Software Developer Recruiting Tips for 2021 (and Beyond)

Software developer recruiting requires striking a balance between the needs of the talent and the needs of the employer. On one hand, it’s important to provide companies with access to efficient, cost-effective talent that is suitable for their project and budget. On the other, it is essential that developers are happy with their position. Study after study has shown that disgruntled employees and contractors are not productive.

To make things easier, here are a few software developers’ recruiting tips for 2021.

Can’t pay top dollar? Offer improved work/life balance instead.

Money isn’t the only thing software developers look at when evaluating potential jobs. As a small business, you might not be able to offer candidates the same salary they can get at Google or Facebook but you can offer them more time to spend with their family.

For young parents and other people with outside commitments, an 80-hour workweek might not be feasible. In these situations, job flexibility and other perks can be worth more than the salary.

Think outside the box when looking for entry-level talent.

Thanks to online courses, masterclasses, and coding boot camps, software development skills are now more accessible than ever before. The traditional college pipeline still produces the majority of qualified applicants but it is no longer the barrier to entry it once was.

When hiring for entry-level or junior positions, consider expanding your software developer recruiting initiatives to look at self-taught developers who may have flown under the radar.

Look for experienced developers exploring new career paths

On the flip side, the COVID-19 pandemic has left a lot of experienced software developers out of work and/or disillusioned with their full-time careers. A few years ago, someone with experience as a backend developer with a Fortune 500 company looking for short-term contract work might have raised some red flags. Today, that exact situation is common throughout the tech industry.

Experienced software developers might command a bit more salary, but they earn it. At the end of the day, software developer recruiting is easier, faster, and considerably less stressful when you know exactly what to expect out of the candidate.