Sometimes it's not just about professionalism. You need to make sure that the person really fits the position. To do this, you need to have the right search and selection processes in place.
Start with a job description and a candidate profile.
Come up with a list of specific tasks that are performed in this position.
«Developing code and conducting code reviews» is not clear enough. This looks better:
1) develop a payment system and integrate it into the personal account;
2) develop the product architecture, etc.
If you are looking for a team lead, specify how many people will be in the team. This will help the candidate understand whether they can lead this team or not.
Describe the company in terms of value for the candidate.
It's great if you're an industry leader and have over a million satisfied customers. However, it says nothing about what it's like to work with you. What can you offer, apart from a good salary and exciting tasks?
People spend about half their time in a company: 8 hours, plus overtime. So what they're choosing is not just a place where they get paid, it's a second family.
Think of why you chose this company and have not left it yet. What resonated with you in the company mission? What work principles attracted you? Show all the pros, put a positive spin on the cons, and don't forget to take the candidate's needs into account. For example, a startup is normally associated with risk and instability. On the other hand, it's a challenge: you have to be fast, flexible, and involved in the work almost at all times. Surely, some people will find it attractive.
The same is true of working in a more mature company. Some would snort and say that it's all about bureaucracy there. However, the routine processes are compensated for. There is a clear work schedule, no sudden evening calls with urgent tasks, a clear hierarchy of positions, and of course various bonuses and benefits for employees.
«y highlighting the positive points, you simplify the search: you get feedback only from those who are interested in the job. Even if it means that you get only five responses, two hires out of five is a sign that you're on the right path!
Carefully crafted recruitment process.
There are few developers and there are many who want to hire them. The winner will be the one with the simplest recruitment process, with no unnecessary interviews and approvals.
That's why the same-day offer format (where candidates get the offer within one day) is used more and more often. The recruiter finds a resume, talks to the developer, and then sends them for a technical interview. If the parties find that they are a good match, the candidate receives a formal offer that same day.
Some take it further and implement a night offer format: the recruiter finds a candidate literally overnight, and talks to them in the morning.
HR brand and the company's reputation.
Do you want to find employees more quickly through ambassadors, employee referral programs, etc.? Work on strengthening your HR brand.
Start small: make sure that any candidate goes from you with a smile. Even if they were rejected, they should think: «What a great company, it's a shame they haven't hired me. But I will still recommend it to others».
How do you achieve this?
First of all, show interest in the person: find out what is important to them, how they want to fulfill themselves, and how they see their nearest future.
That last question is not just about their motivation, but also about their expertise: whether they know where they are going in their career, and what they are doing to achieve it. You can find out all that through human interaction, not through a classic interview.
The important thing here is not to phrase that question as «Where do you see yourself in five years?» People get scared and say that they don't know what will happen tomorrow.
«y the way, small talk can be very helpful when it comes to relieving tension in communication and getting some sincere answers. After all, the interview is just as stressful for experienced candidates as it is for young ones.
That's it about soul searching, but how do you check the skills?
If you are not a techie, but you understand the basics, use projective and case study questions.
For example, you see that the person changes jobs often, but they don't openly state the reason. Ask the projective question, «Why do you think people leave the company?»
Case study questions help you understand how a person thinks in work situations. The main thing is to end them with an open-ended question. For example: «At the beginning of the week you were assigned a task. Today is Thursday. You realize that you don't have time to complete it, and there's another important task falling on top. What will you do?»
If you were satisfied with the answer, you can double-check later with a direct question, «Have you ever missed a deadline?»</p>
Resources for finding developers.
In addition to the most popular job sites like HeadHunter, SuperJob, Indeed.com, or Monster.com (depending on the country of search) I recommend using:
• LinkedIn;
• Habr Career;
• GitHub;
• Stack Overflow
There you have the opportunity to trace developers' contacts, their experiences, interaction with other people, check their social networks, see what they do in their free time, what they save, and so on.
I recommend you pay attention to their work. Oftentimes great professionals can't really present themselves in the resume: they have never looked for work, they've been headhunted. Look at the tasks they've worked with, ask for a portfolio, etc.
Of course, there is much more to say on this subject. If you didn't get enough information, subscribe to my Telegram channel and leave questions in the comments below the posts
Start with a job description and a candidate profile.
Come up with a list of specific tasks that are performed in this position.
«Developing code and conducting code reviews» is not clear enough. This looks better:
1) develop a payment system and integrate it into the personal account;
2) develop the product architecture, etc.
If you are looking for a team lead, specify how many people will be in the team. This will help the candidate understand whether they can lead this team or not.
Describe the company in terms of value for the candidate.
It's great if you're an industry leader and have over a million satisfied customers. However, it says nothing about what it's like to work with you. What can you offer, apart from a good salary and exciting tasks?
People spend about half their time in a company: 8 hours, plus overtime. So what they're choosing is not just a place where they get paid, it's a second family.
Think of why you chose this company and have not left it yet. What resonated with you in the company mission? What work principles attracted you? Show all the pros, put a positive spin on the cons, and don't forget to take the candidate's needs into account. For example, a startup is normally associated with risk and instability. On the other hand, it's a challenge: you have to be fast, flexible, and involved in the work almost at all times. Surely, some people will find it attractive.
The same is true of working in a more mature company. Some would snort and say that it's all about bureaucracy there. However, the routine processes are compensated for. There is a clear work schedule, no sudden evening calls with urgent tasks, a clear hierarchy of positions, and of course various bonuses and benefits for employees.
«y highlighting the positive points, you simplify the search: you get feedback only from those who are interested in the job. Even if it means that you get only five responses, two hires out of five is a sign that you're on the right path!
Carefully crafted recruitment process.
There are few developers and there are many who want to hire them. The winner will be the one with the simplest recruitment process, with no unnecessary interviews and approvals.
That's why the same-day offer format (where candidates get the offer within one day) is used more and more often. The recruiter finds a resume, talks to the developer, and then sends them for a technical interview. If the parties find that they are a good match, the candidate receives a formal offer that same day.
Some take it further and implement a night offer format: the recruiter finds a candidate literally overnight, and talks to them in the morning.
HR brand and the company's reputation.
Do you want to find employees more quickly through ambassadors, employee referral programs, etc.? Work on strengthening your HR brand.
Start small: make sure that any candidate goes from you with a smile. Even if they were rejected, they should think: «What a great company, it's a shame they haven't hired me. But I will still recommend it to others».
How do you achieve this?
First of all, show interest in the person: find out what is important to them, how they want to fulfill themselves, and how they see their nearest future.
That last question is not just about their motivation, but also about their expertise: whether they know where they are going in their career, and what they are doing to achieve it. You can find out all that through human interaction, not through a classic interview.
The important thing here is not to phrase that question as «Where do you see yourself in five years?» People get scared and say that they don't know what will happen tomorrow.
«y the way, small talk can be very helpful when it comes to relieving tension in communication and getting some sincere answers. After all, the interview is just as stressful for experienced candidates as it is for young ones.
That's it about soul searching, but how do you check the skills?
If you are not a techie, but you understand the basics, use projective and case study questions.
For example, you see that the person changes jobs often, but they don't openly state the reason. Ask the projective question, «Why do you think people leave the company?»
Case study questions help you understand how a person thinks in work situations. The main thing is to end them with an open-ended question. For example: «At the beginning of the week you were assigned a task. Today is Thursday. You realize that you don't have time to complete it, and there's another important task falling on top. What will you do?»
If you were satisfied with the answer, you can double-check later with a direct question, «Have you ever missed a deadline?»</p>
Resources for finding developers.
In addition to the most popular job sites like HeadHunter, SuperJob, Indeed.com, or Monster.com (depending on the country of search) I recommend using:
• LinkedIn;
• Habr Career;
• GitHub;
• Stack Overflow
There you have the opportunity to trace developers' contacts, their experiences, interaction with other people, check their social networks, see what they do in their free time, what they save, and so on.
I recommend you pay attention to their work. Oftentimes great professionals can't really present themselves in the resume: they have never looked for work, they've been headhunted. Look at the tasks they've worked with, ask for a portfolio, etc.
Of course, there is much more to say on this subject. If you didn't get enough information, subscribe to my Telegram channel and leave questions in the comments below the posts
Yazilya Nasibullina
Founder of the Academy
and Recruitment Agency
Tech-recruiter
and Recruitment Agency
Tech-recruiter
Just to be clear: a sourcer is not the same thing as a recruiter and a researcher.
How to find a great developer who's perfect for the job: six tips from an IT recruiter
Are you struggling to find and hire real talent in IT? Do you still have no progress in your teamwork?
