Why companies suck at recruiting programmers
It’s no holy kept secret that developers are the most precious resources for companies today. According to the latest estimates, their unemployment rate is around 2.5% in the US and pretty similar in any other developed countries, vs 9–10% on the average for the rest of the population. Yet, most companies, even the biggest ones, address the issue of recruiting programmers in a very 90’s style. But seriously guys, do you really think you can attract coding stars via Monster?
What you probably do today and shouldn’t do tomorrow
Today is the big day: you are about to start your recruitment campaign. You have your requirements’ list, job posts are stylishly written, Smart Recruiters’ account is all set up, etc. You’re looking for that developer that will boost your company’s technology edge (hello CTOs) and thus show how good you are at recruiting the best tech profiles (that’s for you HR). You are already picturing your team as The Warriors and their 83 victories in one season. But the truth is, your game really looks like Minnesota Timberwolves’s and there come the disappointment and wrong decisions.
If I sum up the way companies usually try to hire tech profiles, this is what it looks like:
Step 1: you ask the geeks of your team to write down a list of skills requirements for the offer, because you know nothing about coding.
Step 2: once this is done, you mix the list with your traditional job offers to make it more understandable for programmers.
Step 3: you post your job ad on job stores — on AngelList when you work in a startup or have a sense of innovation; on Monster when you work in a bank and really don’t care about digital disrupting the world.
Step 4: you wait for people to apply and review their application.
Step 5: and then…nothing…
Step 6: you cry and start going sideways. In most situations I have observed, at this stage, companies start spending money all around to set up events on campuses or sending obtrusive messages on LinkedIn — where, as we all know, programmers spend 5 minutes a week.
I am not getting deeper into the process (interview calls, assessments, etc.), I think you got the idea: companies really don’t get how to talk to programmers and hire them.
A few things to remember about our beloved programmers
From GAFA to startups and old companies doing their digital transition, everybody is looking for talented programmers. It has created a unique labor market where companies have to seduce programmers, not the other way around. Think of it like you would think of the labor market for top executives: you have to stand apart to attract game-changing talents. Do you publicly post a job offer, asking for their resume and cover letter when you want to hire one? No, so don’t do it for programmers.
The second thing you need to have in mind is that great programmers are over passionate people. They need to feel that what you’re offering them will drive and feed that passion in the coming months or years. Clearly, resume reviews or assessments via phone calls aren’t going to cut it. Let them showcase their skills and feel that you know how to talk to tech profiles.
Last, always remember that great programmers are usually smart thinkers. Don’t reduce them to lone wolves who only think about coding. When recruiting tech people, involve them in strategic thinking — product management, user experience, monetization, etc — and valuate their social activity.
Step 1: screen the best, that’s what talent acquisition is about
Unless you’re Google or Palantir (see ranking), great programmers are not very likely to massively stand up to apply to your job offer. Just like with top executives, finding the best profiles is a matter of going where they are and nurturing close relations. As I said above, great programmers live for complex issues to solve, be it a data-related project for a company (e.g. Kaggle) or a multiplayer gaming competition (check our contests at CodinGame). That’s where they enjoy spending time and thinking. Here, you will be able to screen the best and track their activity.
For a company, it is a purely win-win strategy: you go where programmers are and, in most cases, it is not a job store. It is a perfect opportunity to boost your employment brand and deploy a tailor-made recruitment strategy. You pretend to be innovative in your business? Convince your future talents by standing apart in recruiting!
Step 2: match the right ones instead of everyone
I recently saw a job offer from a top-ranked US software company with the following technical requirement: « you are supposed to have a decent level of coding in software-related programming ». It’s the perfect example of an old habit steaming from a lack of talent screening: not knowing how to talk to people. This results in dozens of unqualified and poorly prepared job applications that won’t lead to you recruiting the best programmer for you project. Your recruiting process must focus on the skills you need and the people who are willing to talk to you — yes, stop spamming on LinkedIn!
At the same time, don’t go for a never-ending list of qualifications. What really matters is the ability of a programmer to understand the issues at stake and to constantly learn and collaborate. You can be sure that a guy who is often well ranked on Project Euler will handle algorithmic technologies, whatever language behind.
Step 3: assess their skills and activity in a new way
Now comes the time to see if your candidates have what it takes to do the job. Here again, companies desperately lack of imagination. In best situations I have seen, this consists of a simple review of the candidate’s activity on GitHub and a quick assessment via phone call. Not only this annoys developers, but it also gives you a very narrow view of their skills.
The best for both the candidate and the company is to see how he/she works on academic questions as well as on coding challenges related to your project. This is exactly what a company like Palantir does and it sheds a great light on why they are so well ranked by programmers. Candidates are asked to work on a current (anonymous) project for an existing customer — for instance, how to determine with algorithms where a bank should locate its ATM within a certain district. If a programmer has chosen your project instead of a hundred others, it is for a reason, capitalize on that!
Conclusion
Those three steps do not represent a comprehensive list of what to do to hire the best tech profiles for your company. They are simple takeaways to avoid the situation more and more companies experience: not finding the right one. There’s room for your creativity, let it talk! That’s what great programmers are looking for.
Follow-up
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