Here at Tech Talent South, we understand better than most how difficult it can be to hire the right tech talent. Numerous factors go into every interview to make sure that you’re getting the right person for the job. However, finding the candidates may not be your biggest problem.
Hiring for a technical role is a little bit different than hiring for a traditional one. Here, we’ll walk you through a few common tech hiring mistakes to avoid so that you don’t have to waste time or money finding the perfect candidate.
Setting Salaries Too Low
Hiring managers know that balancing budget constraints with competitive salaries is a difficult task. When it comes to tech candidates, though, you shouldn’t be trying to low-ball them. These are professionals with very niche skills that you’re interviewing. Even if the job is entry-level, you’ll want to make sure you’re offering a competitive salary. Remember that hiring a bad candidate can cost at least 30% of an annual salary alone, so you should look at a good salary as a wise investment in your staff.
Believing Candidates Don’t Have Other Options
Unlike other positions, the power of choice actually goes to the candidate when it comes to the tech industry. You may typically have your pick of the litter with other positions, but tech candidates have their choice of job openings as well. Tech Talent South’s programs prepare these candidates for any situation, and as such, they are in high demand by many companies. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking they need you more than you need them.
Not Testing Technical Skills
This point should be obvious, but if you’re hiring for a technical position, you should always test the candidates’ actual abilities. Looking at a resume can only tell you so much about a person—if you really want to know how they’ll perform, you’ll need to see how they actually work. Adding a skill test before hiring on any candidate will help you gauge if they have the exact skills you’re looking for, and it will filter out any less-than-ideal candidates.
Taking Too Much Time
Unfortunately, your candidates won’t wait around forever. If they get lost in the system of hiring, interviewing, and testing, they’ll just move on to another offer. Again, tech jobs are a buyer’s market, so if the candidate doesn’t like how long you’re taking, they will start talking to the next opportunity in line. Make sure you show potential candidates that they are your top priority by not wasting their time, and you’ll find them to be much more amenable.
Hopefully, seeing these common tech hiring mistakes laid out has made you more aware of them. Tech Talent South aims to put you in contact with the best tech candidates possible. Our Hartford coding bootcamp brings out the best in our students so that you can be sure you’re getting a competent and hard-working candidate for your company.
Now that you’re familiar with some of the most common mistakes, you can take steps to avoid losing out on quality hires because of these common pitfalls.
