Hiring for top technology talent in the Bay Area is hard enough these days but what do you do if you are not a tech giant or Fortune 500 company? This may be the single most important question you have to answer in today’s full-employment job market. The last 6 months have been demonstrated that hiring is at a pace unseen before and the war for talent is not only real; it’s preventing growth and limiting revenue for many businesses, especially those here in Silicon Valley.
Below are some suggestions we have found very useful to find top talent in today’s market.
Know who you want to hire
Develop a clear idea of the type of person you want to hire before you start the interview process. Start with something simple like, “Why would this person want this job?” Is it because of the culture? Atmosphere? Salary? Location? Knowing why a candidate would accept your job offer will make it easier to convey your passion and love for your company to potential applicants.
Move quickly without compromising on quality
There’s a ton of competition out there and you don’t want to miss out on a talented person because you were waiting until you conducted some more interviews, or wanted to see more people for the sake of seeing more people. If you know that the right individual is sitting across from you, then don’t hesitate to offer them a job. If you’re 85% of the way there on a particular candidate, make the offer!
Create a compelling Recruitment Plan
Make recruiting people your passion and ensure they know this is a priority. Recruiting should be less about forms and process and more about first impressions and creating a place someone would want to spend 8,9,10 or 12 hours a day Sell candidates on joining your team by presenting its strengths, such as the product, business strategy, or resources already in place. But you also want the candidate to know that you don’t have everything figured out and that’s why you need them.
Clarifying expectations right off the bat by creating an effective recruitment plan benefits you, your team, and candidates. This plan should include the following:
- Functional Title – the exact title of the position
- Creative title – includes the function title, but focuses more on the person
- Message to the right candidate–make it personalized and more casual
- Keywords–include appropriate keywords for SEO
- Questions–use more in-depth questions as opposed to the usual hypothetical questions
Look for talent everywhere
Your budget will influence this, but you need to look for talent everywhere. Of course, one of the easiest places to start is by placing your job opening on job posting sites and utilizing LinkedIn. Social Media is a great place to spread the word of your opening and also brand your company and culture.
If you have the money to spend, you could also rely on agencies or professional recruiters to find potential team members. Our advice is to find a boutique firm who specializes in the type of person you are looking for. Smaller firms are typically hungrier and the service is usually much better. And don’t rule out the power of internships.
Treat all candidates with respect
Everyone you encounter during the recruitment process won’t be a fit. They may, however, hold a link to someone who is. Every candidate you meet with or speak to will tell others in their network about their experience…and potentially post it on Glassdoor and other social sites, too. Make sure they have a positive experience and turn that into additional branding power for your company culture.
Bottom line, give every applicant the same consideration and most of all, respect.
Look for traits
Sometimes it’s difficult to know the potential of talented candidates, which is why you have to keep an eye out for the following traits:
- Coachability – seeks feedback
- Principle – understands what’s right and wrong
- Versatility – can handle different tasks
- Resourcefulness – can discover creative ways to complete a project
- Resiliency – can bounce back after a setback
- Confidence – can handle the pressure
- Work Ethic – hard worker
- Loyalty – willing to be in it for the long run
If you’ve created thoughtful interview questions, you should be able to identify the above traits. Most of the major job boards have developed a list of behavioral interview questions and any recruiting firm worth the time will have resources for you, too.
We hope this helps you get started and at least stay organized in your search for your next hire. As always, should you need the help of experienced, trusted industry veterans, we here at Align Workforce Solutions are here to assist your direct hire, project-based resources, and contract workers.
Contact us today or use the form below to get in touch.
