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How to hire the best developers (4 tips)

November 25, 2021

63% of job seekers will reject a job offer if they have a poor candidate experience. In today’s tech talent drought, you can’t afford to lose them.

Here’s how to fix your candidate experience, select the top candidates, and leave your competitors wondering why you get all the best devs.

 

Why your developer hiring strategy matters

Most technical interviews don’t assess candidates’ actual on-the-job skills adequately. You need a streamlined interview process that gets you the info you need without boring or alienating candidates. 

If you already have a documented developer hiring strategy, review it to see where you are; if not, it’s time to set one out, including key best practices. Identify who in your company should be involved (remember diversity matters), what questions you’ll ask candidates, and how you’ll assess their technical ability.

Next, follow these four tips to improve your strategy.

 

  1. Use Virtual Whiteboarding in Interviews 

Remote tech recruiting can make it hard to get a sense of who candidates are as people. Virtual whiteboarding is a great way to assess candidates on a video call and let them show off their talents in live coding exercises that feel natural.

 

  1. Create a Transparent Candidate Experience

First, set clear expectations for candidates by making sure your job description is accurate, communicating your expectations at every stage of the recruitment process, and following through on them to build trust. Communicate consistently and regularly with candidates throughout the process to make them feel valued.

 

  1. Reduce Bias 

67% of candidates are looking for diverse organisations to work for, according to Glassdoor. If you’re not already, consider using skills-based job descriptions, virtual recruiting, remote and hybrid work arrangements, and AI and coding assessments to make your developer hiring process more equitable. Highlight your diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in your recruitment content.

  1. Future-Proof Your Recruiting

Use processes and tools that are remote-friendly and scalable to help your team remain agile in the face of future challenges.

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