Tips to Hire Great Developers – From Actual Developers

Salary and benefits are always part of the package, but it’s not the prime motivator for why people take jobs. In 2019, they want to work at a place where they can make a difference and a place that shares their values.

Talented people want to create meaningful work. They want their work to matter. And, they don’t want it to be boring. In fact, the number one reason job seekers said they were looking for a new employer was boredom, according to a survey of 5,000 professionals done by Korn Ferry.

Why People Look For New Jobs:

  • 33%: Bored and want new challenges

  • 24%: Culture is not a fit with my values

  • 19%: Want a higher salary

When you are in hiring mode, make sure you can articulate your culture, how a prospective candidate can make a positive contribution, and how your values align. People want a sense of shared mission and understand how their job makes the world a better place. Without that sense of purpose, it’s just a job.

Find Your Internal Brand Ambassadors

One of the best ways to showcase your company is by having your best people speak on your behalf. Put your loyal and passionate developers in front of job candidates. They will be your best employer brand ambassadors.

Candidates know you’re going to tell them all about the great things about the company. The engineers they will work with side-by-side will tell them what it’s really like. There’s an added benefit as well. If they give you the thumbs up on a candidate that you do hire, they’ll have a stake in the person’s success since they gave their recommendation.

Spotlight Cutting-Edge Tech

In an era where ordinary people have smartphones more powerful than the computers that guided NASA’s first mission to the moon in their pockets, you must have the best tools to attract top talent. When surveyed by Stack OverFlow, engineers and developers placed technology as their number one priority in making job decisions.

Most Important Job Factors

  • 54%: Language, frameworks, and technology

  • 48%: Office/Company culture

  • 43%: Professional Development opportunities

Create A Developer-Centric Culture

Developers and other engineers have a different mindset than the ordinary worker. They want the ability to work on flexible schedules. If you can evaluate work on project completion rather than set work hours, you’re speaking their language. If you can offer remote work options, you will increase your odds of landing candidates and potentially increase your available pool of workers.

Smart, talented people like to work with like-minded co-workers. Demonstrate that your workplace is full of driven and successful people. Be prepared to talk about growth opportunities and how people have advanced their careers by working at your place.

Show that you appreciate developer skills and reward them.

Have a Vision

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? It all circles back to your vision and how well you can articulate the mission. Can you demonstrate how your work creates value? Can you show how your company values align with candidates? Can you create a sense of shared purpose? Finally, can you show you have created a culture that embraces developers?

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Author: Matt Shealy

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