There’s little question that finding the right talent can be hard work-after all, if it was that easy to find the perfect person for every position, most businesses would be seeing much higher productivity rates, and recruitment companies would be obsolete.
While it would be nice to think that you can advertise a position (or simply put out some feelers and let your network know that you may need someone soon), and have excellent candidates knocking down your door we all know that in the tech industry, this is not the current situation.
Experienced candidates have their pick of companies to choose from- both in Australia and worldwide, and this global shortage of developers has made it harder than ever for CEOs and managers to find the right person for the job.
If you still haven’t found that perfect fit, and you feel like tearing out your hair, here are some things you can do instead:
Check your Message
Who is it that you're looking for? If you haven’t narrowed this down to a specific type of person, you’re in trouble. While it’s important to understand supply and demand, and know that you can’t spend your whole time waiting around for a special snowflake who will fit every single one of your demands, you also need to focus on your must-haves.
This means searching for a candidate who has strengths that will bolster your team. You need to have a firm grasp of your expectations and know what you’re offering in terms of experience, salary, location, and personal and career growth, so you can ensure that your message is spot-on, allowing you to attract people who will actually be a fit for the position.
It’s not just an Advert
Unfortunately, slapping up an advertisement on any number of sites such as Seek or Jobsearch and calling it a day is simply not going to find you the best candidate possible. It’s important that you’re using social media sites such as LinkedIn to their best advantage and, utilising keywords, using the Jobs Network function, and advertising the job within linked in on a Work With Us page.
Know your Value Proposition
This is your positioning statement, and it lets potential employees know the benefits of working with you, and what makes you unique from other companies. Since people in the tech industry can pick and choose where they work, you need to have a strong, compelling value position which will make the benefits of working with your company immediately clear.
What is it that you can offer candidates that no other company can? Maybe you offer an extraordinary work-life balance, allow employees to work from home whenever possible, have an outstanding salary, or offer the chance to work on the projects that will change the world. Whatever it is, this should be part of your “elevator pitch”, meaning you should be able to quickly and concisely explain what your company does, and why a potential employee would want to work with you.
Know your Metrics
Without knowing how many people you’ve reached out to, whether or not they responded, and what this response was, you really have no idea if your strategy is successful. This is why it’s crucial that your whole team is keeping track of the people you’re talking to, their contact details, and whether you’re getting negative or positive responses.
A CRM can be a great way to keep this information easily accessible and in one place, and since we know that finding talent can take some time (which is why you should be continually looking- even if you don’t yet have an open position to fill), reaching out to these people every now and then is a good way to keep your business in their minds.
Use your Staff
There are a few different ways that your staff can help ensure you find the perfect fit for your company. Firstly, they will often have a good idea about which candidate would be the perfect fit for your team, since they’re on the ground and doing the work.
You can also analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your current staff members, and use this information to understand who has the necessary personality traits and tech experience to work well within your team.
Don’t Give Up
It can be frustrating when you feel like you’re doing everything possible to find your talent, and yet can’t seem to find anyone interested in you and your company. It’s important to not take this personally, and to remember that your ideal person is probably already working for a company, so finding them (and convincing them to come and work for you) will take some time.
Sure, you could hire any random developer with a bit of experience, but you’re looking for top-notch talent, and searching for people who will do the best possible work for your company. That means hard work on your end, and while it may take a little longer, it will be worth it when you find the perfect person for your company