Today, it’s all about software. Wherever you go there are signs of some piece of new and updated software working its magic, from the traffic lights that govern vehicles and pedestrians, to mobile applications that make your daily life and tasks that much easier. From a business’ standpoint, software is not only optional, but critical when adapting to the changing landscape. Outdated methods of operating and marketing your brand are no longer viable to survive, much less thrive, in your respective industry. Your business needs to stay on top of your business’ software by hiring the right software-fluent employees. If you aren’t sure how to attract the right talent, check out the tips below.
Understand what your business needs
It makes sense to first identify why your business needs software expertise. Are you planning to launch a mobile app or website for your brand? Do you need someone to manage the server side and database of your existing software systems? It’s important to understand that software is too broad of a term and that specifics must first be established. There are easily dozens of programming languages, web frameworks, libraries and so on, and not knowing what you need can lead to hiring the wrong team of software developers and engineers.
Stalk them online
Stalk might be a strong word, so let’s just say aggressive networking. Check out potential hires or third-party services professional profiles on LinkedIn as well as their social media accounts, such as Facebook or Instagram. Do they eat and breathe software? Or are they more interested in other ventures and hobbies? Looking at their bios on these social networking platforms is a good way to weed out the drones who are just working for the weekend from the passionate and driven techies. In-person interviews can tell you a lot about a candidate, but it’s costly to bring in people for an actual tech interview so it’s best to make sure the people you bring in actually know their stuff.
Educate your employees
Your existing workforce may benefit from online courses and seminars that instil technical skills and knowledge including how to set up their own servers, how to connect to databases, and how to wield specific technologies to streamline day-to-day operations. Invest in educational materials and encourage them to hone their software skills. Retraining your employees is far cheaper than having to hire and train software engineers and web developers. You can even offer incentives and scholarships for employees looking to go back to university to study an IT degree or another similar qualification that can get them ahead.
Hire graduates
Hire people who have just graduated from a Computer Science or IT degree. Check out developers who recently finished an intensive boot camp. These professionals are eager to prove themselves and usually offer their services at more competitive rates in exchange for the industry experience that they gain from working for your company. While most employers go the conventional route of looking for the most experienced people in the market, going with the rookies can yield the same quality results with lower costs.
Make the application process effortless
You can turn off tech professionals by having an unintuitive and cheap user interface for taking CVs and job applications. Most entrepreneurs focus on the client experience when designing their website or mobile app, but you should also design an easy-to-use “Career” or “Apply Now” section that is enticing for any prospecting candidates. Let them jump hoops with the technical part of the interview, but make sure applicants can easily send in their CVs and CVs in a few clicks of the mouse button.
Hiring more employees who are fluent in modern software designs and tools can empower your business by minimising costs and boosting productivity and efficiency within the workplace. Use the five tips mentioned in this article can help to filter through your candidates and find tech-savvy employees who fit your business’ culture and can help you create a better, safer, and sleeker customer experience.
How did you find software-fluent employees? Let us know in the comments below!
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