How do you hire top software engineers?

Not everyone who starts a software company is a software engineer. You just need an idea to start a business, as well as good business sense to make it grow. Even software engineers might not be the best at finding and screening other software engineers, and sometimes it’s too expensive for companies to hire a recruiter. Even if you hire a recruiter, you still need to screen the candidates with an interview.

So, we have our work cut out for us today. First, let me start off by cluing you in that you can complete the entire screening and interview process without knowing a single line of code. There are services out there that do that for you, such as Codility, and you don’t have to hire a recruiter with places like Dragon Cloud or Upwork.

How do you put together the proper toolchain to source the best of the best? Simple. It’s the same process that Dragon Cloud uses to ensure we hire the top 5% of engineers we interview. These guys REALLY know what they’re doing, and they’re communicative with our clients.

Step 1: First things first. Assess what exactly you’d like to have your engineer do. Are you looking for a full-time web developer, or a part-time web designer? (Do you even know the difference between a web developer and a web designer?) Perhaps your goal is to find someone who’s a mobile app developer. The list goes on. Oh, and don’t forget to decide if that person will be an employee or if a third-party contractor or agency will suffice.

Step 2: Once you know exactly what you’re looking for, it’s time to write up a description of the work they will complete, as well as any skills the person must have. Don’t get too crazy with the skills. Only list what’s absolutely necessary, or you might throw away someone who could build you better software with a different technology stack.

Step 3: With your write up in hand, find a company to aide you in your search. Don’t get sucked in by Indeed or ZipRecruiter preaching that they’ll send loads of candidates your way. I’ve personally tried services like that, and the fact that I’m not a recruiter meant that Excited Dragon was paying hundreds of dollars and not getting anywhere. Recruiters make the big bucks for a reason. If you can afford a recruiter, you might try one. Dragon Cloud uses OpExpert, and when we need people, we usually fill the role within 2 weeks.

No money for a recruiter? That’s okay. Perhaps you’d like an agency or a marketplace. Upwork and Dragon Cloud can help you fill the position, and Dragon Cloud allows you to skip the hiring process entirely, as we do that part for you. Upwork gives you the opportunity to try your hand at hiring in case Dragon Cloud is still too expensive for your needs.

Step 4: Write up of what you’re looking for? Check. A company to help you fill the position so you don’t fumble around in the dark? Check. Now it’s time to execute. Send your message to the world so you start getting leads. If you’re using a recruiter, they’ll usually pre-screen people for you. With Dragon Cloud, you can start your project immediately, as you get to skip the hiring process. When choosing Upwork, you should get some leads almost instantly, and have a good number of candidates in a couple days.

Step 5: Now it’s time to do the interview. Remember, you don’t need to know how to write code to do this part, but you need to know how to screen out crap engineers, and most people can’t do that. In fact, 50-75% of all clients who shop with Dragon Cloud have made a bad hiring decision when hiring a software engineer, and they come to us to fix the mess the contractor caused. (Hint: Don’t hire that $10 per hour contractor overseas! They’ll suck you dry and leave you with no code or broken code. USA isn’t completely innocent either, as there are bad engineers all over the world.)

Step 6: You’re in luck! I’ve created a course on “How to Hire Top Software Engineers,” and it’s included free with your Inner Circle membership, just like any later courses will be included. Don’t want a membership? No problem. You can still grab the course for only $194.99 on Udemy. (Far less expensive than the thousands of dollars, and years wasted on a bad hire!)