Going global in hiring tech talent seems more and more not only a viable but also an inevitable option. Let's see what are the key challenges and how a local "friend" could make it easy to overcome them.
The pandemic challenged us to move work online last year fast, with the hope that we will soon return to normal. But then we slowly started to realise that “normal” is just one way we used to do things before and we may never really return to it. Partly because we will not be able to for a bit longer, and partly because it proved surprisingly productive and can also help us tackle the climate crisis.
Today, online work looks to stay with us and be very much part of our long term futures, too, part of a new normal.
The side effects on tech recruitment?
- Digital industry going strong: Companies soon realised last year that they needed to speed up digitalisation to accommodate to a new, virtual way of work and living, and also to stay relevant. Investments in European tech grew last year, and together with government intervention to tackle the economic recession helped the industry to further expand.
- The tech talent gap narrowing down: Several other industries suffered, and thousands lost their jobs or started to worry about job security. In some countries this led a trend in re-skilling to tech and the narrowing of the tech talent gap narrowed in some countries for the first time in a long time.
- Recruitment going global: All those miles and kilometres between companies and work force seem much less relevant than before. Remember, tech is the field where 99% of workers can sit behind their laptops and do their work from anywhere in the world. Or at least from parts of the world in similar time zones. Our new, online way of life just opened us to a new, global tech talent market.
To fuel further digital growth and find the best of the international tech talent, however, you must step out of your comfort zone and focus on 3 key challenges in this new, global playground. We believe that getting help from a great local partner might not just help with these challenges, but in the end make all the difference for you. Let’s see exactly how.
1. Don’t compromise: Find your true fit
"Though helpful, it is not about whether the person was from MIT, Harvard or Google.
The first thing to look out for is a fit. The values of the company and candidate must align.”
[Desmond Lim, CEO and Co-founder, Workstream / recruitment.com]
Once we presented a selection of junior tech developers fitting the requirements of one of our clients. They interviewed each and we were surprised to learn that they did not finally pick the person with the most relevant project experience. We asked our client why. It turned out that the student they picked was an enthusiastic table football player. Our client has football tables in their office and the game is a big deal for them, core part of their culture. They saw a group of similarly skilled engineers, and in the end, this small detail made all the difference for them.
Fit is obviously not just about hobbies. Often it is about values, drive, communication skills, feedback style, attitude to failure, openness to challenges, resilience to stress, a good vibe, and many other soft traits and skills.
But how do you find your true fit outside of your direct network, during some zoom interviews, from another country, probably with subtle cultural differences? This is the first challenge.
What works for our clients from around Europe is to let us use our local presence to hand-pick the best talents for them and offer them a short list of candidates matching their corporate style and culture. This works only because we make sure we get to know each other well in the beginning.
Also, we develop tech professionals that we ourselves would be happy to work with. We make sure to grow and nurture talents to become not only the best digital experts, but also great international team members, too.
2. Don’t lower the bar: Demand quality
“Recruiting tech talent is about finding the right mixture of technical skill and culture fit. Neither can be sacrificed for the other — you really need both.”
[Marc Boscher, Founder & CEO, Unito / recruitment.com]
Sure, fit is must have, but skills and experience are just necessary, too. You need the best competences in place for each specific role and task to get work done fast and in the top quality.
But how do you make sure there is real, practical and relevant craft behind the degree, the confidence and the industry terminology your candidate is flaunting at the interview, when you are out of your own networks, without your usual points of references? When a growing number of non-tech workers are looking to re-skill to tech fast, taking the easy way with short bootcamp courses?
And how will you find knowledgable experts in an international market with experience in your technology, which may be big in your country, but possibly less relevant in others?
First of all, a local “friend” with credentials and a proven track record can help you our here. Obviously no one will know better the quality of local tech resources than a really good local tech talent agency or training partner. You will want to look for one with a transparent, thorough selection process and a tried-and-tested training methodology.
To make sure your demand for specific technologies is also met, sometimes tailor-made trainings are the best and cheapest solution. When looking for a partner, make sure to check flexible curriculum options, too, adjusted to your needs specifically.
In the end, what really takes the pressure off is to have guarantees in place, like flexible trial periods and different sourcing and training options. Hiring is a huge commitment. Make sure you have a chance to try and test candidates first, and make big decisions only later.
3. Don’t lose momentum: Hire fast
“The number one gap I observe in the market between candidates and employers is hiring timeline!”
[Chris Menendez, Lead IT Recruiter, Hays PLC / recruitment.com]
Regardless of wherever you hire from, your deadline remains the same. Digital change is faster than ever and you need the right people to make it happen today – tomorrow is already late.
How do you manage to find and get the best candidate with the right fit and skillset fast enough in a vast global talent market without your well-known channels and processes?
We suggest you look for a partner with a big and active network of quality tech talents readily available and flexible recruitment processes, offering you access to a top talent fast lane. The complete hiring process from our students and graduates normally takes 4 to 7 days for our clients, from briefing though short listing and interviews to sourcing agreement. Why waste time when there are resources available and work to be done?
These are just a few of the challenges that a local digital training and hiring agency can help you out with in global recruitment. Local laws, tax rules, international security regulations and bureaucracy are also so much easier to navigate with the help of a competent, experienced partner with end-to-end service offerings. With all these off your shoulders, global recruitment might not even push you out of your comfort zone in the end.
Codecool has offices and programming schools in Hungary, Poland and Romania currently, and is opening new offices in two further European countries this year. We’re serving 200+ clients all over Europe and our 1000+ graduates work at companies around the world. With our proven training methodology and flexible curriculum, hands-on selection process and pro recruiters we are ready to help you, too, as your local tech talent development and recruitment partner.