Recently we polled 500 Software Engineers in Miami and a shocking 80 percent said they’d had a negative experience with Headhunters.
That’s not ok.
Headhunters are crucial in connecting talented people with the best new jobs. The “hidden jobs market” is a real thing, and sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know.
Software Engineers told us that the Headhunters they’d worked with previously (i.e., not us) were too slow, didn’t know the market well enough, and could be downright rude.
We think it’s fair to say that not all Headhunters were created equally, so how do you know if you’re working with the right one?
Look for a specialist
There are a lot of Headhunters out there, and all of them will claim to be an ‘expert’ in whatever they do. While they might know everything there is to know when it comes to recruitment, they’re a lot less likely to be a specialist in your field.
Even a “tech specialist Headhunter” might not really know their Java from their JavaScript. Let’s be honest, with 3.72 million tech jobs in the US, can anyone really call themselves a specialist?
We only recruit for software engineering roles – and there are no exceptions to that. In fact, we recently refused the opportunity to find 200 new recruits for one of the biggest businesses in Germany because they weren’t what we specialise in.
Get really specific
As well as only hiring Software Engineers, we also ensure our consultants only work niche markets. Take Will Youle, our Java specialist in Miami for example. He’ll be talking to a completely different set of candidates to Alex Beaumont, our JavaScript expert.
Software Engineers in Miami told us that Headhunters didn’t know enough about their specific experiences – something we’ve never been accused of. Our consultants all have a niche market because this helps them find the right candidate for their roles – and means they’ll never waste a candidate’s time with an irrelevant job opportunity.
Check their credentials
Let’s say you’ve found a Headhunter who specialises in Software Engineering, and they say they only recruit in the field you’re working in. How do you know they mean it?
Our consultants learn to code in whatever language they are recruiting for. We pay them to continually improve these skills every week because we know how valuable they are when it comes to determining the skills and experiences of our candidates. When we say our Consultants understand your role and speak your language, we really mean it.
Ask about their processes
Headhunters slowing things down was another point of frustration from our research. This is the opposite of what Recruiters are supposed to do; working with us should make your job search easier.
Fortunately, that’s exactly what will happen when you work with develop. We use technical testing to determine the exact skills of all our candidates, so you’re never put forward for an opportunity that isn’t right for you. Plus, you don’t have to jump through several rounds of technical testing that you know you’ll never use in the role. Our testing is specific and concise.
We also significantly reduce your time to hire – and have helped some of our clients decrease their hiring time by up to 50 percent. We’ll only ask you to do what’s necessary to make sure you’re a good fit for the role. The rest of the work, we’ll do for you.
A successful relationship with a Headhunter means you get access to the best jobs on the market. For more information on working with develop, please get in touch.