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Recruiting technical talent is no easy task, especially with the current climate of the talent market. With so many positions needing to be filled, and even 41% of recruiters saying entry-level positions are the toughest ones to hire for, it’s time to start thinking about possible traditional recruitment alternatives for hiring developers. Lucky for you, we have years of experience hiring developers and have taken advantage of several innovative recruiting practices along the way. Here are our 6 favorite traditional recruitment alternatives!
What is traditional recruitment?
Traditional recruitment is the hiring process consisting of putting out a job application for one or more positions and waiting for candidates to respond. Once a candidate has responded to the job ad, the internal HR team starts the vetting and interview process, where they conduct a series of interviews to see which candidate is the best fit for the position. Sometimes, recruiters actually reach out to candidates on LinkedIn, but this is not the norm for companies heavily attached to traditional recruitment methods. Overall, traditional recruitment consists of putting out a job ad and waiting for a response for the right type of candidate.
While traditional recruitment might seem good enough on paper, this strategy does not apply to the tech industry anymore. The process of hiring developers in the middle of a talent shortage calls for a more complex process with a higher risk vs reward ratio.
How the pandemic changed traditional recruitment methods
It’s no secret that the pandemic propelled huge changes to traditional recruitment methods. Starting with the mandatory COVID-19 quarantine that forced millions to work from home, hiring techniques had no choice but to be altered. From a 57% increase in phone interviews and a 56% increase of video interviews to 34% more LinkedIn research being conducted during 2020, there’s no denying traditional recruitment is now outdated. These statistics show the need for traditional recruitment alternatives, especially for hiring developers.
6 Traditional recruitment alternatives for hiring developers
1. Nearshore software staff augmentation.
It’s no doubt that this is our favorite alternative to traditional recruitment methods. Staff augmentation is a strategy consisting of incorporating additional staff members as needed for a certain project/s. Your company would bring in software developers to work alongside your in-house team, only that they aren’t hired directly. Instead, a thor-party nearshoring agency like us, Blue Coding, handles the vetting and recruitment procedures. This can help you save time, money, and resources. Just keep in mind the differences between staff augmentation vs outsourcing when you consider nearshoring!
2. Recruiting developers at online or on-person tech events.
The great thing about tech events is that they can help you find developers, network with other companies interested in software outsourcing, and familiarize yourself with the nearshore development scene. Software development events are known worldwide for being an occasion where IT professionals from all backgrounds come together, and they’re also the perfect opportunity to scout for new developers to hire. Instead of waiting for the right candidate to see your job ad, your team would be going directly to the center of the scene to look for them. There are many tech events in Latin America to hire nearshore developers, so all you need to do is create a list of your favorite ones!
3. Freelancing platforms.
Freelancing platforms act as a marketplace for both developers and technical recruiters to find each other. UpWork and Freelancer are two of the most popular freelancing platforms for software development right now, offering developers a similar starting rate. While the prices are cheap, this is not the place to find long-term employees for your company. It can be hard to get a proper evaluation of the developer before starting to work together, and most developers there aren’t looking for any long-term gigs either. Nevertheless, it’s a good option for short-term projects. If you're looking for alternative ways to hire freelance developers, we recommend using TopDevelopers to find talented IT professionals with availability for short-term projects. This site provides you with comprehensive lists and verified reviews!
4. Social media scouting.
While many recruiters have started reaching out to potential candidates through LinkedIn, this is not quite social media scouting. In fact, this can sometimes fail to be the best strategy if you’re looking for fresh, innovative talent. Many of the developers that might come out in LinkedIn search results already have a job and don’t have the time to participate in any new projects. If you turn to those showcasing their work on Twitter or Instagram, instead, you might land on some visionary IT talent. Our recommendation is to use all three of these social media platforms as traditional recruitment alternatives for hiring developers.
5. Referral and networking.
Everyone knows the advantages of knowing the right people, right? That’s when networking skills and referrals come to play. Personal referrals are great because you get to learn more about a potential nearshoring candidate from someone who has already worked with them or heard of their particular skills. Getting a recommendation of someone’s work will help you streamline the recruitment process if you feel like it’s time to hire nearshore developers for your company.
6. Attend a virtual career fair.
Finally, attending virtual career fairs can help you connect with potential development candidates in a way other tech events would perhaps not facilitate as much. These are events especially dedicated to connecting companies with potential hires, and signing up for one of them, or even hosting your own, can give you access to fantastic development talent. No more wondering why you can’t hire software developers after putting your company out there!
Need help hiring developers? We can help you recruit them!
As shown in this post, many traditional recruitment alternatives exist for hiring developers. Thanks to the digital revolution supercharged by the COVID-19 pandemic, hiring processes of all industries have experienced changes to some degree. Now, we understand that, even with the transformation of traditional recruitment methods, finding talented software developers at an accessible rate can be a challenge. But we are proud of the solution we offer!
At Blue Coding, we offer staff augmentation services to help North American companies hire nearshore developers for a fraction of the price. Our expert team members handle every step of the process, from vetting procedures to international payments. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you start hiring developers!
