How to attract and hire the best techies

Hiring techies is a challenge at the moment. Companies understand that to get ahead of their competitors, they need to bring in the best skills, but they struggle to actually do it. Small companies can’t match the budgets recruiters demand for top talent, while larger companies might not have the right brand image to attract great techies who want to make a difference.

There is a way. We’re going to find out what makes techies tick when it comes to choosing somewhere to work. (Spoiler alert: techies aren’t that different from everyone else.)

Who holds the cards?

The reality of the digital era is that people with the right technical skills have a lot of power in the job market. Unfortunately, most either don’t realise, or don’t know how to leverage it.

Having the best technical people can make a big difference to a company’s bottom line. It can help them create something that puts them ahead of their competitors.

To get the best on board, it’s the employers that need to impress the candidates, not the other way round. They need to create an employer brand that the best people buy into.

There are three things techies are interested in when it comes to prospective employers. Let’s look at them in turn.1 – MoneyDon’t be fooled – money talks when it comes to hiring technical talent, just like it does in every other sector. A 2020 survey of 65,000 developers by Stack Overflow found that 70% of developers said ‘better compensation’ was a factor when considering a new job. This was by far the most common reason.

Companies need to keep this in mind when looking to attract talent. Everything else can be in place, but if the money isn’t right, the best people will not come.

Don’t lowball candidates. Pay them what they are worth.

It's an investment, as hiring anyone is – the money you spend on bringing great techies will come back to you in terms of process improvements and better products, with a lot more added on.

The second most popular factor in the Stack Overflow survey was ‘wanting to work with new technologies’. 58.5% of techies cite this as a factor they will consider when job hunting.

Technology is a fast-moving industry and the best developers do not want to be left behind. It’s why they will often spend time teaching themselves new languages so they can stay ahead of the crowd. They want to work at companies where they can learn and hone new skills, using the latest cutting-edge technologies.

Companies that want to attract the best talent must invest in the best technologies. Again, you get a return on this investment because it leads to you creating better products and improving your processes. You must also be sure to shout about it in your job ads.3 – Progression

Another popular factor, with 52.9% of techies citing it as an important job hunting issue, was ‘growth or leadership opportunities’. Techies do not want to stagnate on their career path – they want to climb the company ladder in tandem with upskilling and earning more money. This is especially the case with millennials – a recent survey by Robert Walters found that 91% of millennials rate career progression as a top priority when looking for a new job.

Companies that want to attract the best talent need to put personal development at the centre of what they do. Offer employees a roadmap to leadership (if they want to become leaders of course). Implement mentorship programs, coaching and training. Make progression part of your employer brand. Investing in progression reduces staff churn, meaning you have a more stable, productive workforce.

Standing out

Now you know what great techies are looking for; hopefully, you can make it happen. But, even when these are in place, you need to let prospective candidates know what you’re doing.

Here is how most developers find out about companies they may want to work for, according to the Stack Overflow survey:

• Third-party review sites (69.6%) – Make sure your profile on Glassdoor shows you in your best light
• Company media (65.3%) – If your company is a great place to work, shout about it! Potential new starters love to watch company culture videos and read employee blogs
• Personal network (63.4%) – Your current team can be your best recruiters. Offer incentives for employees who recommend successful hires Introducing Haystack

Haystack offers businesses a proactive solution that:

• Expands talent reach
• Builds future talent pools
• Saves time and resources We know that techies hold the cards in the job market right now, so Haystack helps level the playing field.

Rather than be bombarded by messages from recruiters on LinkedIn, Haystack allows great techies to filter out the noise and only see what is relevant to them, or what they are interested in – your company.

Haystack offers an affordable, proactive, long-term solution – something that external recruitment agencies can’t provide right now. The companies we work with get exposure that expands their reach and brings a talent pool of engaged techies.

Haystack lets you show potential hires the things they really want to know about your company – tech stack, engineering practices, culture, perks and more. Our AI-powered matching algorithm links you to the right people, where you can chat and converse further.

All in all, Haystack is the solution to the problems you face when you want to hire great techies. To find out more, download Haystack today,