Companies: Remember That In Tech Recruitment, You’re Being Interviewed, Too

And It Was Going So Smoothly

If your company is conducting tech recruitment in search of a top candidate for a senior technology position or another role that requires extensive technology experience, you’ve probably become aware of just how difficult finding the right match can be. Sure, you got tons of resumes — many from highly qualified candidates (and probably just as many from highly unqualified people).

You sorted through the resumes, scheduled phone screenings, and then set up in-person interviews for those that made it through. You had your eye on a few specific candidates who had the experience, leadership, and technical knowledge you were looking for. Easiest tech recruitment process ever, you thought — until you met with your top two.

Both interviewed well, answered your toughest questions, and demonstrated the leadership and decision-making skills you were looking for. Their experience levels were perfectly in line with what you were looking for. The first was a bit more experienced, so you made an offer — but got turned down without even an attempt at negotiation. Surprising, but all right — on to the next! You extend the offer to your second candidate, who thanks you and seems interested, but they want to negotiate remote work into their role. You’re an in-office, 8–5 setup, so you decline. Shortly after, they do, too.

Great. Your top two candidates both turned you down. Now you’re back to contacting less qualified candidates, who — because of the time it took to hear back from you while you were courting your first two — took other roles and are now unavailable.

What went wrong?

Unfortunately, you’ve been looking for that magical technical unicorn in your tech recruitment — a candidate with a rare or specific combination of experience and technical knowledge, and you found the person you thought would be perfect. But while they delivered what you were looking for, you didn’t deliver what they were looking for.

Match Magic with Magic

This is an easy trap to fall into with tech recruitment. Companies focus too much on finding the right candidates based on experience and technical knowledge. They think that if they find the right person, the opportunity will naturally be appealing to them because it matches their background perfectly. Why wouldn’t they want to take it, right?

Here’s why: In this area, less than one percent of technology professionals are unemployed — which means competition is fierce for the right talent. In the Greater Chicago and Milwaukee areas, this is compounded by the fact that technical talent is even less available. When you’re competing for top technical talent, here or anywhere, you must be paying attention to more than just the candidate’s experience and skill set. You need to think about how your company appears to the candidate.

More than ever, candidates in the technology market have options. Technology is constantly evolving, and with that growth comes multiple opportunities for employment. Candidates don’t have to take what they can get — they can take what they want.

While you’ve been hunting the magical technical unicorn, they’ve been looking for something just as magical. A significant factor in that isn’t just money, either. The compensation is already there. What matters more is the environment in which they’ll be working, what the work-life balance equation is, what the perks of working with your company are, and, above all, what the people — i.e., culture — of your organization is like.

If you want to secure the best talent, ensure you’re leading with more than just strong compensation. Consider what you have to offer and tailor your tech recruitment process around that. Do you offer remote days to give employees a break from heavy traffic commutes or public transportation? If not, consider what candidates’ commute times will be. Will they have to drive more than an hour to get there (and home)? In the long run, would they be happy? Or would they get worn out and leave?

This isn’t something that should be communicated or demonstrated late in the process, either. It all begins with your first interaction with candidates. Let them know who you are, what you believe in, and how it will make their careers and work-life balance better. Remember, a company is more than a building, product, or service — it’s people and the attitudes, skills, and drive that they collectively bring to the table. If you’re not making it a magical experience for them, don’t expect any magic in return.

CultureFit Makes Tech Recruitment Shine

At CultureFit, we recruit talent but staff culture because we believe in the power of culture and what it can do for your company. It goes beyond the tech recruitment and hiring process, too — having candidates that match your organization’s mission, passion, and values will reward your company now and in the long run. We partner with you to help you find candidates that match your culture from the start — ensuring that the candidate is fulfilled in their new role and that your business is able to move forward with confidence.

If you’d like to touch base with our team on how you can improve the tech recruitment process at your company, or if you’re in need of a new placement, please don’t hesitate to reach out.