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Few professionals are more spoiled for choice than tech talent. Much to their chagrin, recruiters and CIOs across the country are realizing that developers do not, in fact, grow on trees, but are more highly sought after than ever.

Anyone who’s recruited for an IT position or req in the technology industry can attest to the difficulty of hiring for these roles. Qualified, experienced professionals in this field are bombarded daily with messages about “great opportunities” for this or that.

If you want to effectively engage with tech talent, you’ll have to step up your recruiting game. Like many challenges in recruiting, you have more power over the situation than you may think.

Here are 5 ideas for successfully engaging with and ultimately hiring great tech talent.

1. Know Your Stuff – On the Candidate and the Field

Unfortunately, recruiters often spam candidates with vague messages saying they were “impressed with their resume” and want to talk further about an open position.

Instead, show candidates you’ve taken the time to read their resume or LinkedIn profile by mentioning specific qualifications or work experience. It’s not only flattering, but demonstrates you’re giving them personal attention rather than spamming 100 candidates.

Knowing the field is also crucial. Tech professionals don’t want to waste their time talking to someone who doesn’t know the difference between Java and JavaScript. Either have a tech recruiter on staff or make sure you have one working for you with your talent acquisition partner.

A knowledgeable tech recruiter can make all the difference in this cutthroat talent market.

2. Attract tech talent With a Positive Work-Life Balance

Office slides. Jeans and flannel. Bringing your dog to work…we all know the trappings of tech culture. It’s basically the polar opposite of your traditional corporate workplace.

Quality candidates in the tech industry can work anywhere they please, and probably already have stable employment. To lure them to your company, it’s a good idea to entice them with intangibles like a culture that supports a positive work-life balance.

While perks like bean bag chairs and an office foosball table tend to be overrated, employees have consistently rated work-life balance and flexible work arrangements as top priorities. Consider offering more remote work days and generous PTO. Furthermore, show off your great culture by encouraging employees to review you on Glassdoor.

3. Be Transparent with tech talent

One of our tech recruiters posted on LinkedIn asking what recruiters could do to make IT candidates more likely to respond. She got a lot of good feedback, but one theme prevailed: transparency. Candidates want to know what the job is, what skills are required, where the position is located, and a salary range – right off the bat.

This lets candidates know immediately whether you’re worth their time or not. Salary negotiations are a staple part of the traditional recruiting process, but advertising a competitive salary can be crucial for catching IT professionals’ attention. Offering other basic information such as where the job is located saves the candidate time, which they will always appreciate.

4. Shorten the Hiring Process for tech talent

With a plethora of employment options at their disposal, closing the deal quickly is essential for hiring tech professionals.

Studies have shown that candidates generally lose interest after two weeks, putting organizations under pressure to move much faster than usual. Some organizations are going so far as to schedule interviews such that they can meet a candidate and make an offer on the same day.

5. Watch Your Employer Brand

With countless businesses vying for the attention of tech professionals, you have to make sure your company emphasizes a positive employee experience. Employer brand refers to the public perception of what it’s like to be an employee at your organization. It’s what people think of your culture, benefits, work environment, and more.

We could write a whole series of blogs on the topic, but the first place to start with employer branding is getting an idea of how you’re currently perceived. You can interview employees and ask new hires about any reservations they had before joining. Encourage honest feedback, and read reviews on your Glassdoor page.

This gives you an idea of what concerns to address in early candidate calls and interviews. Furthermore, it will give you a foundation for using marketing to bolster your employer brand and impress prospective hires.

If you’re struggling to hire quality tech talent, we’re here to help. Reach out today to learn more about how you can find and recruit top talent in today’s competitive talent pool – it’s what we do best!

The right people, empowered to perform.