The process of hiring specialists for tech projects is a whole different story from other industries. Traditional recruitment can only partially solve the problem; management should consider partners that can handle a more complex staffing solution. Recruiters who understand the tech niche and can select the right candidate to fit a position are the keys to successful collaboration. In this article, we will go through the main criteria that will help you to decide on the right tech recruiting company for your business.
Define the Level of Tech Expertise
A report from Harvard Business Review shows that 40 percent of businesses delegate recruitment processes to third-party agencies. Studying a potential recruitment partner’s specializations and major clients is the first step toward making the right choice. Some recruiters are used to dealing with various other nontech industries or primarily searching for candidates who have nothing to do with tech.
A company typically uses resources more efficiently by delegating recruitment processes to external teams. But general recruitment agencies are usually insufficient representatives for a tech company because of their wider focus and lack of niche expertise.
Other reasons to hire a tech-specialized partner are for their experience, in-depth knowledge, and ability to read between the lines. Tech recruiting companies deal with candidates of varying experience levels, from entry-level to senior management, and they help companies form outstanding teams in the quickest and most well-balanced manner possible. A professional agency will be able to home in on the necessary information from the applicants’ resumes, which brings the candidate search to a new level.
Where Should You Try Searching for a Recruiting Partner?
As a rule, recruiting agencies are more active on LinkedIn than on corporate web pages. Thus, the most straightforward way to determine a company’s expertise is to look through its corporate LinkedIn page to get a general idea about what it does. Studying a few profiles of recruiters who work for the company will also help to highlight the niches in which the company in question deals.
If you have business partners, they will likely advise you of some companies they have previously dealt with too. Word of mouth works well in this case, so don’t hesitate to ask about someone else’s experience.
Initial Questions to Ask
When a tech recruiting company catches your eye, you are likely going to want to dig a little bit deeper. Here are some questions to ask at this stage of the game.
- Which companies have you worked with? Have you received any feedback or recommendations?
- How long has your company been in operation? Do you have any previous brand names?
- What is the average time to fill an open position? Does your company have any guarantees?
- Can you provide resume-to-interview and interview-to-offer ratios?
- What are the fees?
- What is your approach to candidate selection?
Once you’ve ascertained the basics, it’s totally fine to take time and compare them with other companies. Keep in mind that you are delegating the important task of finding quality candidates who will bring your projects to life—so it’s okay to take your time in making the right choice.
The Candidate Search Method
Screening processes vary from company to company, which makes this a necessary question to answer before starting to collaborate with a recruiter. Below are some key questions to ask to ensure their strategy is compelling and matches your needs.
- Does the agency provide other ways to screen hard skills apart from reading a resume?
- What are the criteria for determining what is a successful candidate for a particular company?
- What are the tools used to check a candidate’s background? Is this check limited to the professional sphere, or is a general background screening also included?
Tech recruiting companies often go beyond the resume. They can estimate the candidate’s experience before passing the candidate to hiring managers, which is another advantage of moving the process to an external team. The perks of contracting out tech recruiting services include getting connected with professionals of the caliber you need, thus saving you from having to expend your own resources on screening candidates.
Choosing a Recruiting Partner Means Choosing a Company Representative
Choosing an agency should not be like going on a blind date. You will likely do a lot of negotiation and have at least a couple of meetings before agreeing to collaborate. Since the recruiting partner will act in your tech company’s name, you should pay close attention to their communication style, portfolio, mission and vision, and overall business image.
A top-notch tech recruiting company should be able to
- Hire candidates of various levels of proficiency
- Create teams from scratch
- Search for multiple candidates simultaneously
- Recruit for contract and permanent positions, both part-time and full-time
An external team is usually highly motivated to fill open positions with the right roles and desired conditions to satisfy both parties within a short period of time.
Partnership Evaluation
Once you’ve collected all the data, the next question is to find the tech recruitment agency with the best solution.
Budget, schedule, and quality are known as the “triple constraints” in project management. In any project, one of these constraints will have to be assigned a lower priority, and it’s up to management to decide which one.
Budget. Study the rates offered by recruitment companies. What is the average pay per candidate you’d like to hire? How is this price estimated?
Schedule. Compare the suggested time frame for filling vacancies based on the statistics they provided you with. Include some risks to get better project planning estimates.
Quality. When it comes to recruitment, the quality parameter means the level of a candidate’s proficiency. A tech recruitment company usually has a reliable pool of potential candidates with different skills.
Although they are the most commonly used criteria in project-based work, these evaluation parameters are not the only ones you can use to make a decision. You can rely on your experience, expertise levels, or any other essential parameter.
Decide on Project Resources
Each employee is an investment in the company’s future. Glassdoor reports that it costs a US-based company around $4,000 to hire a new worker. Plus, it takes almost a month on average to fill an open vacancy. Given that, companies should prioritize evaluating the resources they have for finding ideal candidates. The recruiting partner might be able to narrow the time frame or connect you, the employer, with both passive and active job seekers.
Big corporations tend to have their own recruiting departments that work on unique recruiting strategies to spot suitable candidates for their projects. Startups, however, are more likely to use external service providers due to having limited budgets. These limitations include not only money, by the way but also time. The recruiting partner should assist in estimating the time frames for building a team of professionals to start the work, which will make generating revenue that much closer to reality.
The Contract
The terms and conditions recruitment agencies offer are not always as flexible as you might desire. Before agreeing to anything, be sure to carefully study all points to avoid future misunderstandings and possible conflicts. A tech company should only consider partners with flexible conditions and ones that are able to adjust to the needs of their business. Flexibility is the first step toward successful collaboration.
Checking References
A tech recruitment company will likely provide potential clients with their portfolio, along with metrics and references. We’ve mentioned earlier that you might go the surreptitious route and study their profile on LinkedIn. You may not be aware, however, that LinkedIn also provides an opportunity to see the comments and discussions the author participated in. Glassdoor is another platform where you can obtain trustworthy feedback on the company while remaining incognito.
One additional method of information gathering is to contact the company’s references. In this case, feel free to ask about their overall experience and any specific details, unless they are under a nondisclosure agreement (NDA).
There is no unique road map for choosing the perfect tech recruitment company. Each project is unique and requires individual solutions. The tech recruiting company search is always about comparisons, feedback, and challenges. Professionals with broad experience are hard to find since they are always in demand. But with the right team of experienced talent searchers, you can find the specialist with the knowledge and skills you need at the best price.
Is your company struggling to recruit top-notch tech professionals? Look no further than Careerist. As a leading recruitment partner, we specialize in connecting organizations with the best talent in the industry. Learn more here.