Webinar Replay: How to hire and retain software developers

The Great Resignation is here and 69% of companies are reporting talent shortages according to a study by ManpowerGroup. What this means for businesses is that project timelines have become uncertain due to a lack of resource. 

We’re all facing the struggle to secure the right technical talent, but that struggle doesn’t have to impact our business objectives. 

We strongly believe in the power of sharing knowledge, so we gathered a few special guests together for a Masterclass and Q&A. The event offered a chance for you to hear the experts share their best advice for this challenging time. 

Some of the points discussed: 

• How to stand out in the market to attract the talent you want 
• How to avoid recruiting the wrong people when there’s a shortage of talent  
• Tips on managing remote and hybrid teams  
• What to do when you need support for your existing systems right now 
• How to keep your projects on track whilst recruiting 

The Hosts

• Lisa Venter, Synetec COO  
• Julian Roberts, Senior Consultant and Venture Manager at Selbey Anderson 

Key Takeaways

• Be proactive to attract candidates: Prepare your company’s ‘resume’. Website and social media speak a lot. 
• Make yourself easy to pick: The candidate needs to understand the company to be able to pick you. Make it easy for them to get to know you.  
• Describe softer aspects of the business. Example: CSR strategy is important for younger generations. Use that to attract strong candidates. 
• Informal interviews. Make it casual, relaxed, less structured. Build a connection with the candidate. If an emotional bond is built in initial interviews, the candidate is less likely to go for other roles. 
• Technical test should be the last step before the final interview, not the first hurdle. The candidate is more willing to take the test that way.
• Determine a culture fit: Ask about what they do in their downtime. This helps understand the person. 
• Priorities for employees, according to a poll: 1. Company culture. 2. Team. 3. Salary. 
• How to gauge if someone is bigging themselves up in their CV: You need to be in touch with the job spec. Delve into that in the interview. For example, ask about their typical day.  
• Managing a fully remote or hybrid teams: Tools for communication. Each person always included in company culture. A remote team must also be suitably equipped – don't just give them a laptop.  
• Power of the network. If you have a positive crew, you will get advocacy. Good developers know other good developers. Offer a referral bonus. 
• How to manage offshoring: Look at it as an extension of the team. Threat them the same: they’re on the same calls. Same info shared, no second or third hand knowledge. Watch the video for advice on how to achieve this.
• How to build a new development team from scratch: Watch the video and learn the two different methods for this. 

Further Resources to Help You with the Great Resignation

When you're operating mission-critical software, want to stay competitive and avoid missing key project deadlines, you should be able to trust that you have a development team who can deliver. Download The Ultimate Guide to Hiring and Retaining Software Developers to help you recruit the right development talent and avoid risk to your business. 

Waiting for recruitment cycles to finish may not be the best alternative for everyone during the Great Resignation. When time is of the essence, companies are partnering up with someone for development – to an increasing extent. So that you can follow best practice with outsourcing, learn about how your new partner should collaborate with you to scope the project.  

Did you have any questions that haven’t been answered around recruitment or securing your objectives? Please describe the challenge you’re facing so we can help you solve it.