Tips For Improving The Technical Hiring Process

Technical hiring is a specific process of recruiting employees for positions with technical knowledge and skills. Since staffing is a time-critical activity, you should set up a layout for each step of the process. This will ensure that no actions are unnecessary and that they only contribute to making the final hiring decision.

When putting together a hiring process, aim for consistency. This not only allows you to speed things along, but it makes it easier to compare individual applicants.

Start by generating a standard list of questions you will use for each candidate. You can also save some additional time by having the same people conduct each interview.

In short, a smooth technical hiring process is all about getting rid of unnecessary steps, while keeping and streamlining ones that move the candidates to the next stage faster.

While every company has different individual needs and limitations, the fundamental framework for a technical hiring process should look similar to this:

1. Reviewing resumes: assessing the skills and experience of the candidates and determining if they’re the right fit for the role.

2. Phone screening: checking the availability of the candidates, determining their level of interest for the position, and inquiring if they’ve applied for other jobs at the same time.

3. Technical testing: using a practical test to check the candidate’s level of skill.

4. In-person interview: checking the finer details of their technical skills and ascertaining their social skills. This stage is also a good opportunity to say more about your company and the job they're applying for.

5. Background and reference screening: verifying the provided references and conducting a background check.

Outlining the set of procedures is just a starting point. Once you have the basic layout, you can fine-tune it further by cutting out unnecessary or time-wasting steps to speed the process further.

Here are some things to consider:

1. Improve your job descriptions

Did you know that your job description can directly impact the quality of the applicants you get? To make certain you’re not wasting your time and money on unsuitable candidates, you should provide all the information in the job description, including the salary you’re offering.

With a clear description, potential employees can quickly understand if they want to apply or if they even fit the criteria. This will significantly decrease the number of applicants - which is a good thing in this context as you’ll end up only interviewing better candidates.

2. Describe your technical hiring process to candidates

Transparency is key, and you and your applicants can both benefit from being open about your process and expectations. By doing this, you can see to it that only the candidates that want to move forward get to the interview phase. On the other hand, your potential employees will appreciate that they know exactly how long the entire process will take.

3. Identify any bottlenecks in your hiring process

Once you have a clear technical hiring process, eliminate any unnecessary steps that are inconvenient for both you and the candidate. For instance, there’s no need for the applicant to meet all the employees - only the ones relevant to their roles. 

4. Stay in touch with your applicants 

Most, if not all applicants value being kept in the loop about their progress in a hiring process. That way, they’re not stuck wondering if they’ve been eliminated, and you minimize the chance of them accepting another offer because you appeared inactive.

This is especially true if the process drags out longer than anticipated. Send them an email to spark their interest, provide an update, and schedule their next interview.

It’s also helpful to set the dates for each step (interviews, technical assessments) beforehand and share them with the candidates. 

5. Don’t be shy from straying from the process

Depending on the different circumstances of the role you’re trying to fill, it might be beneficial to stray from the process a bit. 

For example, if you’ve come across the right candidate, you can remove certain steps to speed up the process. That way, you’re avoiding the risk of losing a perfect employee simply because you waited too long or dragged them through unnecessary stages. This is particularly true if you’re already familiar with their technical skills or they come with a trusted recommendation.

Let’s say you’re hiring a senior developer whose work you’re familiar with - you don’t need to perform a coding assessment since they have a proven track record.

6. Outsource a part of your technical hiring process

What to do if you’re struggling with a part of your hiring process or you simply don’t have enough time to make radical changes to an existing one? 

Simple - take yourself out of the equation by outsourcing a part of the task.

By reaching out to a recruiting firm or a tech staffing agency, you’re receiving access to a large talent pool that you can leverage to quickly fill positions without the extra hassle. In doing so, you’re also eliminating the need to advertise your job postings and review resumes, as well as avoiding losing time conducting phone screening.

In short, an external company may help get these basics out of the way before providing you with a short list of the best candidates you can then interview.

By taking on this approach when hiring highly qualified candidates, you’re positioning yourself as a company that can attract top talent even in a challenging job market. Most importantly, you’ll attract only the applicants who are willing to join your organization.

If you need additional help with hiring IT staff, feel free to reach out to Griffin Global today. We can help you with every step of the process and ensure that you connect with the right employee.