By Jimmy Winskowski
As you probably know, great developers and engineers are more in demand than ever before. With so many businesses competing for a slice of the talent pool, standing out from the crowd can be a monstrous task. So how do you go about recruiting – and, ultimately, hiring – the best talent around?
We've asked some of the best in the business to share their secrets for finding, courting, and onboarding the top talent around. Here are a few of their tips:
1. Throw a party
"We host events solely for web developers, designers and entrepreneurs. Sharing experiences, expertise, ideas and innovations with the community shows a passion for the industry as well as the want to help others grow in the fast-paced environment of tech."
Michelle Burke, Marketing Manager for Future Insights
2. Start with one
"Honestly with tech talent the first one is the hardest. You have to woo them in with everything you’ve got. We offer free breakfast, lunch and dinner to all employees. Flexible days off, etc. Basically create the best working atmosphere possible. After you’ve gotten the first tech talent, make them feel like the most special person in the world (along with everyone else on your team). This will bring their like minded and skilled friends. Once you have one it’s 10x easier to attract more."
John Rampton, Founder and CEO of Due.com
3. Let them develop like rockstars
"To attract tech talent we offer unmatched career enhancement opportunities. As a Microsoft Partner Area Lead we have access to and training on the latest technology before it becomes available to the public. Tech’s love this and the continual training and certifications we provide on IT security and other technologies. Our network engineers work on a variety of deployments, including Pandora Jewelry and other high-profile clients. They work directly with Microsoft on case study creation and have been featured in multiple Microsoft case studies. It’s a rock star atmosphere that techs love."
Carl Mazzanti, CEO of eMazzanti Technologies
4. Think outside the traditional interview
"One thing we've done that's been effective is a series of meet-ups at cool local bars and restaurants around Atlanta. At these events, we have about 15 to 20 current eVestment employees from various disciplines where we have openings (developers, sales, marketing, etc.). They are on hand to chat with potential recruits about the company and to show off the great, smart people we have already working for us. Too many recruiting efforts are dry and uninteresting. By hosting these events at popular local pubs, we can give a really personal touch to our recruiting efforts so potential recruits feel welcome and interested in joining the company."
Mark Scott, Corporate Communications for eVestment
5. Look beyond technical skills alone
"We deliberately seek out candidates with a team player outlook and that crave a small enterprise setting. Effective managers require both great soft skills (communications, team work) and technical prowess. This type of “utility” player thrives in an organization like Embotics that challenges many skill sets. We expect to pay market rate for such talents and budget accordingly.”
Mike Torto, CEO of Embotics
6. Tell the "story" of your business
"Before you can even begin the recruiting process, the art of storytelling must be perfected and a recruiter must be able to answer the following questions:
- The Market Story: Why was the company formed and what is its potential?
- The Product Story: What problems does the technology solve?
- The Relevance Story: Why do the company and technology matter?
Once the story has been crafted, ensure landing top talent by having a smooth and timely recruiting/interview process."
Luan Lam, VP of Global Talent for AppDynamics
7. Look Outside the "Big Guys"
"It's hard to compete with the salaries offered by companies like Google, but a good way to approach that is to look for someone who works for a company that was ACQUIRED by Google (such as Nest). Not only do these individuals have the chops to handle both a startup and a big corporation, they were part of a company that was successful enough to be bought by Google. It's a win-win."
Ali Behnam, co-founder of top Bay Area tech recruiting firm Riviera
8. Look to the local university scene
"As a growing technology hub, Palm Beach County, FL has had tremendous success in putting together talent and employers, by partnering with several universities in the county to form a network of contacts and referrals. The key is networking selectively. My advice is to mine local universities, not only to identify graduate students but also to get involved with talent development and network with your peers. FAU for example has a Tech Runway program to support, mentor and help fund tech entrepreneurs. Part of that is a superb network of tech mentors who are excellent sources of intelligence on candidates and resources."
Kelly Smallridge, CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
9. Incentivize freedom and autonomy
"Tech talent works best with freedom and autonomy. If you want the best, you have to offer some type of freedom incentive, and the great talent will put their hearts and souls into the work."
Angela Nuttle, CEO of Corp OD
10. Cast a wide net
"For us, finding the best talent means searching high and low. We'll literally search from coast to coast to find the right talent, whether it's developers, designers, or paid search people. We're in a unique market (Las Vegas) that has its own unique appeal and its own challenges. But we feel that if we can find the right fit in terms of a great employee, it's worth any expenses on our part to bring them out an show them that this is the right place for them."
Barry Levy, Owner of Levy Online
11. Offer an open and challenging company culture
"Top tech talent is going to be primarily found in the Millennial generation. These candidates want to see a collaborative culture of learning and challenging teamwork along with an openness for differing ideas and acceptance of individual quirks."
Matt Howlett, HR Consultant for LessHay
12. Give them all the information up front
"Overall, candidates want more information at every stage of the hiring game. So provide job seekers with the information they are looking for so they apply for the job and are interested in the position. Make information about the company and the position available and easy to find on your website. Go beyond detailing the basic responsibilities of the position in the job post. Health IT professionals want to know how they will benefit from the position. What types of career development and advancement are available? How will their job impact the organization as a whole? Is the work meaningful?"
Tim Cannon, VP of Product Managemen & Marketing at HealthITJobs.com
13. Place an emphasis on uniqueness and diversity
"Focus on talking more about how the organization is unique and different in at least a few if not all aspects. Emphasize specific projects and technologies that the teams work on. Showcase career path and growth opportunities within the team and other related teams. Up Sell (not oversell) about corporate culture and work environment.
Highlight skills and technical experience on a particular profile that caught your eye when you talk to candidates. It helps to know that the Recruiter took more than 2mins to scan a resume. Partner with Diversity organizations like SWE, SHPE, NSBE etc to reach to a wider diverse talent pool."
Soumya Nukala, Senior Recruiter for NPR
