How to recruit programmers?

Recruiting programmers is one of the biggest challenges for technology companies. Programmers are a sought-after and scarce resource in the labor market, and competition for their talents is enormous. So how do you attract and retain the best IT professionals? Here are some tips that can help in this process.

Looking for programmers - requirements for the position

Before you start recruiting, you should determine exactly what kind of programmer you are looking for, what skills and experience they should have, what tasks they will perform and how they will work with other team members. This will help you create an attractive and relevant job ad, as well as make it easier for you to evaluate candidates. To attract the best IT employees, it is worth creating a unique employer offer. It should include not only information about an attractive salary, but also a rich benefits package, such as working on international projects, extra days off or training and industry conferences to improve skills.

Also important in it is how we want to talk about ourselves, what is our motto (claim) and how do we present ourselves? The answers to these questions are covered in the creative concept, so you can build a consistent message to candidates and current employees.

Building a strong employer brand - make yourself known in the industry

Attracting the best talent, whether we're talking about the front-end, back-end or software engineering areas, is crucial for employers who want to succeed in the job market. To achieve this, building a strong employer image, or employer branding, is essential. To attract the best employees, an organization needs to build an image that attracts their attention. This means that the company should focus on promoting its organizational culture, values and mission, as well as the benefits it offers. It is also important for it to be visible in the labor market. This means it should use various communication channels, such as social media, a dedicated career tab, job sites, industry conferences, job fairs, etc. In this way, the company can reach more potential IT candidates and attract their attention.

Different recruitment channels key to success - job portals, social media and referrals

There is no one specific place to find a programmer. Instead, there are several options that are definitely worth considering.

- Hiring a headhunting company - that is, outsourcing the search for a programmer to professionals. This is an expensive solution, but certainly worth considering. However, if your budget doesn't include paying for the search, you'll have to manage differently.

- Joining industry groups on social media - contrary to appearances, they bring together not only programmers and employees of other branches of the IT industry, but also their potential employers.

- Recruitment portals - this is the place where professionals from various industries advertise. Here you can get acquainted with their resumes and portfolios without any obligation.

- participation in industry conferences and trade shows - for a person who has little to do with programming, this may be a somewhat surprising proposition, but where, if not here, can you meet many programmers at once? It only takes a little looking around to see who counts in this industry.

- Job portals - anyone can add such, but not every programmer will respond. A good ad includes information about the proposed salary, the scope of responsibilities and the employer's expectations. Examples of good ads can be seen at

​​Attractive working conditions - what do programmers expect?

So, how to attract the attention of candidates? Of great importance is the form and content of the ad. The ideal offer for an IT candidate is: aesthetically pleasing, legible, clear and... specific. When reading the ad, he should be clear about the scope of responsibilities, the tools and technologies used in the position, development opportunities and financial prospects. Instead of writing "attractive terms of employment," it is worth indicating what this means specifically. Slogans such as "challenging tasks," "developing environment," "innovative projects" and "interesting benefits" may have different aspects, meaning something different for everyone. Therefore, it is very important to respond to the needs of candidates and precisely define the conditions at the very beginning of the recruitment process. The same applies to the requirements for candidates - it is good to define in a concrete way what is mandatory and what skills are welcome.

Programmers, for the most part, are passionate about their industry and expect to understand and be up to date in terms of basic knowledge in the field. They like clear communication and a concrete plan of action in the hiring process. They are often very analytical people who receive many career proposals, and who need to know from the outset what the point and purpose of the conversations being undertaken is.

Conduct an effective recruitment process - adapt to the group you are recruiting

In the IT industry, time is of the utmost importance. Programmers are often highly sought-after specialists, with many job offers to choose from. Therefore, the speed of the recruitment process is crucial. Lengthy and complex recruitment procedures can discourage candidates and make them choose another job offer. Therefore, it makes sense to optimize the recruitment process by eliminating unnecessary steps, reducing the time it takes to respond to applications and scheduling interviews as candidates are able. This may also require coordination between different departments within the company, such as HR, the technical department or the recruitment management team, to make the process run smoothly and efficiently.

Candidate experience and the recruitment of IT professionals

In this industry, candidate satisfaction is key. Sending an inappropriate offer, not taking into account the gender of the potential candidate (writing "Dear Sir" instead of "Dear Madam" in the message), can discourage candidates not only from a particular recruitment, but also leave a distaste for the company as an organization. Therefore, it is worth carefully checking the profile of the person to whom you are writing and verifying that the message to the candidate is appropriate. The intuitiveness of the application form and its length can also affect the candidate experience. The longer the form is, the less chance someone will get to the end and apply.

In conclusion, we need to be sure that we make every effort to reach the best potential candidates. It is important to keep in touch, to give feedback after the recruitment process is completed. A professional approach in IT recruitment translates into the overall image of the company and makes it easier to recruit IT employees in the future.