DevOps: Creating a Credible Candidate Experience
DevOps practices are less defined than most, and has an ever-evolving eco-system that both recruiters and technologists need to keep up with. For this reason, I quickly learned that my messaging needed to move beyond the buzzwords or else my message would be pushed aside.
Since joining Slalom, I realized that by defining DevOps, I could better tailor my messaging towards the candidates I am interested in speaking with, and have a better chance of having a meaningful conversation with them. Due in part to the evolving landscape, and ecosystem, it is fair to say that no community has held my attention or interest quite like the DevOps community has.
DevOps Defined-Context for the Recruiter
The definition of DevOps is evolving, but from a talent acquisition perspective, understanding the basics as it pertains to business operations is crucial to creating a better candidate experience.
First, there must be a focus on the cultural aspect of DevOps, and recognize the adoption of a DevOps methodology. Without buying into the cultural shift, an organization will never be successful. DevOps is a term that points to the practices that promote collaboration across development and IT operations groups within an organization. The goal is to communicate actively to get things done more efficiently, while simultaneously breaking down silos (development, quality assurance, and infrastructure). This is accomplished by automating software delivery and infrastructure operations and leveraging many of the tools and buzzwords that most recruiters tend to get caught up hunting for in resumes and LinkedIn profiles. If you understand the purpose behind “why DevOps?” and look beyond the buzzwords, you will only add depth to your conversation with an experienced DevOps candidate. I discovered that it is key to form a definition of what DevOps is as it pertains to the specific organization(s) I support, and then use that definition to create a foundation for my messaging.
Establishing Credibility Through Messaging
Too often, a recruiter sends the initial message to a candidate and fails to establish credibility. I have learned it is paramount to customize that first impression as much as possible to come across as sincere and relevant.
The candidate wants to know what they are building, why it is important to the company, and ultimately, what impact the solution or product is going to have.
Regardless of the organization I am supporting, it always serves me well to learn as much about the role so that I can explain the environment and the type of work at a high level to the candidate- often this is what the candidate truly cares about. Candidates are less concerned about Chef vs. Puppet, or that the client is using Docker, because those technologies, or comparable ones, are being used in most DevOps environments. The candidate wants to know what they are building, why it is important to the company, and ultimately, what impact the solution or product is going to have. Make sure this is apparent in the messaging. Using project examples in messaging is a great way to show that recruiting is less about matching buzzwords, and more about connecting with the candidates’ interest in impactful DevOps projects. Successful messaging will help a recruiter establish credibility leading into a candidate call, and have an insightful conversation with a DevOps candidate.
Feel Empowered to Make the Call
Candidates often dread calls with a recruiter and in many instances this is a deserved stereotype. That said, there are also times when recruiters may be hesitant to take a phone call or a meeting with a potential candidate. Whether the candidate does not look like the perfect fit for a role on paper, or perhaps does not have enough years of experience under his or her belt. In many situations, those reasons would be adequate disqualifiers, but in DevOps recruiting I have learned to always take the call.
With demand so high and the candidate pool so small, excuses should be limited to avoid letting good candidates slip through the cracks. By no means am I looking to waste a candidate’s time, nor mine, but for fringe candidates it never hurts to pick up the phone and make the 5–10-minute call. Fringe candidates are individuals who don’t have a traditional background, or you are on the fence about engaging with.
It is paramount to cultivate a relationship with a candidate, that is built on all the components above to ensure the candidate walks away from that initial discussion wanting more.
With so many different DevOps tools, methodologies, and various industry backgrounds, the reality is you will be hard-pressed to find that perfect candidate. This is where passive recruiting comes in to play. Don’t just recruit with present needs in mind. Worst case scenario, it is a learning experience for both parties involved, and could pay off in the future when that candidate comes back around with more relevant skills.
It is paramount to cultivate a relationship with a candidate, that is built on all the components I’ve discussed to ensure the candidate walks away from that initial discussion wanting more. Gone are the days when people stay at one company for the duration of their career, and if you are willing to pick up the phone and make the call, it could create a positive candidate experience that a candidate will remember years in the future.
