Recruiting Software Engineers

Consider this statistic reported by Glassdoor – 25% of software engineers plan to start looking for a new job within three months. That’s important to know for any employer with software engineers on the payroll. First, it implies that talented engineers will soon be looking for new opportunities. Second, it implies that your current workforce could face major deficiencies in just a few months. That’s why it’s so important to understand how to effectively recruit software engineers. So what motivates software engineers to pick one company over another? Let’s return to the research.

Where software engineers report learning about job opportunities:

• Online Job Sites – 71%
• Recruiters – 70%
• Friends – 40%
• Former Co-Workers – 37%
• Social Media – 34%
• Networking Events – 16%

It’s not particularly surprising that online job sites lead the list. They are, after all, the classified pages of our time. But it is surprising that recruiters occupy such a top spot. Consider, too, that as many of 75% of female software engineers rely on recruiters to find new jobs. Software engineers clearly find some unique benefit in working with recruiters rather than relying on other job search strategies.

The research explored this specific phenomenon further, asking software engineers that had worked with a recruiter what they most valued about the service. Here’s what they had to say:

What Software Engineers like about working with a recruiter:

• Transparent about the pros and cons of different companies – 81%
• Knowledgeable about the job seeker’s employment history – 63%
• Not aggressive about placing a candidate – 53%
• Don’t have a bias towards the needs of the employer – 50%

It’s not hard to draw a strong conclusion from these answers. Software engineers value the fact that recruiters know both parties involved in the job search process – both the employer and the employee. And thanks to that knowledge, they are uniquely equipped to connect job seekers with companies where they will thrive, be professionally fulfilled, and make a meaningful contribution.

Other sources – friends, co-workers, networking partners – might know a lot about one side or the other, but very rarely both, leaving a lot of uncertainty for the job seeker to grapple with.  Recruiters, by contrast, are neutral, invested in positive outcomes, and able to understand the needs of both parties in a professional context. Simply put, their efforts lead to better results for all involved.

Let a recruiter find your next Software Engineer

If you employ software engineers, it’s probably time to form a relationship with a specialized recruiter with industry-specific expertise. Software engineers are a restless bunch perpetually seeking new opportunities, and they are overwhelmingly relying on recruiters for help. Connecting with this candidate pool, even if you are not actively recruiting, opens up exciting opportunities for your company. Start the process by contacting INSPYR Solutions.