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Being understaffed is overwhelming. Not only does the work pile up, but it has to be distributed among the rest of the team. Unfortunately, if the team is continuously stressed for long periods, it might cause a domino effect of people quitting or delivering lower quality work. This situation puts more pressure on management to get people hired as fast as possible. The problem with this is that they may become so desperate that the workers they hire are not fully qualified for the position. Unqualified workers won't set up a team for success and will likely need replacement, putting companies back where they started in the hiring process.
The only way to prevent this cycle from continuing is to modify hiring practices toward the goal of finding highly qualified technical talent. Many industries are in desperate need of technical workers. This shortage is nothing new, but the growth of demand surpasses the supply of technical talent. This disparate ratio results in a race to find the perfect candidate for open positions. Read on if you’re wondering where to find technical talent quickly despite having a longer hiring process.
If you’re wondering where to find technical talent, there isn’t a simple answer, but there are proven methods to improve your process. The first step in finding technical talent is to be as transparent about the job description and benefits as possible. Solving this first issue will weed out any irrelevant applications. There is no sense in wasting time on an applicant who expects to be paid much more than is offered or hiring someone with unrelated experience. Transparency sets a precedent of trust between the applicant and management. Using key words and descriptive outlines of job tasks can also help target the right audience. Make sure to put the position title in the advertisement title.
Most people, when looking for a position, will type the job title and use words such as:
The second step in finding technical talent is to identify the person submitting. This part can seem more difficult, but the best way to do this is by having the candidate link their LinkedIn profile and Github account. This way, you already have a sense of the identity behind the resume.
Once you’ve weeded out applications, the next step is assessment. There may be set tests and procedures put in place to determine an applicant's skill set, but these can take a long time. Some teams do not have the bandwidth to wait and overwork during a long hiring process. Applicants could be on a four-hour interview with multiple steps and still not get the position. This lengthy process takes time out of the applicant's and management's day. Another problem with these long interviews is that if the candidate does not feel they were assessed fairly and wasted time, they may tell others not to apply (via Glassdoor and other venues).
The best way to avoid these scenarios is by following these steps:
1. Use real-world scenarios
Talent may be assessing questions that pertain nothing to the job. Not only do managers want someone who can answer the correct questions well, but the candidates themselves want to see a ‘sneak peak’ at what the job might entail.
2. Use ready-to-go software
When evaluating a programmer/engineer, you often want to see real-time coding scenarios broken down in the IDE or environment they are using. It’s also beneficial to evaluate how well an engineer can build a UML or EER diagram. Different software allows applicants to build these or explain them in front of the hiring team to understand better how the applicant thinks and analyzes.
3. Use analytics to evaluate areas of technical improvement in the company
Analyzing where there is a lack of knowledge within the company can help determine what questions you need to ask during the interview process. If there is a lack of understanding in SQL, then to guarantee your company covers all areas of technical knowledge well, you can emphasize the number of SQL questions on the given assessment.
4. Use video explanations for technical questions
Recorded answers are the best way to go to guarantee a thought-provoking answer that is true to the candidates' words. It prevents fraud and allows you to analyze soft skills like:
If you’re in a bind and wondering where to find technical talent, hiring candidates at a faster and more qualified rate is likely tactful. The process of vetting candidates and accurately assessing their skill sets can determine whether the candidate accepts the position after the interview. An interview process is as much the company's first impression as it is the candidate’s. This process has to be efficient and organized. Without an organized, efficient evaluation, the candidate can only assume how the company’s internal processes are. No one wants to work for a company with an unsystematic or convoluted process.
Filtered is a leader in skills-based, data-driven recruiting technology. Our end-to-end technical hiring platform enables you to spend time reviewing only the most qualified candidates, putting skills and aptitude at the forefront of your decisions. We’ll help you automate hiring while applying objective, data-driven techniques to consistently and confidently select the right candidates. To get started, contact our team today or register for a FREE demo.
