Hiring has become a tough battle in recent years as the demand for tech talent soared after the pandemic. Over 97 million new jobs may be created for AI-related roles in the next 2 years. As a startup leader, you may ask yourself how to find and assess suitable candidates.

Certainly, there are different solutions for different problems:

A large corporation with 1000+ employees can be well served by an HR department with 15+ people, as the hiring needs of such an organization generate a consistent workload for several in-house recruiters with different specializations. 

Limited resources 

However, if your company is a startup or a scale-up with around 25 employees, chances are that you don't have an HR department. Payroll is likely outsourced, while the management team takes care of the rest. The tech lead must handle finding the next developer internally, and the CEO validates the candidate through a final interview.

In theory, this approach seems viable. However, when a team needs to hire additional members, it's mostly because the current workload already exceeds its capacity.

They simply cannot give hiring the attention it deserves.

When resources are limited, partnering with an external recruiter can prove invaluable. They manage candidate sourcing, screening, and initial interviews, freeing up the team to remain focused on their core responsibilities: developing their product and serving their clients.

This becomes particularly crucial during phases of hypergrowth when teams need to scale rapidly. Outsourcing a significant portion of the hiring workload becomes paramount to maintaining smooth business operations.

Flexibility and cost-efficiency

Hiring needs fluctuate which makes it difficult to allocate internal resources to the task.

An external partner can step in precisely when you need them, eliminating fixed costs during non-hiring periods. Furthermore, the expertise required for each hire might vary; you might need a developer today and a sales profile tomorrow. Collaborating with different specialists for distinct roles makes perfect sense. 

Larger talent pools

Specialized tech recruiters boast expansive networks within the tech community, enabling them to harness these connections and engage with passive candidates who may not be actively job hunting but could be enticed by new opportunities. Often backed by an established market reputation and online visibility, these experts may have access to a more substantial candidate pool than recently formed startups. In the ideal case, they have cultivated partnerships with universities or open-source platforms, granting them access to unique, niche talent sources beyond the conventional paths.

Reduced time-to-hire

Entrusting the job to an expert means having someone dedicated solely to finding the right candidate for you, rather than attempting to do so alongside their primary responsibilities. This concentrated focus, combined with market expertise and access to a broader talent pool, can substantially expedite the hiring process.

Reduced hiring mistakes thanks to technical expertise

Recruiting for technical roles demands a profound comprehension of skills and experience. Ideally, this is something you'd like to involve your (fractional) CTO with. If they don't have time or are not present, consider working with a technical recruiter.

While a generalist recruitment agency may fill your hiring pipeline, you will still spend some time eliminating those candidates whose technical skills are subpar.

A specialized tech recruiter like madewithlove exclusively focuses on hiring for technical positions (we even take it a step further and solely focus on hiring software engineers).

Consequently, they possess the expertise not only to ask the right questions for evaluating technical skills but also to discern the significance of the candidates' responses. 

By understanding your requirements, these recruiters can determine if an applicant aligns with your culture and goals. 

More than just a coding test

By conducting a thorough evaluation of coding skills through practical exercises, we significantly reduce the risk of bad hires. 

Madewithlove's technical assessment extends far beyond the typical off-the-shelf coding test: In a take-home exercise, candidates have the opportunity to address a real-life problem based on a minimal Readme, with an infinite number of potential solutions.

We rigorously evaluate each solution, considering factors like code quality, documentation, commit history, test coverage, and technical choices. To maintain fairness and eliminate bias, each solution undergoes anonymization before our review.

Read more about our recruiting process

Deeper market insights

Good tech recruiters possess comprehensive knowledge of industry trends, salary benchmarks, and market standards. This includes insights into factors that matter to developers, such as preferred perks and elements that influence their decision between multiple offers. A seasoned expert can guide you in refining your hiring strategy to ensure competitiveness and attract the best talent.

A better candidate experience

Creating a positive candidate experience helps to build a strong employer brand.

Engineers, in particular, appreciate interactions with individuals who comprehend their field and can address their technical inquiries. While your HR manager may excel in drafting and reviewing employment contracts, expecting them to be well-versed in your tech stack is unrealistic. A specialized recruiter, however, can anticipate the questions software engineers pose during interviews, ensuring to keep them interested in both the job and your company.

Enhancing diversity

As a startup, your tech team has probably expanded organically thus far, with developers often bringing in friends they've studied or worked with in the past. While this method is notably efficient and dependable, it can result in relatively homogeneous teams. Diversifying your talent pool by accessing broader networks can elevate your company's diversity, a factor that undeniably fuels creativity and innovation.

In essence, partnering with a specialized tech recruiter transcends transactional hiring. It's a strategic move that equips you with the human capital and expertise necessary to pursue your goals as an emerging player in the market.

With a track record spanning several years, madewithlove has been at the forefront of assisting clients in technical recruitment. Our comprehensive recruitment process and extensive network of exceptional talent set us apart. Both our clients and candidates highly appreciate our technical acumen and the valuable feedback they gain throughout the interview journey. 

We're curious: What current hiring challenges are you grappling with?