How Startups Can Hire the Best Tech Talent: Tips and Hacks

Managing a startup is never easy. Not only do startups have to survive intense competition, but they also run a tight ship in financial management. Few young companies can afford (in time and money) to roll out full-fledged recruitment campaigns. Still, hiring suitable candidates is the base for success. So, how can new businesses attract motivated and talented tech specialists at a low cost and build a strong team?

Recruitment in 2024 – What Do Employees Want From Their Workplace?

Socio-cultural events force employee demand for the workplace to change and for businesses to adapt. Recent research reveals that:

• By 2044, the U.S. white population will get ‘majority minority’ status.
• The number of people working fully on-site dropped from 60% (pre-pandemic) to 19% (February 2022).
• Big Resignation occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic continues, resulting in 44% of workers looking for a new jobs.

The data suggests that the modern workforce will be interested in employers that provide the following perks:

• ability to work remotely (full remote or hybrid work),
• work-life balance,
• flexible schedules (especially for developers),
• diversity, equity, and inclusion,
• upskilling and reskilling opportunities.

When planning to hire top-notch specialists, it’s handy to check what values you show and why candidates should choose your company. Here you can get more insights into why work culture and team communication matter.

How Can Startups Hire the Best Tech Talents?

Who would that be if you could think of the portrait of your ideal candidate? Undoubtedly, a tech specialist is expected to be a pro in the required tech stack who shares your values and believes in your ideas. How do you find someone like that? How do you hire someone like that? Here are some tips and tricks to help you recruit an ideal worker.

Make Workplace an Asset That Attracts Employees

A competitive salary is not the only thing that employees care for. A workplace offering social, health, flexible schedule, and other benefits makes candidates feel that the company cares for its workforce. We’ve already mentioned the most in-demand things employees require at the workplace, so ensure you can provide some of them to attract the best talent. Another insightful thought – OC Tanner’s research says that 79% of interviewed employees have left their jobs because of a lack of appreciation. So, it’s good to implement strategies to acknowledge employees’ efforts in pursuing business goals.

Compose Effective Job Descriptions

A job description is where the candidate meets you first. Here you can make an impression before you meet in person. Consider the ideas listed below when preparing the job description:

• Communicate your mission and vision.
• Describe your expectations in detail (personal traits and hard skills).
• Describe the workflow and tasks the employee will perform daily.
• Be honest about working hours and compensation.
• Mention recruitment stages.
• Outline the perks that you offer.
• Engage the candidate to apply for a role.

Don’t forget to watch your tone of voice and eliminate bias concerning age, race, or gender to show your openness to communication and support for diversity.

Develop an Interview Process

After posting a job opening, you’ll receive plenty of responses from candidates. Streamlining the interview process will help you filter the candidates quickly and efficiently. The primary stages of recruiting pipeline include:

• Pre-interview questions should help you decide whether to continue with a candidate or not. Ask these questions in an application form to save time on reaching out to every applicant.
• Skill assessment. Give candidates a task that is close to real-file work tasks to assess their hard skills.
• Interview. Design an interview plan and prepare questions to check candidates’ professionalism. It might be better to separate tech interviews from HR interviews to use the resources of your employees effectively.

Implement Referral Programs

Internal recruitment is a cost-effective strategy for startups. According to statistics, hiring referral employees is USD 1,000 less than other hiring sources. Moreover, referral programs increase the retention rate and bring candidates that suit the job role best. Offer your employees monetary compensation, an extra vacation day, or other perks, so they share opening positions with their contact list and help you find employees.

Automate Recruitment

Often startup owners hire new employees themselves to save up on getting a recruiter, which leads to extra working hours and distraction from other essential tasks. If you have no recruiter in your team, you should consider automating recruitment with digital tools such as an applicant tracking system. The tasks you can automate include:

• job advertisement,
• CV screening,
• interview scheduling,
• and sending out template emails.

Work on Your Social Media

Social Media is a powerful tool in recruitment. First of all, it’s free to use. Besides, it gives you plenty of opportunities to find ideal candidates. Developing your social media can help you:

• establish your brand identity,
• share your culture,
• setup targeted ads,
• reach passive candidates,
• learn more about your candidates.

Where to Find the Best Software Developers?

Now that you are familiar with ‘recruitment 101’, you probably wonder where to find tech-savvy hires. There are a few approaches to searching for and hiring developers. The first is to look up multi-purpose freelance platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork, where you can find developers of different skills ready to perform specific tasks. Finding a freelancer may be cost-effective. However, not all of them are ready to be a part of a team. You can also turn to specialized platforms such as Gun.io that give you access to a vetted tech talent pool where you can screen candidates and set up interviews.

The other way is to turn to a recruitment agency such as Talentica. Talentica helps startups find tech experts who meet the requirements and can become motivated team players. Talentica has helped more than 650 companies hire reliable professionals and can help you, too. Just send your request and get the first candidates the day after.

Recruitment for Startups – Wrapping Up

As a startup owner, you can not afford to make wrong decisions in any aspect of your business. We believe human resources is a number one asset for any company, so you should dedicate extra effort to hiring the best specialists. Follow your tips to hire developers, and you’ll build an overperforming and reliable team for your project.