Finding qualified software developers has become one of the most demanding challenges in today's business world. At a time when digital transformation and technological advancements dominate, the lack of talented IT professionals is an ever-increasing hurdle for businesses. In this technical article, we will dive deeper into the world of recruiting for software developers, present best practices for successful candidate acquisition, and cite real-world examples from the IT world to back up our expertise.

Software Developer

The ongoing challenge: the search for software developers

The IT industry is experiencing steady growth, and demand for highly skilled software developers far exceeds supply. According to Stack Overflow's industry report, 85% of the companies surveyed reported having difficulty recruiting software developers. Competition for the best talent is intense, and companies must use innovative approaches to stand out from the competition.

Strategies for effective candidate acquisition of software developers

1. targeted employer branding

Employer branding plays a critical role in attracting software developers. According to a survey by Glassdoor, 69% of applicants say they look closely at a company's reputation as an employer before applying. A real-world example is GitHub, which is not only known as a code hosting platform, but is also valued for its open source initiatives and developer community.

2. active use of developer communities

Membership in relevant developer communities can be an important resource for candidate recruitment. Platforms such as GitHub, Stack Overflow, and Dev.to provide opportunities to connect with talented developers while demonstrating expertise. One example is GitLab, which actively participates in open source projects and thus attracts developer interest.

3. establishing an effective tech assessment strategy.

Effective tech assessments are essential to objectively evaluate candidate capabilities. According to a study by HackerRank, 82% of companies consider technical assessments a critical component of the selection process. One real-world example is Atlassian, which uses coding challenges to test candidates' technical skills.

Examples from the IT world / software developers

Example 1: GitHub's developer community

GitHub has built a vibrant software developer community that goes far beyond hosting code. They promote open source and enable developers to get involved in various projects. This strong community has helped establish GitHub as an attractive employer for developers.

Example 2: GitLab's open source participation

GitLab is not only known for its DevOps tools, but also for its commitment to the open source community. This has led to GitLab being known by software developers as a company that not only develops products, but also helps to strengthen the development community.

Example 3: Atlassian's Coding Challenges

Atlassian relies on Coding Challenges to assess the technical skills of candidates. This allows the company to test candidates' skills in real-world scenarios while ensuring a fair and objective assessment.

Statistics and facts 

According to a survey by Harvey Nash and KPMG, 65% of IT executives consider a lack of talent to be the biggest obstacle to executing their business strategy.

According to CodinGame's Global Developer Hiring Landscape 2021, 68% of the companies surveyed said it takes them longer than one month to fill an open developer position.

As experts in IT recruiting at indivHR, we know how challenging it can be to find and attract highly skilled software developers. If you are looking for innovative strategies to attract the best talent in the IT industry, we invite you to book a free initial consultation. Together, we can develop the right solutions to take your candidate attraction to a new level.