5 Ways To Recruit The Best Tech Talent

The best tech candidates have become a scarce commodity to recruit. Surveys recently show that 100’s of companies are finding it 50 percent more difficult to hire qualified technicians today than in previous years. And over seventy five percent of businesses recently polled admit that a lack of tech talent has seriously impacted their ability to do business and has slowed their R&D considerably. Not to mention burdening employees excessively, which has led to increased levels of burnout.

So it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there when it comes to companies competing for the top tech talent. Qualified and experienced technicians are no longer beating down the doors of companies looking for work. The tables have turned, and now companies must go the extra mile to attract and capture the kind of technical know-how and brilliance that once was as common in American companies as the water cooler. The experts all agree that there are several basic strategies that will bring the best and brightest to your door, and make them want to work for you instead of the competition.

Role Reversal

Believe it or not, when it comes to recruiting the best in technology the roles are now reversed — they don’t need to worry about selling themselves to you as much as you need to worry about selling you to them. Your recruits must be made aware of the basic factors that affect an individual’s decisions — and that includes, but is not restricted to, pay, benefits, opportunities for growth and advancements, and, or course, a viable company culture. Your company needs to put its best foot forward when in discussions with qualified tech recruits and make sure that what you are offering is in line with the potential hire’s dreams and goals. Show them that their interests and yours are congruent.

Be Informal

There’s a time and a place for everything, and that includes the stiff and formal job interview — but once that is out of the way, it’s time to unbend a little and show your potential hire that the company also has a more relaxed atmosphere and company culture that they would be very comfortable working in. Scott Schwab, co-founder of Bottega School of Technology believes that “once salary issues are out of the way, what persuades most recruits to hire on is the team spirit displayed and the overall environment — so take the recruit out to a non-formal lunch with company team members and let them do your selling for you, telling the potential recruit about the company goals and methods.”

Share The Vision

Employees need to be part of something bigger than themselves. It keeps their morale high and their energies focused. Experienced business leaders say that when a company has a dynamic company vision, which clearly states its goals for growth and commitment to excellence, potential employees become very excited about being part of the bigger picture. Conversely, if your company uses a snoozy boilerplate statement, you can pretty much forget about attracting the top ten percentile.

Step Into Their Shoes

When interviewing a potential candidate for an important tech position in your company, you must mirror their questions, doubts, ambitions, and thought process. Think of it like a whodunnit, where you are the master detective trying to get inside the brain of a master criminal. You need to know what he or she is thinking and what their master plan is. Once you have that knowledge and intuition you can track them down and bring them to justice — or, in the case of a recruit, you can offer them exactly what they want, how they want it, and secure their loyalty by being in their shoes instead of on top of their resume.

Don’t Be Afraid to Sweeten the Offer

Master negotiators know that you always keep an ace up your sleeve when the interview is apparently over. As the prospective recruit gets up to leave and shakes your hand, even if they have already given a positive indication of their interest in the position, you casually mention something like “Oh, by the way, did I mention that we bring in sushi for the entire staff every Friday?” Such a ploy is often all that is needed to turn a lukewarm commitment into a firm promise.