Your company’s sales team has been in overdrive and they’ve just landed a series of new contracts. This is great news, but it also means that you need to hire new tech staff to satisfy your clients’ needs. But you’ve noticed that the software developer hiring process can be very inefficient. A common issue is that new hires are slow to get up to speed, and you need a tech team that runs at close to maximum efficiency from the start. This is where temporary staff can be extremely beneficial to your company. Temporary staff are chosen through a hiring process designed to ensure you get the best results as soon as they start.
As you’re developing your hiring process for software developers, IT professionals and other tech staff, you’ll need to have a firm understanding of what these staff do in the course of their job and how they do it. For this reason, it’s advisable to work with your tech team leaders or department managers to develop the exact protocol for hiring.
Questions Your Software Developer Hiring Process Should Answer
Some aspects of your tech hiring process will be common to the entire division, whereas other elements will be specific to certain subdivisions or positions. To get started, you’ll want to spend some time on the following considerations:
• What kind of development methodology do you utilize? Virtually all modern tech teams have transitioned from a waterfall methodology to an agile methodology. Scrum is king. That said, many companies will adapt the standard methodologies to suit their unique requirements. For this reason, it’s critical that you understand the standard development methodologies and identify any areas where your company’s methodology departs from the traditional path. You may then consider candidates’ qualifications with an eye toward using your particular methods.
• How does your tech team coordinate and manage workflow? Methodology aside, how does your team coordinate workflow on a daily basis? Do you hold daily meetings or require team members to provide status reports? Do you use a portal like Jira to help coordinate your workflow? Do you have development team leaders and group captains that lead smaller sub-groups of 5 or 10 people? Understand how information is shared, how duties are determined and assigned and how everyone communicates/coordinates as the project progresses from phase to phase all contribute to job performance. Knowing these particulars can help you find individuals or teams of developers with the right mix of soft skills to fit in from the start.
• What’s your company culture? Your company culture can have a major impact on the day-to-day lives of your staff. For example, if you have a very relaxed company culture, where it’s acceptable to wear casual attire and bring your dog into the office, then this must be conveyed to staff. Conversely, if your company prefers a more rigid, formal, pet-free work environment, then new team members will need to be aware of this information.
In fact, company culture is essential information that should be mentioned during the hiring process, whether it’s a permanent employee or a temporary employee. Many companies assume that cultural fit is less important when seeking temporary team members, but a mismatch in this area can have a very adverse impact on productivity (both for the temporary staff and your permanent employees). So it’s vital that all you hire for cultural fit so the talent feels comfortable in your company’s unique workplace environment.
Hiring for Permanent vs. Temporary Staff
You’ll want to consider how the hiring process may differ for permanent staff versus temporary staff. Generally, the process is going to be more comprehensive for your permanent team members, regardless of whether they’re part-time or full-time employees. Temporary talent, by contrast, generally only needs to provide themselves with the information required to complete the project at hand.
Temporary software developers and tech staff do require some degree of post-hiring integration in most cases, particularly for more comprehensive, multi-month projects. Again, screening for the right soft skills during the hiring process will help make this process as smooth as possible.
That having been said, temporary tech staffing services may be a good solution if your company lacks the consistent work that you’d need to justify hiring a new employee. A tech staffing firm like iTech can work with your company to understand your short-term needs. Then, we can work to assemble a team that can work on-site, enabling you to leverage your in-house tech professionals in conjunction with temporary staffing resources. This software developer hiring solution is not only cost-effective in the short-term and in the long-term, but it’s also an opportunity to take on projects that you might otherwise be forced to pass up. Savvy company leaders will also use this opportunity to refine their hiring process for software developers and IT staff, helping new talent go from 0-to-60 much faster.
At iTech, we have special expertise in IT consulting and temporary on-site staffing services. This means we’re well-positioned to provide you with the talent and the advice you need to enjoy maximum productivity beginning with day one. With strategic offices in Dallas, Texas and South Burlington, Vermont, among other regions, including Canada and India, We know that time is money and our team works with companies across the United States and beyond to provide on-demand developers and IT professionals suited to your project specifications. We encourage you to contact iTech today to learn more about how we can add value to your team.