5 Ways to Hire More Top Technical Talent

Even with today’s high unemployment rate, top technical talent is hard to find.  Key positions that stay open too long can have disastrous effects on projects.   The good news is there are things that you can do to help hire the technical talent that you need faster and more efficiently.

Here are some ideas that you can use today.

1. Know what you need.

It may sound elementary, but too many hiring managers try to begin the hiring process without really knowing what they need.  You'll save a lot of time and agony if you first give careful thought to the skills and qualities needed to get the job done.  Look at your job description.  When you read it is it clear as to what the candidate will actually be doing?  What will a typical workday look like for this person?  Too many job descriptions are just a list of required skills, with no information as to what the actually job entails.  It can be very helpful to get some feedback from people who are currently doing the same or similar jobs. 

Here are some things to consider when you are putting together your job description:

Technical skills - which skills are essential to the job and which are "nice to have"?  Now think about what the candidate will be doing with these skills. Designing? Developing? Testing? Implementing?

Will this person work independently or as part of a team?

Will this person be in front of clients?  Will she be called on present to internal or external clients? Management?

What are the day to day duties?

Ask yourself what this candidate will need to accomplish in order to ace the annual performance review.

2. Make sure your recruiter knows what you need.

Now that you know what you want, you need to communicate it to your recruiter.  Whether you are working with 3rd party agency recruiters or in-house corporate recruiters, it is vital that your recruiter knows as much about the position for which he is recruiting as possible.  The best way to make this happen is to have a conversation with your recruiter about the job opening.  Don't take it for granted that he knows what you want.  Telling your recruiter "I want a really strong Java developer" or "I want someone just like Bob" is not especially helpful.

You'll want to discuss the skills and experience that are absolute requirements for the job as well as those that are "nice to have".  If you prefer a candidate with a particular background in a particular industry this is the time to say so.  Be sure to talk about what the candidate will be doing and why this is a great job.  Knowing these things will help your recruiter sell the job to top candidates and avoid his sending you a flood of unqualified candidates.

Also, if your requirements change don't forget to inform your recruiter.

3. Consider niche job boards.

Everyone is familiar with the large job boards such as Monster and CareerBuilder.  They offer a wide variety of jobs and attract millions of visitors worldwide.  They allow you to reach millions of job seekers and offer vast resume databases that you can search.  The downside is you will also get lots of unqualified applicants to sort through.

While these mega job boards remain popular, growing numbers of recruiters and hiring managers are turning to job boards that target candidates with specific skills and work experience.  Although these niche job boards have smaller audiences, they focus on groups who have well defined skill sets and backgrounds.  They allow you to put your job openings in front of people who have the skills you need.  To learn more about niche job boards in the defense industry, see  http://www.defensetalent.com/, http://www.intelligencecareers.com/ and http://www.clearancejobs.com/


4. Respond in a timely manner.

Try to make it a policy to respond to your recruiter or candidate within 48 or 72 hours of receipt of the resume.  If you receive a resume that is  of interest to you, contact your recruiter and set up an interview with the candidate as soon as possible.  Don't allow the resume to sit in your inbox too long before making a move.  Too many great candidates are lost to inaction.

If you have no interest in the resume that you have received, let your recruiter know that too.  Be sure to provide feedback regarding why the candidates are not satisfactory.  This will help your recruiter refine her search.

You should also respond promptly to the candidates after you interview them.  Whether or not you want to move forward with the candidates that you have interviewed, you need to get back to them.  While it can be difficult to let someone know that he did not make the cut, it has to be done.  If you like the candidate and want to move forward either with additional interviews or an offer, you run the risk of losing her to another company if you wait too long to make a move.  Remember, top talent is always in demand.

5. Make sure your interviews are well planned and professional.

As I mentioned earlier, try to schedule the interview as soon as you discover candidates of interest. 

Always be on time for interviews.  Of course things come up and you may be running late, but make every effort to avoid making your candidate wait for you.

Avoid distractions.  Don't answer the phone during the interview or allow others to interrupt during the interview.  If you are conducting a phone interview, make sure you are in a quiet place and you are focusing on the candidate.  This is not the time to check your email or send a text message.

Be prepared.  You should have a list of relevant questions prepared.  This will ensure you cover everything that you need to cover and will help the interview flow smoothly. All candidates for the same position should be asked the same questions.

If your work days are too hectic, consider holding the interview after hours or on the weekend.

If you are having other team members interview the candidates, make sure they  are prepared too.

Hiring top technical talent is never easy.  However, with a little extra work and planning, you can help your company enjoy the advantages that hiring top producers can bring.