Recruiting is never easy, but bringing in highly sought-after software engineering talent can be one of the most difficult and challenging aspects of recruiting today. To help, Glassdoor surveyed more than 1,400 software engineers* to find out what their job seeking plans are, when they're most likely to leave their employer, what would entice them to join a new company, and what they wish recruiters did differently. Here we share some of their feedback to help give recruiters an edge and more insight into what works, what doesn't and when might be best to ramp up recruiting efforts.
How to Recruit Software Engineers
Job Search Plans
It appears that the job search scene may be heating up as one in four (25%) said they plan to look for a new job in the next three months - this is especially true for those that have been with the same employer for 8-10 years. Nearly two in five (38%) software engineers with 8-10 years experience with the same employer plan to light up their job search in the next few months. This compares to approximately one in three (30%) software engineers who have been with the same employer for 5-7 years experience. However if you're looking to recruit a software developer who has been with an employer for less than a year, your efforts are not lost - just a bit more challenging. More than one in ten (15%) of engineers who have been with their current employer for less than a year said they plan to look for a new job in the next three months. If you're looking to make a hire soon, then use our free software job description template.
Effective Recruiting Tactics
While online job sites like Glassdoor are the most common way software engineers hear about new job opportunities (71%), software engineers shared some tips on what they also find effective when it comes to being recruited. Nearly two thirds (65%) say they find social media outreach from other engineers that work at the company hiring is an effective way to learn about new job opportunities, 41% say they appreciate meetup talks at the company hiring where they have a chance to connect with other engineers, and 33% say blog posts from engineers at the hiring company can help entice them too. The message is clear - let your engineers be a part of the recruiting effort to help attract other engineers.
See more highlights below in the Glassdoor infographic for recruiting software engineers.
Also interesting to note is that when it comes to how long most engineers like to stay with the same employer, the Glassdoor survey shows that one in four engineers (25%) stay with the same employer an average of 2-3 years, however 24% say they stay with the same employer for more than 5 years, and about 13% say they stay with the same employer for an average of 1-2 years. Interestingly, more than one in four (26%) male software engineers stay at a company an average 2-3 years, whereas more than one in ten (15%) female engineers say they stay at the same company for an average of 2-3 years.
Learn more about how Glassdoor can help you recruit for these hard-to-fill positions. Gain insights on how Guidewire and WeddingWire tapped Glassdoor to help with hiring software engineers and other IT positions. Also see what types of candidates are researching your company on Glassdoor by signing up for a Free Employer Account.
*The Glassdoor survey was conducted between February 12, 2014 and February 19, 2014. Results are based on answers provided by the 1,400+ software engineers who were identified as being employed full-time.
