How to win at in-house technology recruitment

The UK’s skills gap is wider than ever, and great candidates are like gold dust, with Time to Fill (TTF) on technology roles sitting at an average of 61 days (12 working weeks). This massive recruitment challenge for UK technology companies means it’s essential that your company stands out from the competition.

At Quality Engineering consultancy Roq we have found that a great candidate experience is vital when growing a technology company workforce. The company recently became a Platinum accredited Investors In People Company, which recognises how Roq has improved its performance through the management and development of its people.

The accreditation independently validates how much Roq invests in the team, and we are now keen to share what we have learned about recruitment and onboarding for in-house technology recruitment teams.

Roq has created the White Paper called From Recruiting To Onboarding to share the company's experiences and lessons learned on enhancing the candidate experience from recruitment to onboarding for in-house technology recruitment teams. Here are some of our top tips.‍

Position your business as an employer of choice‍

The skills gap is creating a cry for help from the technology industry, with businesses in the sector now having to position themselves as an employer of choice and well-performing company. Employers can no longer pick from a vast pool of applicants, as candidates are now more selective about where they apply. Businesses looking to recruit new staff must now consider the candidate’s criteria.

The company Criteria reports that the following are all top priorities for candidates when job hunting:

• Work-life balance
  
• Opportunities for career advancement
  
• Pay
  
• Good management and/or team to work with
  
• Positive work culture
  
• Sense of purpose at work
  
• Employee benefits
  
  

So, making potential candidates aware that the business covers the non-financial bases as much as the financial ones, will make candidates significantly more receptive to working there. Since the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of working from home and flexible working, many more candidates now expect flexibility. Hence, work-life balance is currently ranked higher than salary when looking for a job. Hybrid working can save money on travel and time commuting, making the hybrid way of working, if it works, more attractive to potential employees.

Use a wide range of recruitment resources

A candidate must also be interested in a business. Recruiters are now picking from a smaller pool of candidates and competing against one another for potential employees. But, with a wide range of recruitment resources currently available, approaching and engaging with potential talent can happen in many ways. Some of Roq’s preferred sourcing routes include careers pages; networking sites; social media; marketing campaigns; careers fairs; headhunting; internal and external referrals; and reconnecting with previous applicants.

Offer a positive interview and hiring experience

Once job applications are in, how do the steps that follow reflect on the ability of a company to gain an employee? We have found that providing a positive interview and hiring experience is key in enhancing the probability of role acceptance. A positive interview experience creates a positive look for the company and can start a significant relationship between the employer and potential employee and increase employee retention.

When it comes to staying in a job, happiness in a role also plays a major part, alongside pay and employment flexibility. A great application and interview experience also make it more likely that a candidate will accept a position and turn down other company offers. LinkedIn confirms this with their research showing that 65% of candidates saying that a bad interview experience makes them question whether they even want the role they applied for.

Give quality feedback to every candidate

I believe that whatever the outcome of the interview, it’s good practice to contact the candidate and give constructive feedback. Every Roq candidate will receive a call from me to talk through the feedback. I want to ensure they feel heard and respected so that even if unsuccessful, they have a great candidate experience with us. We aim to leave the door open for opportunities in the future.

There is now more to recruitment than securing people who fit the job description. Businesses now want to ensure longevity and happiness (of the candidate, clients, and the rest of the team). Over a quarter of employees (28%) are willing to quit a new job in the first 90 days if they’re unhappy, proving that candidates (and employees across the board) are now looking for their employer of choice and not 'just a job'.

Ultimately, there is now more to recruitment than securing people who fit the job description, and great candidate recruitment experience is vital when growing a technology company workforce.

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Sean Gray, Talent Acquisition Manager at Quality Engineering consultancy Roq

Sean is responsible for welcoming new people to Roq and managing Roq’s talent acquisition function from end to end. That means sourcing great candidates, managing the interview process, onboarding new colleagues, and developing and evolving our recruitment strategies and initiatives.