Tech Recruitment Red Flags: 9 Mistakes to Watch Out For

Do you know how much a bad hire can cost your business?

According to a study by CareerBuilder, the average cost of a bad hire is $15,000. That’s why it’s so crucial to get the hiring process right and avoid making common mistakes when looking to hire tech developers. In this article, we’ll explore 9 of the most common mistakes companies make, and how you can avoid them while hiring the right tech talent.

#1 Tardiness in Response

In the quest to hire tech professionals, be quick and thorough. Many companies delay responding to candidates who have shown keen interest in becoming part of the company’s tech team.

In today’s fiercely competitive job market, tech talents are frequently inundated with multiple offers and exciting prospects. So, when a company procrastinates in its response, they lose sought-after candidates to different companies.

#2 Neglecting Customized Benefit Packages

Amidst today’s ever-evolving digital world, the requirement to hire dedicated developers has exponentially increased. One common avoidable pitfall is offering stale and outdated benefits packages that fail to excite tech experts. Higher salaries will attract many candidates, but today’s tech talents seek ‘benefits’ in the Benefits Package.

The key is to customize perquisites that cater to the specific needs of tech-savvy professionals. Furthermore, recruiters should be inclined towards showcasing flexibility provided by the company they are hiring for. Embracing flexibility, like providing a remote work option beyond the pandemic, can work wonders and be a game-changer for tech-savvy professionals.

#3 Out-Dated Job Description

In scouting exceptional tech talent, opacity in the job description will only put all the hiring managers behind in the race to hire tech developers. A vague, jargon-filled, or outdated job description will repel the tech professionals you desire to have and will instead attract candidates who may not align with your or your company’s requirements.

Tech professionals are treasure hunters, waiting and seeking a gem of an opportunity. To ignite a spark of fascination in the hearts of exceptional tech maestros, hiring managers must wield the power of clarity, inclusivity, and conciseness in crafting a job description.

#4 Neglecting Employer Branding

The first impression of employer branding is the handshake that initiates a lasting partnership with top-notch tech talent. No matter how enticing the job role is, negative employer branding can disenchant even the most gifted candidates.

Employer branding is a well-crafted narrative showcasing the company’s values, culture, and working environment. Thus, branding involves publicizing your company’s strengths and uniqueness to the potential candidates and painting a canvas of your brand or company with tales of triumph and employee testimonials. Moreover, positive employer branding paves the way for companies to venture into staff augmentation.

#5 Ignoring the Tech Team’s Wizardry in hiring

Overlooking the input of your in-house tech team during the hiring process is like sailing blindfolded into uncharted waters. The best thing about including a tech team in your hiring process is that you can take a step back and offer them a vital role in assessing candidates.

With the tech team’s unparalleled technical prowess and invaluable perspective on candidates, they can guide you toward the perfect fit. Such a hiring norm enriches the hiring process and weaves a sense of belonging and camaraderie among your tech geniuses.

#6 Misconceiving Market Dynamics

While embarking on the expedition to hire dedicated tech developers, many companies fall into the trap of assuming they hold all the cards just because they’re the ones hiring. But the tables have turned when it comes to highly skilled IT and tech experts.

The demand for specialized talent with technical know-how is sky-high, thus, making these candidates the ones calling the shots. They can choose which job offers to consider, which companies to join, and what salary they’ll accept. It’s a candidate-driven market, and companies must come to terms with this new reality if they want to snag the best tech talent out there.

#7 Ignoring Effectiveness of Testing Procedures

In their pursuit of recruiting top-notch tech talent, hiring managers navigate treacherous waters where alluring resumes hold their ground. These impressive resumes can often lead you and many recruiters to ignore the skill-testing procedures, but these resumes reveal just one side of the tale. Tech applicants and their unique expertise are hidden gems; one needs to dig deeper to uncover those hidden gems.

It is pivotal to move beyond the assumptions and appearances of tech applicants and instead provide them with task-oriented challenges. Hence, embracing the method of taking programming language tests or developing functions in the required coding languages becomes the key.

#8 Hiring to Meet KPIs

As you know by now, hiring the right tech talent is a demanding task. To make that task less demanding, some companies jump into offering bonuses and incentives to recruiters for fulfilling the hiring targets. These targets are basically KPIs based on recruiting and onboarding new talent for recruiters.

However, focusing solely on accomplishing the quota might inadvertently result in rushing the recruitment process. The danger lies in making KPIs a primary focus while overlooking the importance of investing in nurturing employees.

A study by LinkedIn found that 70% of recruiters said that they felt pressure to meet KPIs, even if it meant sacrificing quality. Do ensure that as a recruiter, you need to strike a balance between accomplishing KPIs and giving precedence to talent development.

#9 Unutilized Power of Staff Augmentation

Hiring full-time candidates is fine, but what if you need to acquire techies mainly for a short-term project? In that scenario, staff augmentation plays a huge role in providing the exact talent you seek. Staff augmentation companies like Magicminds hire external tech professionals temporarily to fill specific skill gaps or handle short-term projects.

It can be a game changer for companies requiring specialized tech expertise for a limited duration without committing to hiring on a full-time basis. Staff augmentation can seamlessly integrate with your existing team and empower them to focus on core tasks.

Conclusion

Hiring the right tech talent is essential for any business that wants to stay ahead of the competition. In today’s candidate-driven market, companies need to be proactive in their hiring efforts and avoid making common mistakes. By following the tips outlined in this blog, companies can improve their chances of hiring the best tech talent for their team and building a strong team that will help them achieve their business goals.