This is how you should recruit developers

Did you know that only 4.7% of developers are active job seekers? Although this is a low number, you can take comfort in the fact that as many as 69% of them are open for a new job. If you want to get hold of the best candidates, it is therefore not enough to be early; you must also ensure that you present yourself as an attractive workplace.

1. Start with a short video call
​The competition for the best developers has never been tougher and if you are not quick enough, the candidates will disappear before you can say "one mississippi". As soon as you have a candidate at hand, you should therefore invite them to a short video call as soon as possible. A relaxed and informal chat gives both parties a great opportunity to get to know each other, while it is often a good introduction to a deeper interview later.

The purpose of this talk is not to ask in-depth technical questions, but instead to check whether the chemistry is right and feel whether there is an atmosphere to move forward in the process. This is also a golden opportunity to pitch the workplace - what can you offer that sets you apart from the competition? 

For the candidate, it will be easier to visualize the position and already get an idea whether this is a place they can imagine working. We have seen that candidates often end up choosing the employer they speak to first, so here it is important to have a good sales pitch ready. This is not the time and place for a long and detailed interview - keep the conversation to a maximum of 30 minutes.

Tip: In addition to a representative from the HR department, it may be a good idea to bring along a colleague who is similar to the candidate you are interviewing. In this way, they can more easily form an impression of who works in the team and have the opportunity to ask questions about the workplace.

2. Technical interview
The chemistry is there, but can the candidate do the job? Here it is important to discover what competence and skills the candidate possesses. For this part of the interview, it is therefore a good idea to bring along the CTO (chief technology officer) who can prepare questions and manage the conversation that deals with technical matters.

Are you going to hire a senior or junior developer? Where for the senior developer we would like to know what expertise him or her can bring to the company, for the junior developer it is more about exploiting the potential and looking more closely at what he or she can learn to quickly become a resource for the company.

In the case of developers with senior competence, it is usually sufficient to check the competence orally during the interview. But if you are going to hire someone who has just graduated or is relatively new to the industry, it might be a good idea to test their abilities. A test/case can therefore quickly reveal whether the candidate has the skills you are looking for or not.

3. Send over offers
​Do you want to hire the candidate? Then it is important to act quickly - developers are sought after on the market and there is little left over for processes that drag on. Therefore, make sure to design a clear offer that clearly shows which career and development opportunities the candidate faces. This is the time when you must convince according to all the rules of the art, and make sure that the candidate understands why he has been chosen and what makes you extra eager to hire him in particular.

And hey: Do not send the offer by e-mail - it is best to have the conversation via video or telephone where you have the opportunity to go through the offer in person and answer directly any questions that arise.

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