Common Misconceptions About Engineering Recruiting Firms
There are a lot of misconceptions about engineering recruiting firms out there from both employees and employers. Over the years we’ve heard them all – here are some of our (least) favorites, and why they are easily disproven:
MYTH 1: ENGINEERING RECRUITERS ONLY RECRUIT FOR POSTED POSITIONS
This is a common one, held by both job-seekers and employers. Engineering or otherwise, any recruiting firm worth it’s salt always has its eyes peeled for skilled talent to add to the roster. It’s just a matter of practical business sense – recruiters need to be able to fill positions quickly with qualified candidates at the drop of a hat. There’s no such thing as too much talent.
MYTH 2: RECRUITERS ONLY CARE ABOUT FILLING THE ROLE
Another myth easily busted by practicality. Though engineering recruiting firms certainly focus on filling open positions, it is important that the arrangement works for both sides. As such, it is important to take the concerns of all parties seriously. A band-aid solution might earn a quick buck, but it will scare away talented engineers and quality employers.
MYTH 3: RECRUITERS ONLY FILL CONTRACT POSITIONS
We don’t hear this one as much these days, but it is still worth addressing. Recruiters place permanent positions too. Skilled engineers can usually secure full-time work through engineering recruiting firms, if that’s what they are after. Sometimes the process might require starting out in a contract position and then using that as leverage, but the work is out there.
MYTH 4: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING RECRUITING FIRMS DON’T KNOW TECH
Engineering recruiting firms might not be as tech knowledge as the software engineers they are recruiting, but some core tech fluency is a basic job requirement. Recruiting firms, or at least good recruiting firms, can’t recruit for skills they are unable to identify.
MYTH 5: ENGINEERING RECRUITING FIRMS ARE ALL THE SAME
On some level this may be true – all engineering recruiting firms are the same in the same way that all basketball players are the same – engineering recruiters try to recruit engineers, while basketball players try to score points. Within that broad, all-encompassing framework there are still major distinctions. Just as Nikola Jokic is a better basketball player than Tony from your rec league, some engineering recruiting firms are superior to others.