10 Tech Recruiting Strategies Every Recruiter Should Learn

In 2022, there was a 21% bump in job postings that put skills and responsibilities above qualifications in the US. Over 76% of employers find new talent through skills-based hiring, with around 55% implementing role-specific skills tests. On the recruiters’ side, tech recruiting has gotten even more competitive, as talent with technical skills is in extremely high demand. To help you ace tech recruiting, we’ll dive into top strategies, tech hiring challenges, and how you can overcome them, as well as more based on real-world studies and expertise.

What is Tech Recruiting?

Tech recruiting involves attracting and hiring skilled individuals for various jobs within the technology industry. This recruitment process has become increasingly important due to the growing demand for professionals in technology-related fields. It is a crucial function for companies looking to innovate and stay competitive in today's fast-paced business environment.

Tech Recruiting 101: Technical and General Recruiters

• Roles: Technical recruiters specialize in recruiting candidates for technical roles such as software developers, engineers, data scientists, etc., while general recruiters focus on hiring for various positions across various industries.
• Skills: Technical recruiters typically have a deep understanding of technical skills, programming languages, and industry-specific knowledge required for the roles they are hiring for, whereas general recruiters don’t have that level of expertise in tech.
• Assessment: Technical recruiters often use specific technical assessments and screening tools to evaluate candidates' technical skills and abilities, while general recruiters may rely more on general interviews and assessments.
• Network: Technical recruiters often have a network of contacts within the tech industry, including connections with professionals in specific technical fields, which helps them source candidates more effectively compared to general recruiters who may have a broader but less focused network.
• Communication: Technical recruiters communicate technical job requirements and expectations with both candidates and hiring managers, while general recruiters may focus more on assessing soft skills and cultural fit, aside from technical qualifications.

Top Tech Recruiting Challenges

• Bias in the Hiring Process: Unconscious bias may be the reason behind the industry’s diversity woes, limiting the talent pool for job openings further. It can affect every stage of the recruitment process, from sourcing and screening to interviewing and selecting candidates. You can overcome the challenge by using a tool like Applicant Tracking System (AST) that comes with an AI Recommendations feature.
• Talent Shortage: The growing demand, coupled with the mismatch between the skills that employers need and the skills that job seekers have makes it difficult to find and hire the right talent in time. So, passive candidates are a way to go, as they make up 70% of the global workforce. [2] They can be a rich source of talent for you.
• The Market Shifts: The tech industry’s rapid evolution leads to fast-changing market needs, often making skills and qualifications obsolete within a decade. So, source and assess candidates who have the potential to learn future technologies, adapt to changing environments, and solve complex problems. Methods like online assessments, coding challenges, gamification, and video interviews can be a big help.
• Complicated Processes: Traditional and manual recruiting methods can result in slow hiring cycles, high dropout rates, and missed opportunities. It goes without saying that the hiring processes need to be streamlined and efficient. Go for recruitment tools like ATS, as it allows you to automate and manage the hiring process within a few clicks.

Top 10 Tech Recruiting Strategies

1. Identify Your Tech Goals

First thing first, lock down on positions or tech skills your company is looking for, so you can get a proper start and advertise for the right roles. Get together with the stakeholders and discuss what an ideal candidate would look like. This will help you come up with an on-point job description. State the requirements and responsibilities for your open roles to make it clear for tech job seekers.

2. Screening Through Technical Assessments

Technical assessments are a valuable tool in assessing a candidate's skills and expertise. So, go ahead and implement coding challenges, technical quizzes, and case studies into your tech recruiting process to evaluate candidates' technical capabilities. This is an efficient way to make sure that you are hiring candidates who possess the necessary skills. You can also use an ATS like Manatal to test candidates’ skills and quickly get accurate results. Manatal is integrated with Codility, a technical skill assessment platform, where you can orchestrate live coding and pair-programming sessions with candidates, or send coding tests and monitor candidates’ performance in real-time.

3. Bring Immersive Tech into Recruitment

Virtual Reality (VR) technology is not just a buzzword in the industry, it is a tool that can take the hiring experience to the next level, as it brings candidates into an immersive journey. Through virtual job simulations, you can provide candidates with a realistic experience of what it would be like to work for your company. This can help attract top tech talent who are looking for innovative companies that embrace new technologies.

Companies like Accenture and Jaguar Land Rover are using these technologies to enhance recruitment processes. AR and VR offer immersive experiences, allowing candidates to engage with realistic job simulations and virtual environments. This approach improves the candidate experience, enhances employer branding, and provides more accurate assessments of candidates' skills.

4. Advertise Jobs on Unique Places

One way to rise above other players in a competitive tech recruiting landscape is to think outside the box. This goes to job postings as well. Instead of the usual places such as job boards, why not make it fun and go to unique places like dating apps? We have an example, Amazon successfully posted jobs and reached potential candidates through a popular dating platform like Tinder. [3] It’s also a good idea to go to places where tech-savvy people spend their time like coding forums, tech podcasts, or even gaming communities.

5. Break Through Geographic Barriers

Since we’ve adapted and moved on from the global pandemic, working from home and remote work have become the norm and something many candidates are looking for in a job today. So, why not offer remote work as one of your perks? This helps attract even more tech workers from different regions and widen your talent base. So, think about the language and time zones. Also, make sure you have a firm infrastructure that can facilitate your remote workers.

6. Establish Connections with Tech Communities

Discovering talent and paving the way for them early goes a long way. So, it’s a solid strategy to connect with the tech communities, attend tech events, and network to make your company well-known in the circle. Forming a connection with other tech companies is also a way to help you tap into a wider talent pool. Most importantly, go out there and look for online forums and tech community websites. These places are where your potential leads are.

7. Have a Tech-Orientated Career Page

A company’s career page is usually the first place job seekers would visit when they’re looking for a job opportunity. So, a branded career page is a key part of attracting the right candidates. In this case, a tech-oriented job site that’s easy to navigate is a must for your tech recruiting. It’s a plus to create an extra landing page specifically for tech jobs to make it stand out from other positions in your company. Don’t forget to showcase your culture, values, and unique benefits while you’re at it.

8. The Technical Jargon Is Important

When it comes to tech recruiting, there’s no running away from getting used to technical terms used in the tech industry. This is the foundation of a solid job description. It also helps you have a deeper conversation and better interviews with the candidates. Plus, having a solid knowledge of tech jargon helps you make a better decision and deeper understanding of candidates’ CVs. So, it’s a good idea to list down a basic IT glossary to help your recruiters. Also, get some help from your IT department in providing input on key terminology involved in certain tech roles.

9. Why Not Texting?

It wouldn’t be tech recruiting if it did not involve using technology. What are the most used tech tools among tech-savvy people, including most people? Yes, smartphones. It’s a good idea to utilize texting in the initial stages of tech recruiting to gain deeper information about candidates and make more informed decisions. Using a chatbot is also a good idea for engaging with candidates in the early steps of the hiring pipeline. Not only does it improve the candidate experience, but it also reflects your innovative side in the candidates’ eyes.

10. Go Beyond and Look for Candidates of Your Competitors

This sounds unconventional and most people might not be looking at it as an option, but it’s a pretty effective approach. From a competitive perspective, having talent from your competitors makes your team stronger while making a void on their side. Not nice, we know, but you can be sure that these tech candidates have the experience and skills that you need, which fit your roles perfectly.

How to Attract Top Talent for Tech Jobs

• Invest in cutting-edge technology: Tech talent is often drawn to companies that use the latest technologies. So, ensure your tech stack is up-to-date and showcase your commitment to innovation.
• Provide continuous learning and development: As technology is constantly evolving, it’s important for tech talent to keep up with the changing trends and master new skills. Offer opportunities for professional growth through training programs, certifications, and conferences.
• Host hackathons and tech meetups: Organizing events like hackathons, coding competitions, and tech meetups can help you connect with potential candidates and reinforce your company’s reputation in the tech community.
• Offer competitive compensation and benefits: Ensure your compensation packages are competitive and include benefits that matter to tech professionals, such as stock options.
• Promote Work-Life Balance: Highlight your company’s commitment to work-life balance. Offer flexible working hours, generous vacation policies, and wellness initiatives to show that you care about your employees’ well-being.

Conclusion

Tech recruiting is a challenging task that requires a combination of technical knowledge and effective tools to find, attract, and retain qualified candidates. Recruiting for technical roles comes with its unique challenges. To overcome these challenges, it’s best to focus on building relationships with potential candidates, effectively using job posts and networking events, and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies. Also, work with hiring managers to ensure candidates have the right mix of technical and soft skills for the position. And don’t forget to make sure the onboarding process is going smoothly, as it can help you retain newly hired employees.

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Citations:

1. Forbes

2. LinkedIn

3. Vice