Last Updated on 2024-10-11
Struggling to recruit top software engineering talent?
This guide can elevate your hiring process. Learn how to craft an employer brand that attracts top talent and master the art of candidate assessment.
We’ll equip you with the tools and strategies to hire the best developers fast. Stop searching.
Start building your dream software engineering team today!
Before You Start: Setting the Stage for Success
Before recruiting, follow these steps to attract the top software engineering talent.
1. Create a Positive Employer Brand
Picture your employer brand as your company’s profile on LinkedIn. You should highlight your unique personality, culture, and values to prompt developers to show interest and think, “I want to work there!”
For example, we highlight our Team Development Program at Full Scale to help us cultivate a harmonious workplace culture.
However, it’s not just about appearances. Your employer brand should be evident in every interaction with candidates. From your job postings to your communication throughout the hiring process, branding has to be there.
Even the way you handle rejection can leave a lasting impression.
2. Define Your Dream Developer
What does your ideal developer look like? Are you seeking full-time coders or part-time programmers? Do you need junior-level talent or a senior-level expert?
Take a good look at your project needs and consider factors like:
- The level of commitment required (full-time, part-time, contract)
- The degree of involvement and leadership expected from the developer
- The experience level that aligns with your project’s complexity and timeline
- Your budget for the role (higher quality=higher cost)
- The criticality of the project to your business success
Getting crystal clear on these requirements will help you target the right candidates and avoid wasting time on mismatched fits.
3. Know the Qualities of a Rockstar Developer
To build a talented software development team, you must know what separates the good from the great ones.
Here are some key qualities to look for:
- A track record of impressive open-source projects and community contributions
- Experience that aligns with your project’s tech stack and requirements
- The ability to write clean, maintainable code that won’t give your team nightmares
- Strong communication skills to collaborate effectively with both technical and non-technical teammates
- A passion for continuous learning and staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends
4. Don’t Lowball the Salary
To attract top talent, you must be prepared to offer competitive compensation. Trying to entice skilled individuals with a low salary is like attempting to attract a supermodel with a fast food mealโit’s simply ineffective.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median annual wage for software developers stood at $124,200 in 2022. This figure is expected to rise due to intensifying competition for skilled developers.
So, conduct thorough research, understand your market, and provide a salary that aligns with the value your ideal candidate brings. Investing in top talent yields significant returns in the long term.
Filling Your Candidate Pipeline
Here are some of the best ways for developers to apply to your company.
1. Leverage Your Network
As they sayโit’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Your personal and professional networks are goldmines for finding top-notch developers.
Don’t be afraid to put the word out there and ask for referrals. Your coworker’s cousin’s best friend might just be the software engineer you’ve been searching for!
2. Harness the Power of Job Boards
Job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn are popular hunting grounds for developers looking for new opportunities.
Take advantage of their massive resume databases and use filters to narrow down your search by skills, experience level, location, and more.
3. Get Social on LinkedIn and Twitter
Social media is also a powerful tool for recruiting. LinkedIn and Twitter are particularly popular among the tech crowd, so make sure your company has a strong presence on these platforms.
Share engaging content that showcases your company culture. Post job openings and send direct messages to promising candidates.
4. Enlist the Help of Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies specialize in finding top talent. They can tap into their extensive databases to find your perfect candidate.
Just be prepared to cover the costโagency fees can range from 15-40% of the hire’s first-year salary.
5. Show Up and Show Off at Events
Job fairs, conferences, and hiring events are your best options.
These gatherings allow you to meet many developers face-to-face, pitch your company, and get a feel for their skills and personalities.
Plus, it’s a great opportunity to show off your awesome company culture and make a lasting impression.
6. Don’t Sleep on Campus Recruiting
Universities and colleges are breeding grounds for the next generation of software engineers.
You can find potential hires before they graduate by establishing a presence on campus and building relationships with students and faculty.
7. Scour Blogs and Open-Source Projects
Check out blogs and open-source projects on sites like GitHub. This is where developers go to display their stuff and show off their coding.
If you come across a project that impresses you, reach out to the developer. Send a personalized message expressing your interest in their work. You can also invite them to learn more about your open positions.
Interviewing Like a Pro
Now, it’s time to streamline your interview process to distinguish the top candidates from the rest.
1. Set Clear Evaluation Criteria
Before interviewing candidates, ensure you know exactly what you’re looking for. Create clear evaluation criteria based on the skills, experience, and qualities most important for the role.
This will help you stay focused and objective throughout the interview process. Also, it ensures that you’re assessing all candidates fairly.
2. Keep it Casual
Interviews don’t have to be stuffy, formal affairs.
In fact, a more conversational approach can help put candidates at ease. When this happens, it gives you a better sense of their personality and communication style.
So, ditch the interrogation tactics and aim for a friendly, engaging discussion. And don’t forget to give candidates plenty of opportunities to ask questions, too.
3. Go Beyond the Resume
A resume can only tell you so much. To really get to know a candidate, you need to ask questions that go beyond their work history and technical skills.
Try asking open-ended questions. This will give you valuable insights into their problem-solving abilities, work style, and fit with your team culture.
4. Put Their Technical Skills to the Test
Use the interview to gauge their familiarity with the programming languages, frameworks, and tools relevant to the role.
Ask them to walk you through their coding process. Let them explain how they approach problem-solving for complex issues. And let them share examples of projects they’re particularly proud of.
5. Don’t Neglect the Soft Skills
Technical skills are important, but they’re not everything.
In today’s collaborative work environments, soft skills like communication, teamwork, and adaptability are just as critical.
Pay attention to how candidates express themselves and whether they can break down complex concepts in simple terms. And look into how they talk about working with others.
These skills will greatly impact their ability to thrive on your team.
Putting Them Through the Paces
After interviewing the candidates, it’s time to see what they can do. And there’s no better way to assess a developer’s skills than with a coding test.
Here are some best practices to keep in mind.
1. Make it Relevant
The best coding tests mimic the tasks and challenges developers will face on the job.
So, design your test around a real-world scenario relevant to your company and the role you’re hiring for. This will give you a clearer picture of the candidate’s performance in the work environment.
2. Keep it Realistic
Yes, you want your test to be challenging enough to assess the candidate’s skills. But you don’t want to make it so difficult or time-consuming that it becomes unreasonable.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the test to 3-4 hours. Any longer than that risks turning off candidates and creating a negative experience.
3. Start Simple, Then Ramp Up
Begin with a relatively straightforward task that allows candidates to demonstrate their basic coding abilities.
Then, gradually increase the complexity as needed to get a more comprehensive sense of their skills.
This approach helps you weed out the unqualified candidates early on, giving the more skilled ones a chance to shine.
4. Provide Feedback
One of the most valuable things you can do for candidates (and your employer brand) is provide constructive feedback on their test performance.
Let them know what they did well and where they could improve. Not only will this help them grow as developers, but it will also show that your company values their time and effort. Even if they don’t end up getting the job.
Aside from coding tests, there are a couple of other assessment techniques you can try:
- Pair Programming: Have a member of your team sit down with the candidate and collaborate on a coding challenge in real time. This allows you to see how the candidate thinks through problems, communicates ideas, and works with others.
- Screening Questions: If you’re drowning in a sea of resumes, screening questions can help you quickly identify the most promising candidates. Just be sure to use them judiciously and avoid anything that could come across as discriminatory or create a poor candidate experience.
At Full Scale, our recruitment process ensures we only hire the best software engineering talent. In fact, we only hire the top 3% of our applicants.
The Bottom Line
Remember, recruiting top software developers is about your employerโs brand reputation, knowing what you want, and creating a candidate experience that leaves them eager to join your team.
Craft a compelling employer brand, tap into a variety of sourcing channels, ask the right questions, and test candidates’ skills. Above all else, treat every software engineer with respect and appreciationโeven the ones who don’t make the cut.
Build Your Tech Team with Full Scale Software Engineers
The IT talent shortage is real, but Full Scale can help. We specialize in connecting you with the most qualified software engineers, testers, and project managers. Exactly the people you need to build a successful team.
Our rigorous screening process ensures you get top-notch talent, fast. We handle the entire recruitment process, saving you valuable time and resources.
Here’s what Full Scale offers:
- Access to a global talent pool: Full Scale connects companies with skilled software engineers from the Philippines, offering a diverse workforce without geographic constraints.
- Streamlined hiring process: Our recruitment and vetting process allows us to provide you with top-notch candidates screened for technical skills, communication abilities, and cultural fit.
- Cost-effective solutions: Full Scale can provide high-quality software engineering resources at a fraction of the cost of hiring locally.
- Flexible engagement models: Full Scale offers flexible software engineering team scaling through different engagement models, including full-time, long-term hires, short-term project-based engagements, and staff augmentation.
- Comprehensive support: Full Scale provides ongoing support and guidance for seamless collaboration.
Don’t wait any longer. Let Full Scale help you build your dream tech team.
Hire Top Software Engineers
Matt Watson is a serial tech entrepreneur who has started four companies and had a nine-figure exit. He was the founder and CTO of VinSolutions, the #1 CRM software used in today’s automotive industry. He has over twenty years of experience working as a tech CTO and building cutting-edge SaaS solutions.
As the CEO of Full Scale, he has helped over 100 tech companies build their software services and development teams. Full Scale specializes in helping tech companies grow by augmenting their in-house teams with software development talent from the Philippines.
Matt hosts Startup Hustle, a top podcast about entrepreneurship with over 6 million downloads. He has a wealth of knowledge about startups and business from his personal experience and from interviewing hundreds of other entrepreneurs.