Finding good and talented developers and convincing them to work for you is not easy. But as an employer, it hardly helps to blame the shortage of skilled workers. Often there is simply a lack of the right recruiting measures in the company. So, this article is a useful guide to successful Angular developer recruitment.
Demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers certainly cannot be denied. However, companies are far from pulling out all the stops to attract the coveted young developers. In addition to many general tips for recruiting skilled workers, this article also provides specific information on how to find the right Angular developer.
Why exactly hire Angular developers?
Those who work with Angular can definitely greatly benefit your company because this framework for front-end development has many features that allow them to create amazing apps and websites.
How to hire Angular developer: full guide
- It doesn’t work without a job advertisement
Let’s start with the basics: the job advertisements. A look at the relevant job exchanges shows that the content of the advertisements does not exactly lure a programmer out from behind his computer. They seldom adequately describe tasks and employers. However, a job posting should convey that the job offers interesting tasks and fits a candidate’s life plan and personal preferences.
According to the study “The Software Developers Specialist Landscape 2015” by StackOverflow, 63.9 percent of developers consider product details to be the most important aspects of a job description. The software technology used in the company is particularly interesting for 33.3 percent. Good job advertisements therefore describe the technologies and programming languages used in the context of the task as vividly, practically and as close to the target group as possible.
- The right job title
Of course, important key terms should appear in the job title. As a rule, companies are ultimately not just looking for just any developer, but a specialist – such as an iOS or PHP developer. The job title should indicate this, because it is through it that suitable candidates can find the job advertisement in the first place. In contrast to the print media, the focus of an online job advertisement is not on the attractive and eye-catching advertisement design, but on the meaningful title.
Terms like “rock star”, “guru” or “god” are taboo for the job title. On the one hand, no developer is actually looking for them, and on the other hand, such ads are difficult to find. After all, it is about reaching (also) those who are not actively looking for a job, but more or less by chance stumble upon an advertised position.
- Company and job description
In addition to the job description and job title, a meaningful company description plays an important role in attracting potential candidates: What does a company have to offer as an employer? Why should a candidate apply here among all other companies? According to a study by the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, only 32 percent of 1,000 job advertisements that were examined name such aspects. This is where employers can really score.
The fact that a good job advertisement also includes the naming of the contact person and corresponding contact and application options is only mentioned for the sake of completeness. It should also be clear what kind of job it is: whether permanent or as a freelancer, whether project work or permanent.
- The career website
Even though the job advertisement is usually the first point of contact with a potential applicant, a company’s career website plays a much bigger role. Here employers can introduce themselves to their future employees, convey authentic insights into the company and, of course, present job offers. As with the job advertisement, this area must be easy to find. A direct reference from the job advertisement to the career page is therefore mandatory.
In principle, all visitors to a company website are potential employees – or at least multipliers. In this respect, the reference to job vacancies and the career website should be found on the home page and even on the sub-pages of a web presence. Many companies are giving away valuable potential here by foregoing this simple but extremely efficient form of addressing. The link “Jobs and Careers” should therefore be in the main navigation and not in the footer.
- Identify developer talents correctly
Speaking of talent – how do you actually recognize really talented developers? Joe Spolsky is the author of the book “Smart and Gets Things Done: Joel Spolsky’s Concise Guide to Finding the Best Technical Talent” and has blogged for many years on “Joel on Software”, a classic blog about software development. For him, there are some general references to highly talented programmers:
For example, anyone who has had a passion for programming since their early childhood should be shortlisted for them. Likewise, those who pursue their own programming projects in their spare time or who can demonstrate knowledge of unusual, modern or difficult programming languages as an indication of real expert knowledge.
CVs don’t reveal everything. Personal conversations are therefore essential. The effort is worth it, because it is not uncommon for valuable information to be teased out in direct conversations: Not every applicant mentions all the programming languages that they have mastered on their résumé.
Developers can be won over through special approaches: The hotel comparison portal trivago, for example, uses the source code of its website to refer to its career website.
A good developer does not necessarily have to have the appropriate training. According to the above study by StackOverflow, almost 50 percent of developers have no formal education with a regular degree. Employers who insist on demanding and extensive academic qualifications from their candidates are wasting valuable potential in case of doubt and reducing their applicant pool by almost half.
- The application process
Developers prefer to write code – and companies should adjust their selection process accordingly. Because when in doubt, programmers not only feel much more comfortable sitting in front of a screen than in front of a group of HR managers – the latter also do not always have the necessary know-how to be able to assess the skills of an applicant. Employers should therefore under no circumstances hire potential candidates solely on the basis of their CV and interview.
A good software developer can be recognized – in addition to his fit in the team – by whether he implements the development task assigned to him in an appropriate or shorter time and with an appropriate or better quality. This also corresponds to the findings of the StackOverflow study. As a result, the candidates want to prove themselves in the real work environment and by writing code.
A good employer also always involves its developer teams in the application process. In this way, not only can the practical skills be competently explored – a company also ensures that the new employee really fits into the team and that the chemistry between the colleagues is right.
With all this, one shouldn’t forget the duration of the recruiting process. Decision-making processes in the company often take several weeks. And a really good applicant rarely waits that long. The so-called shortage of skilled workers is not always just a lack of software developers – it is rather a lack of efficient recruiting processes.
Conclusion
It’s true: Angular developers don’t grow on trees. But there are many ways to woo them and win them over. Nobody claims that recruiting developers is easy. To speak of a shortage of skilled workers when all the stops have not been pulled out would be wrong. Companies that take only a part of the measures mentioned here to heart significantly increase their chances of getting the good talents enthusiastic about themselves.
Little list of 10 most important job criteria for developers that you, as an employer, should pay to.
- Personal growth and continuous learning in and with the company
- A first-class team that fits together perfectly
- Freedom of design and a high degree of influence on your own work
- Creative work and trying out new technologies
- Outstanding technical work environments and hardware
- A bright, friendly work environment with daylight and ergonomic workplaces
- The opportunity to work when you are most creative
- Retreat areas for concentrated work
- Integration into the visions and goals of the company
- Enthusiasm for the company’s products
Thank you for reading and good luck in hiring the best developers just for your company and all the best on your programming path!
