According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States had 1,365,500 qualified software engineers in the last year. This figure will grow with a projection of about 284,100 new jobs by the year 2028.
Are you looking to hire a software engineer soon? You certainly have a wide range of options. However, even with the numbers, you must do your due diligence.
Not all software engineers can focus on quality and reliability in their delivery. Singling out a dependable software developer who fits the bill can be complicated.
Read on here on how to hire software engineers and save yourself the frustrations of shoddy results.
How to Hire Software Engineers
The process of recruitment can be frustrating, especially where no prospective software developer seems to match your expectations. But before you settle for less, here are a few tips on how to hire software engineers to steer your company’s mission.
Top 7 Tips For Hiring Software Engineers
1. You Need to Reduce Your Time to Hire
The software developer position was the most in-demand career in the past year. As such, most qualified developers don’t spend much time in between jobs. If you are looking to hire a software developer soon, you need to ensure that the time to hire is short.
Reducing the hire time ensures that the recruitment process is competitive. You also get to pick the most qualified developer before they are off the market. If you want to hire software engineers with the highest levels of qualification, it will help to reduce the hiring time.
2. Pay Attention to Education Levels
You'll undoubtedly come across budding software engineers with flowery tales about their expertise. Nevertheless, the first thing each of the individuals in the shortlist must confirm is their level of education. The basic level of education for any software developer is a degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field.
Focusing on the level of education assures you that, at the very minimum, your prospective candidates understand the basics. This position involves a variety of complicated tasks. As such, this threshold should be non-negotiable.
3. Consider Professional Certification
IT has become a significant driver in most businesses' success. You're about to entrust this critical component in the hands of an individual (s). Given this reality, the best candidate must prove their worth.
What better way to do this than to focus on professional qualification. Focusing on professional certification helps you set the bar higher for any prospective developer. Professional certification bodies such as the Institute for Certification of Computer Professional (ICCP) should be a possible consideration.
The good thing about focusing on professional certification is that it ensures you only get the best. Most certification bodies include a series of exams and periodic recertification. Such an approach guarantees continuous learning and aptitude.
3. Focus on Flexibility When It Comes to Skillset
The IT landscape keeps changing. With such a fast-paced, innovative context, you need to focus on a candidate that proves their flexibility when it comes to skill sets.
Before you hire software engineers, ensure that they can show flexibly. This is especially so when it comes to programming languages and software tools.
Other important considerations when it comes to skill sets include a focus on algorithms and concepts. Your prospective developer must demonstrate that they can match the demand in the ever-changing tech context.
4. Let Them Prove Their Problem Solving Abilities
Programming is all about problem-solving. This is at the core of software engineering. You candidates need to prove that they can identify a problem soon enough. They should also be able to devise solutions to such issues in real-time.
Whether it's an issue with the scalability or the existing set of codes, demonstrating capacity is imperative. You need to probe your prospective developer on how they can locate and deal with an inherent issue in the minimum time.
5. Assess Their Ability to Work as Team Players
The IT team comprises more than just the software developers. Do you want to hire software engineers who can push your organization’s mission? It’s imperative to assess their ability as team players.
A simple assessment, such as the ability to code in a team environment, can help you settle for the best. A team member should be able to adjust to working with diverse team members.
Most software developers are independent thinkers. Even so, hiring a software developer who can fit into the team is critical.
6. Hire Based on Passion
Education and certification are essential. However, these levels of qualification are limited if there’s a lack of passion. You need to ensure that the potential candidate demonstrates a high level of enthusiasm for the job.
A passionate software developer does his job by focusing less on the paycheck. Passion will get such engineers where education and certification won’t. If you have been a recruiter for a while, it’s easy to detect a passionate software developer at first sight.
7. Consider Outsourcing the Recruitment Process
Most companies dread the tedious process of recruitment. You will have to be at your best element to select the best out of the pool of professionals. Truth is the recruitment process is complex, and it needs a different approach if you are to succeed.
You need to consider outsourcing your software engineering needs by setting up nearshore development teams. This option helps you get the best developers in the market, minus the pressure of internal recruitment. Outsourcing will not only save you time and money but will also cushion you from making error judgment when hiring.
The Recruitment Process can Make or break your IT Team
Software engineering is an essential function in the modern organization context. With the need to continually redesign your organization, you need to hire the best in the market to handle all the development needs within the organization. So if you’ve been wondering how to hire software engineers, it would help to consider these tips.
Ultimately, outsourcing a software engineer recruiter might be your best bet yet. That way you can focus on your core competencies while the expert recruiters can hire software engineers with the most experience and skills.
1. You Need to Reduce Your Time to Hire
The software developer position was the most in-demand career in the past year. As such, most qualified developers don’t spend much time in between jobs. If you are looking to hire a software developer soon, you need to ensure that the time to hire is short.
Reducing the hire time ensures that the recruitment process is competitive. You also get to pick the most qualified developer before they are off the market. If you want to hire software engineers with the highest levels of qualification, it will help to reduce the hiring time.
2. Pay Attention to Education Levels
You'll undoubtedly come across budding software engineers with flowery tales about their expertise. Nevertheless, the first thing each of the individuals in the shortlist must confirm is their level of education. The basic level of education for any software developer is a degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field.
Focusing on the level of education assures you that, at the very minimum, your prospective candidates understand the basics. This position involves a variety of complicated tasks. As such, this threshold should be non-negotiable.
3. Consider Professional Certification
IT has become a significant driver in most businesses' success. You're about to entrust this critical component in the hands of an individual (s). Given this reality, the best candidate must prove their worth.
What better way to do this than to focus on professional qualification. Focusing on professional certification helps you set the bar higher for any prospective developer. Professional certification bodies such as the Institute for Certification of Computer Professional (ICCP) should be a possible consideration.
The good thing about focusing on professional certification is that it ensures you only get the best. Most certification bodies include a series of exams and periodic recertification. Such an approach guarantees continuous learning and aptitude.
3. Focus on Flexibility When It Comes to Skillset
The IT landscape keeps changing. With such a fast-paced, innovative context, you need to focus on a candidate that proves their flexibility when it comes to skill sets.
Before you hire software engineers, ensure that they can show flexibly. This is especially so when it comes to programming languages and software tools.
Other important considerations when it comes to skill sets include a focus on algorithms and concepts. Your prospective developer must demonstrate that they can match the demand in the ever-changing tech context.
4. Let Them Prove Their Problem Solving Abilities
Programming is all about problem-solving. This is at the core of software engineering. You candidates need to prove that they can identify a problem soon enough. They should also be able to devise solutions to such issues in real-time.
Whether it's an issue with the scalability or the existing set of codes, demonstrating capacity is imperative. You need to probe your prospective developer on how they can locate and deal with an inherent issue in the minimum time.
5. Assess Their Ability to Work as Team Players
The IT team comprises more than just the software developers. Do you want to hire software engineers who can push your organization’s mission? It’s imperative to assess their ability as team players.
A simple assessment, such as the ability to code in a team environment, can help you settle for the best. A team member should be able to adjust to working with diverse team members.
Most software developers are independent thinkers. Even so, hiring a software developer who can fit into the team is critical.
6. Hire Based on Passion
Education and certification are essential. However, these levels of qualification are limited if there’s a lack of passion. You need to ensure that the potential candidate demonstrates a high level of enthusiasm for the job.
A passionate software developer does his job by focusing less on the paycheck. Passion will get such engineers where education and certification won’t. If you have been a recruiter for a while, it’s easy to detect a passionate software developer at first sight.
7. Consider Outsourcing the Recruitment Process
Most companies dread the tedious process of recruitment. You will have to be at your best element to select the best out of the pool of professionals. Truth is the recruitment process is complex, and it needs a different approach if you are to succeed.
You need to consider outsourcing your software engineering needs by setting up nearshore development teams. This option helps you get the best developers in the market, minus the pressure of internal recruitment. Outsourcing will not only save you time and money but will also cushion you from making error judgment when hiring.
The Recruitment Process can Make or break your IT Team
Software engineering is an essential function in the modern organization context. With the need to continually redesign your organization, you need to hire the best in the market to handle all the development needs within the organization. So if you’ve been wondering how to hire software engineers, it would help to consider these tips.
Ultimately, outsourcing a software engineer recruiter might be your best bet yet. That way you can focus on your core competencies while the expert recruiters can hire software engineers with the most experience and skills.
