These Tips Will Help You Crack the Code to Hiring Employees for Tech Jobs

Sage Anderson
·5 min read

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While it may not seem like it lately with the sting of layoffs from tech giants, mid-sized and smaller companies are still hungry to push the boundaries of technical innovation, always looking for new talent. Technical recruiting comes with its own challenges, as not only are highly-skilled workers in positions such as data analysis, UX design, and software development in high demand, but the talent pool still remains relatively limited. Hiring for any specialized labor force is going to come with its ups and downs, but don’t fear.

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If you’re looking for tips for attracting and hiring tech talent, above all else, you’re going to have to be proactive with your hiring process. More industries than ever before rely heavily on technology for everyday operations, and you can no longer post up a listing, sit back, and wait for top tech talent to send in a tsunami of applications — not only do talented tech professionals have a slew of choices when it comes to choosing what their position will look like, they’re also closely evaluating the value of the companies they want to work for.

You’re also facing a workforce that are competing for higher salaries and more perks than the average population — you can’t undersell what your company will be able to provide, and you’re going to have to be willing to negotiate with talent who already have top-billing at other companies. But that does mean you have to go back to recruiting entirely through trade fairs or college campuses, either. But be mindful that not every site you post on will be the best job board for tech jobs. Sites like ZipRecruiter allow you to cast a wide net with a large database of listings, but also use algorithms or filters to match candidates with the skill level you need.

Ready to start your search? This is how you’re sure to find tech talent online.

1. Post On the Right Job Boards For Tech Positions

While sites like Built In and Dice have a network exclusively looking to hire for tech jobs and startups, ZipRecruiter is our favorite site for finding tech employees online, thanks to a few key functions that help streamline your recruiting process. The site uses a powerful matching algorithm and AI technology to create instant matches between you and employees whose skills fit your bill. This makes it especially helpful if you’re looking for someone already in a senior management position, and you’re not looking to do extensive networking to fill those kinds of positions.

Don’t mess with social media positing either — with just one click, ZipRecruiter can automatically send your listing to 100+ top job sites. With this increased visibility, your business is likely to find the most qualified technical candidates in a shorter period of time. Best part: you sign up and create a ZipRecruiter account for free.

2. Use Assessment Tests To Determine Skills

If you are a non-technical recruiter, and it can be difficult to assess a candidate’s tech or IT skills in an interview without that baseline knowledge. Using a skills assessment test is a great way to verify a potential candidate’s skills, and also at its core, show how one handles a challenge. Make sure to choose a test based on what’s most relevant to the work going to be done for the position (you can use previous work samples if necessary), and keep it short and objective.

Speaking of short — keep your hiring cycle short, especially for technical jobs. Most skilled tech professionals either have a wide network or receive a lot of offers, so having to completely multiple skills assessments or endure a weeks-long hiring process is a huge turnoff.

3. Put the Correct Tech Terms In Your Job Listings

Familiarizing yourself with technical jargon and understanding the differences between the terms is an effective way to write job listings that will source the best tech talent. You want to write job descriptions that are not only enticing, but show that you fully understand what responsibilities you want your candidate to take over when they’re hired. A “Back-End Developer” job description won’t be the same as a “Full-Stack Developer”.

One feature particularly helpful for tech jobs is ZipRecruiter’s customizable templates for job descriptions, different positions, and screener questions that simplify the processes of writing listings, so you can get them up quickly and hire in no time. You can also take down a job posting and swap it for a new one when the position is filled, so there’s no more waiting a certain number of days to keep a posting live.

4. Up Your Company’s Presence In The Tech Sector

While you could always hire a technical recruiter, an easy way to increase your reach is to send recruiters to tech worker events, or going to local networking parties that feature fellow tech companies. Don’t want to do in-person events? You should also join tech groups online, marketplaces, websites, and community forums to scope out the landscape.

Besides the usual social media feeds, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you’ll want to advertise your company locally as looking for tech experts specifically. This way you can reach remote and in-person workers depending on what you’re looking for. Certain job sites include tools meant to increase reach, like ZipRecruiter’s “TrafficBoost,” that give your job posting a little extra boost, including increased placement and visibility across their linked job boards. You don’t have to establish your company as a tech authority to show your credibility through these methods.

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