Hiring software engineers: Why do my application numbers suck?
We all know the story. It’s been a month since you started advertising for a new software engineer, but your application numbers are looking alarmingly thin on the ground. Groan. Why is it always so difficult to attract enough, quality applications?
Whether you’re looking for a replacement for someone that’s leaving, or you’re actively growing your tech team, here are some quick tips for making sure you get enough applications for the role:
Step 1: Identifying the problem
In our experience there’s two very different ways your problem could be manifesting:
- Tumbleweed. You literally haven’t had any applications, or:
- You’re getting a steady trickle, but the quality isn’t up to scratch.
If your problem is quantity, then your first easy win is to open the floodgates. Companies tend to have an attraction strategy that reduces the potential volume of applicants, which is not a good idea in a market that’s short on developers anyway.
The problem likely starts with your job description. Ask yourself:
- Do we really need someone with 6 years experience?
- Am I accidentally describing a person, instead of a role?
- Am I accidentally optimising for Computer Science graduates?
The more specific your job description is, the smaller the pool of talent that’s likely to apply.
According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, women don’t apply to jobs if they don’t believe they are 100% qualified. For the average man — they only need to hit 60% (something to bear in mind if you’re trying to attract more female applicants to diversify your tech team.)
Think of it this way: every item on your list of specifications has the potential to deter a potential applicant. Do you really need to include all those languages and frameworks? Find a way to remove the bottleneck and you should start to see volume pick up immediately.
Step 2: Strengthening your brand
One thing that can really help with both quantity AND quality of applications is cultivating a strong employer brand.
If you’re not confident that your employer brand is helping you attract candidates, then you’re missing a trick. It’s a competitive market for talent, and companies that aren’t utilising this vital tool will fall short of attracting the best people. Ask yourself how can you bridge that gap?
It comes down to increasing your reputation in the tech community:
1. Develop content about your engineering culture and share it.
2. Encourage developers to do opensource work and attend meetups.
3. Organise or sponsor hackathons (or craftathons).
4. Partner with organisations that have a good network of software developers.
Building your brand in the community will raise your profile amongst potential applicants. The result? Your company will become front of mind for candidates when they are considering a job move.
Step 3: Be creative
It’s not enough to post your vacancy on a job board and just leave it. Perhaps you scout out candidates at the annual University Grad Fairs, or rely on a single recruiter to send you hopeful applications.
Whatever you’re used to, all these approaches constitute a singularly one-dimensional approach to recruitment. And it’s not working — or you wouldn’t have read on this far.
You need to be creative to ensure that the competition doesn’t leave you far behind, and the best way to do that is to multiply your sources and think outside the box.
If diversity is on your agenda, how about attending meetups for more far-reaching societal groups? Start following @Mumsintech @BlackTechies @GirlsWhoCode and other communities on Twitter. If everyone at your company is a huge cycling nerd, find your niche online and advertise your role there.
The wider the variety of places you’re looking, the more applications you’ll get.
