprisingly well. They might even have not noticed that the job market has been strongly hit by the coronavirus storm. Anyway, they are accustomed to being treated exceptionally well, also in terms of remuneration and bonuses they receive. This group, of course, is the IT people – programmers, technical support engineers, DevOps, automated testers, and the like.
Very often, they get offers from various companies at the same time and partake in many recruitment processes simultaneously. Moreover, they obtain great offers even though they’re not looking for new jobs at all. And it’s the recruiter’s role to call such passive candidates to action, which is very engaging, expensive, and time-consuming. But what are specific IT recruitment characteristics, other than minding the unique position of developers on the market? In short, why is the recruitment of programmers so special, compared to sourcing people of all remaining specializations?
IT recruitment – patience and other prerequisites
There is a shortage of good specialists when it comes to the recruitment of programmers. This applies to both sides of the equation. On one, there are not enough developers on the market, and companies need to “steal” them from one another. On the other, HR specialists who can convince people to switch companies are also in high demand. We may find them at a company where some IT recruiters have worked for over a dozen years. Such a huge experience always pays off. And focuses on long-term relationships – both with its workers, and clients.
But there are many other IT recruitment companies in the market where staff turnover rates are huge. One of the reasons is that recruiters don’t get good results instantly, get discouraged, and decide to quit. And often they don’t get money, as well, as they work based on commissions. Another option is that they may simply lose their jobs. What recruitment of developers also demands is being patient and compassionate, but also versatile and agile. Because if IT recruiters don’t, the perfect match for the given position will be taken over by somebody else. When recruiting programmers, you simply need to be very quick, as well.
And because many people want to take advantage of the IT boom, there is an influx of self-proclaimed developers. Usually, they have some coding courses in their resumes, but no evidence that they are well-prepared to work as programmers. And often they aren’t. For this reason, many IT recruiters are wary of such candidates. It’s possible, however, to join them in the recruitment process, and check their skills in practice. HR specialists may, for example, ask them to write a few lines of code, or correct somebody else’s mistakes. The whole process can proceed remotely.
IT recruitment – razor-sharp precision
To avoid any misunderstandings, recruiters should be very clear and specific when writing job descriptions. This is especially important within the developers’ recruitment because of the big number of possible specializations and skills required. For this reason, one should name all programming languages, and vital technologies a successful candidate should be fluent at. What also may be crucial is the type of positions held by the candidate within particular projects. As well as the level of supervision applied, e.g. has the person worked remotely, on independent positions, etc.
But recruiters don’t need to show surgical precision when it comes to enforcing those features and qualifications. Because knowing precisely who you are looking for is one thing, and being aware of market limitations is another. And the IT market is the one where, due to shortages of specialists, recruiters must compromise in certain areas. So-called purple squirrels – perfectly fitted candidates – simply don’t exist. Some HR people waste a lot of time finding them anyway.
This is one of the reasons why hiring an experienced IT recruitment agency. Because being aware of all nuances and details about this market gives a huge competitive advantage. As well as significant money savings, and the ability to choose the best candidates for given job offers. And profound, in-depth knowledge of consultants results in giving precise and specific advice. What kind of job description attracts more candidates, and what motivates them best are only some examples. As well as when it pays off to be persistent, and when to adjust unreal expectations to the actual circumstances.
The tricky role of non-salary benefits
Because it’s the employees who rule the IT job market nowadays, the recruiters try very hard to tempt them. Programmers, DevOps, SAP architects, or even automated testers earn a lot, of course.
But what truly distinguishes the recruitment of developers from looking for specialists from all other industries or sectors? The recruiters of programmers need to be very elastic, versatile, and resourceful to do it right. It’s because IT candidates receive great offers and packages so often that it’s very difficult to outshine them.
Sometimes the rich content of the packages offered overwhelms IT, people. Apart from great salaries, they get the promise of numerous perks and benefits. Some of them include foreign language classes, additional days off, life insurance, and private medical care. Gym cards, chill out zones, relocation assistance, free parking, and discounts on company products are also popular.
A good, experienced recruiter knows best how to use these perks and benefits skillfully. Because what works in theory, may not be that effective in practice. IT people often appreciate a great working atmosphere and the possibility to grow professionally. Access to the newest technologies and tuition reimbursement in case of learning new programming languages is also attractive.
And working remotely and flexible hours are some other privileges developers or programmers appreciate and like taking advantage of. IT recruitment is also regarded as one of the most crisis-resistant, which has been shown during the COVID-19 pandemic. And many IT people have been working remotely much before the first half of the year 2020.
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