Statistically speaking, one of the most in demand skill sets across the world are in the arena of software development, and rightly so. Reports suggest that there are at least 500 new tech jobs posted on job portals each week. With this demand rising through new startups and tech unicorns setting up shop in Singapore, there is going to be a talent crunch for companies.
Some also argue that sourcing for software developers is becoming a supply issue with more jobs than candidates. As IT recruiters, we want to ask you this question. In this complex environment, how do you navigate hiring a team of software developers and what are some of the things that you need to bear in mind when setting out to hire in Singapore? To answer some of these questions, we’re penning down some key points to consider.
Consider This: Why do you Need Software Developers?
The most logical conclusion if you have a software need, the solution is to hire a developer. What companies, managers and recruiters often don’t do is develop clarity about what exactly their development needs are.
Some interesting points to consider can include:
The type of employee that you’ll require. Do you really need a full time hire? Perhaps you just need a developer for temporary needs only for a short period of time.
Can the role be off-shored or outsourced? It is important to keep in mind that both are not the same. While offshoring can mean that you might decide to set up an offshore software team altogether. Outsourcing can still be done within Singapore either to another organisation or if you’re outside of Singapore, then through an employer of record (EOR) in the country.
Once you have this figured out, you can devise your strategy better whether you do actually need a team in house or if you can use these other approaches to get fulfil the work that you need done.
1. Develop a Pipeline
Just one stream of candidates from a direct job posting is not enough. In case you’re setting up a big team, you would definitely need to set up multiple streams. To this effect, you could consider sourcing candidates from employee referrals, job portals etc.
Particularly for software development roles, you can also use non-conventional sources such as Quora, GitHub, Blogs etc. for posts from people in Singapore, who can then be individually reached out to. Another approach could be campus placements as a separate pipeline which you can use for fresh graduate hires as well. This diversification will ensure that you source talent with appropriate skills and diversity. In fact, this is a technique that we would also employ while helping our clients.
2. Don’t get Swamped by Just Technical Expertise
You would ideally need a candidate who also fits your organisation, culturally, as we’ve spoken about here. However, there’s more to this than just cultural fit. In software roles, what is observed as a trend is that recruiters would often look at a candidate’s technical expertise and rush into making a decision. It is recommended that instead of taking this approach, the process of hiring software developers must be more comprehensive and should weigh both soft and hard skills together.
3. Standardise Your Hiring Process
When it comes to hiring for software development roles, there’s a trend that you can observe in terms of the specific technology competencies that are best suited for your organisation. It makes sense to have standardised tests/interview processes etc. for each of these roles based on your requirements.
This helps you benchmark against a specific criteria that you’re looking for in each role. Not just that, it will also allow you to monitor if a particular type of approach is working for you or not and will force you to be thorough and not make quick hasty hires.
4. Expect Honesty by Being Honest
In order to get the best fit for your software development team, as the recruiter, you must communicate clearly what the role entails and where the candidate sits in the team. Some candidates, for example, would like a fast paced environment which is more agile and lean, others might like the proper structures and hierarchy. Nothing goes to say which one is better but having clarity about the role from the get go will only attract suitable candidates for the position. This approach will also ensure honesty from the end of the candidate.
5. Do you Have the In-House Capacity?
Another critical thing to consider for hiring the right kind of talent is if you have the appropriate capacity in house in terms of other technical managers or technical recruiters to hire and maintain a team. In case you would absolutely need the hire but don’t necessarily have the capacity to make the right choice, it is always possible to engage professional services for finding the right talent.
With all of this put together, you can think about hiring a team of software developers for the needs that you specifically have. We recommend always starting with the first bit about finding out what your needs really are and taking it from there. Visit BGC Singapore for more information on how you can discover your organisation’s needs and requirements.
