SHOULD DEVELOPERS WORK WITH A RECRUITER?
I recently found an article on LinkedIn which outlined a conversation between a former IT recruiter and a .NET developer - with the eye-catching title, “Why Developers hate Recruiters” [1].
As I read through and learnt about developer ‘Elliot’s’ experiences, I found it hard to argue against the writers outcome; not that I agree with every comment made - I certainly don’t believe recruiters have the time to be promoting fake jobs - but the overarching statement of respectful, genuine communication being required certainly rings true.
Then I delved into the comments section; needless to say if you have a few spare hours to digest every argument made, it does make for interesting reading; however again, the message was clear - developers have very mixed feelings about working with recruiters.
So with this being the case, and with IT jobs being in such high demand, do developers really even need the help of recruiters to progress their career?
Let’s be clear from the outset, Caspian One are recruitment consultants that place developers into permanent and contract roles. In fact, developers make up over 60% of our candidate database, with the majority working with Java, JavaScript, SQL, UNIX, C#, and C++.
This means we have a somewhat unique world-view on relationships with developers and recruiting experienced tech professionals; particularly those with $70-£100k+/yr. salary expectations. It also means our approach to recruitment is significantly more tailored than what is usually deemed as typical, as will be discussed below.
What can a recruiter do for a developer?
A bad recruiter can be nothing but a source of pure annoyance to developers. Poorly written, generic attempts at mass communication that are ‘flowered up’ and overly friendly only serve to irritate; wasting the developers time and adding to the generalist ‘bad rep’ recruiters get labeled with.
On the other hand, a quality recruitment consultant can be an invaluable asset for a developer's career progression. They can open doors to roles not normally accessible, making you visible to industry leaders and huge networks of hiring managers; increasing your employability and supporting your career, both in the short and long-term.
The best tech recruiters will build relationships with job-seekers that allow them to succinctly present new positions - based on a detailed understanding of a candidate's history and expectations. They’ll be up-to-date with technology trends and programming languages; and although they may not write code to a candidate's standard, they should be able to hold a technical conversation with an educated understanding of programming languages and skills required.
Executive search consultants can fight a developer's corner during the recruitment process, ensuring you get the best end results. Keep in mind it’s often in a recruiter's best interest to achieve the highest salary offer possible, as this will be reflected in the commission rates they earn - its win|win if a candidate succeeds.
Whether a job is secured or not, an established relationship with a quality recruiter will pay dividends in the months and years to come. Contacts remain on a recruiter's radar and can be considered whenever suitable roles arise. Known developers then have immediate access to a recruitment professional who knows them, and will be ready to help when it’s time to make a change.
Can recruiters really match a developer's needs effectively?
The most successful recruiters will take the time to understand their candidates - assessing skillsets, experiences, personal characteristics, circumstances, likes/dislikes, favourite colour etc.
In support of this practice, at Caspian One each of our consultants focuses their efforts on a unique vertical. For example, Ryan Hughes is part of our North American FinTech team and handles the recruitment of Canadian JavaScript professionals. Whilst he may not be about to start building his own apps, Ryan is highly knowledgeable when it comes to Angular, React and Node - even managing the LinkedIn group ‘Angular.io Professionals - Toronto/Montreal/Canada’.
Whether a match can be achieved effectively comes down to two variables; the skills of the individual recruiter, and the honesty and openness of the developer in question. If a developer works with a recruiter that knows their skillset and is then clear about their wants and needs, a consultant can absolutely make relevant matches.
“My advice to my recruiting peers, who still like to convince themselves that their e-mail blasts don’t end up in a spam folder – "get a job where you can coast," and leave the IT recruiting and placement to the professionals who took the time to learn the technology and the people and the industry; who never forgot, that as IT Recruiters we are dealing with real people, who have lives, and mortgages, and car payments and student loans and children to put through private school and college.” - Mike Boatright, ‘Why developers hate recruiters’ comment section
Will a recruiter have a developer’s best interests at heart?
It’s often stated that recruiters don’t work for candidates, and only care about their client’s best interests [2&3]. This is a regular misconception. Yes, it is clients that pay for a recruiter service, not candidates. However, recruiter’s respect that IT is a candidate-led market, and although a developer may not fit an active role today they could be perfect for another job in a few months’ time.
Developers and recruiters should have a symbiotic-like relationship - with developers gaining access to new companies and jobs via skilled consultants, and recruiters growing their reputation based on successful placements. This grows their business, appealing to more clients and opening up even more opportunities for developers.
There will be cases where a recruiter contacts a potential job-seeker and it’s clear his or her priority is not the candidate. In this scenario simply put down the phone, delete the email, and find an alternative consultant to work with. Excellent recruiters exist, and they will also normally be the most successful and recommended.
Alternative to recruiters for developers?
Does a developer need a recruiter, no. Are recruiters the only tool job-seekers should take advantage of, absolutely not. Can jobs be found without a recruiter, of course. Recruiters should play just one part in the big ‘career growth’ picture, as at any time even the most connected consultants will only have a specific collection of roles available. Career coaches, recommendations from colleagues, networking and relationship building with target companies and contact, these are all alternatives which can be actioned alongside the recruiter channel.
The core benefits of working with a recruiter are their network, their knowledge of the recruitment process and access to their unique perspective on the market. Remember consultants are positioned centrally between candidates and clients, so can be savvy to market changes and trends before they happen.
What does a recruiter need from a developer?
Facts, honesty and a proactive approach. The more a recruiter knows about a developer's history and future goals, the better they can be serviced.
To do their job properly recruiters do need candidates to put in the effort too. A recruiter can spend hours learning about a developer, matching them to a job, putting them forward to a client and selling them to the hiring manager - but that’s all a waste if the candidate turns up to the first interview late, poorly dressed and entirely unprepared.
If support is offered, or advice given by an experienced recruiter, this should be taken onboard and actioned accordingly. In return, candidates should expect to receive regular updates on their job application, and honest, to the point feedback - good or bad.
In summary
Should developers work with a recruiter?
From our perspective, yes developers should build a relationship with relevant recruiters that hire in their niche vertical. However, they shouldn’t accept poor quality recruitment practices - there are good, bad and ugly people in all industries. We luckily, do not fall into that bracket and have been placing developers with leading investment banks and financial institutions for over a decade. To learn more about our services and available job roles, contact us here.
Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-developers-hate-recruiters-dualta-doherty/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/07/27/three-things-candidates-should-know-about-executive-recruiters/#178312441d2b
https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/15-recruiter-tips
