Software Developers: Let The Battle Begin

If you hold any ground in the technology industry then you must be aware of the war for talent that is brewing as we approach 2013. Software developers are a special kind of army – they hide in the shadows, honing their exquisite skills and expertise.

The thing about these software developers is that they only come out for the really great battles – the ones people will remember for years to come. They know their worth and work for the pleasure of working, not because they necessarily have to.

“The great software developers, indeed, the best people in every field, are quite simply never on the market.”
[Joel Spolsky wrote this 6 years ago, but it could very well have been 6 minutes ago.]

There are some good software developers in this world, and they’re worth fighting for

Firstly, you have to understand that they’re probably very happy where they are. You need to sell them a company, team and lifestyle that are of a higher standard than they already have. They value their skills and the people for whom they demonstrate them, so it’s important to show that you value them as much as they deserve (which, if you haven’t gathered yet, is a lot).

However while they are a very sharp bunch, they don’t know everything. Challenge them as a potential employer and make them aware that they’ll be able to learn something from you.

Scottish software companies take matters into their own hands

One of our clients has learned exactly how to find the elusive talent that they require. When it comes to key hires, they take it upon themselves to find their candidates directly. They then turn to recruiters like us when they need specialist knowledge and a deep network pool to find passive candidates who otherwise would have flown under their radar.

With their own direct approach along with the joining of forces with recruiters, they have developed a system to find their ideal software candidates that has resulted in a great deal of success for their brand.

What this tells us is that while a company will know exactly what they need, the key to finding it is to use people with specialist knowledge (yes, like us!) who know what these software developers want from their next opportunity and whether or not this employer is the one to offer it.

It’s time for the graduates to take a stand

This is where the graduates take the baton. As we mentioned last week in our 2013 Predictions, companies are opening up and experiencing better times. This is giving them the confidence to stop insisting on hiring developers with 3+ years experience, a pool that doesn’t exist as no one has hired a graduate since before the recession.

Graduates know what they’re doing; they’ve been developing software since they were 10 years old. Because of this, by their third year of University they are far more experienced than any other student. Graduate software developers are not as scary as employers once thought.

So when will the war end?

Will it ever? There will always be a very small number of good, available software developers and an even smaller number of great ones. But by knowing exactly what you’re looking for and using skilled, knowledgeable and trustworthy recruiters who understand the needs of software developers, it’s possible to find these talents. Plus the great thing happening as 2013 approaches is that companies are now growing confident enough to hire graduates again and this hopefully continue, meaning that in three years time when companies are asking for graduates with 3+ years experience, there will actually be some!

We’d like to talk to software developers and employers in Scotland! If you’re interested in letting us chat to you and ask a few questions about the industry, get in touch at hello@enigmapeople.com