The recruitment of technical talent appears to be at an all-time high, especially in relation to app developers. The pool of talent for app development is changing relatively frequently, which makes the search for the technically-savvy, flexible, and culturally-aligned candidate challenging. This blog explores the biggest obstacles of recruitment managers when seeking the perfect app developers as well as ways to overcome these obstacles.
The biggest problem faced by recruitment managers is how to source the required number of qualified app developers. An exemplary app developer with technical and interpersonal skills and shares organisational and company core values and organisational culture. But, it is not easy to come across such candidates sometimes. The labour market is saturated, and the first choice calibres are usually inundated with offers from a variety of employers which makes it difficult to gain and sustain their attention.
There are several drawbacks that accrue to mobile development agency that are unable to attract qualified app developers. Recruitment turns into a lengthy process, thereby increasing the overall costs of hiring and, ultimately, project timelines. In addition, unleveled hires can result in the organisation having low productivity, poor quality of work, and, eventually, high turnover. A recent survey conducted by ManpowerGroup shows that 77% of employers claim to have a shortage of talent. Because of this shortage of talent, it is challenging for the company to progress and achieve the innovation needed in the market.
To reach ‘sleeping giants,’ it is necessary to develop good employer branding. This includes coming up with a marketing message that encompasses features and benefits that set the company apart from its competitors, its mission statement, and the kind of corporate culture that it upholds and promotes through various media. Attract potential candidates on social platforms, at career fairs, and through networking and direct messaging. Emphasise mobility, promotion prospects, and non-technical advantages that people would not get while working for another employer. Finally, advocating for current employees and using the success stories of such employees can be used when crafting a story for marketing the company to get the best talents.
Although a significant amount of work has been done to resolve the problem, the skills gap persists in the tech sector. About 48% of potential employees first require training in order for them to be fully productive. These skills range from technical app development skills to basic digital literacy. Many recruitment managers discover that those eligible for the job do not possess the practical knowledge or the skill set that is required for the given position.
The skills mismatch can be detrimental in several ways. First, it lengthens the onboarding process, which means that new employees will not be quickly assimilated into the team. Second, it requires extra organisational investments in training and development, which can be a drain on resources. Third, the lack of available skilled app developers can result in compromising candidates, and this could lead to the development of poor-quality products and a long development period. LinkedIn conducted a survey where 44% of the new hires were revealed to have a skills mismatch, which also worsens the situation.
To effectively tackle the problem of skills mismatch, one cannot wait around for things to happen. The government, together with different companies, should develop and implement training and development to close this gap. By working with schools and other educational facilities, it may be possible to develop a new course or certification that produces a workforce with the skills needed. Opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and technical skills development from companies like Ateamsoft Solutions and being able to provide ongoing education can also help boost the skills of staff with time. By encouraging learning, it is possible to maintain a knowledge of current technologies and advances within the industrial setting of a business.
Competition for the best mobile app developers is pretty intense, and the price for hiring professional mobile app developers continues to increase. With increased competition, especially from new start-ups who are bringing new innovations in products and services, recruitment managers must be able to market their companies with ease but at a reasonable cost. It results in higher employee wages, which can create pressure on their financial resources, especially for small firms and new entrants into the market. Furthermore, there is a high attrition rate within the industry, particularly in the IT sector, which worsens the problem. According to the SHRM, 53 % of employees are very likely to change their organisation by 2024, which illustrates the stiff competition in the labour market.
The cost implications of participation in talent wars appear to be more keenly experienced by the smaller organisations, mobile development agencies and young sub-organisations, for instance, the start-ups, because it will often be difficult for them to facilitate remuneration packages that some large conglomerate organisations can. This threatens to raise costs not only of recruitment and training but also of turnover as the competition makes it difficult to keep good app developers on the payroll. High turnover contributes to the situation; thus, employees remain inexperienced for long because the organisation cannot retain them for long. Such a cycle of constant recruitment and talent attrition can hamper sustained processes and, in turn, output and creativity.
At present, outsourcing to countries like India is one of the most effective measures since the quality of work performed is very high compared with costs. Web development is cheap in India, and many web development companies and website development companies are technically sound and dedicated to delivering quality work that matches international standards; it, therefore, pays to consider outsourcing from India rather than sourcing locally. Furthermore, many outsourcing businesses can also relieve the burden of recruitment, infrastructure provision, and control, thereby decreasing the costs and administration effort.
This approach also enables US-based businesses to avoid the steep costs of developing their own web pages, level the competitive playing field, and reduce competition for talent by outsourcing to Indian web development firms in conjunction with a mobile development agency. By following this tactical approach, it guarantees them a large number of skilled app developers and also offers them the most economical, effective, and reliable supply of their web development requirements.
The selection of app developers requires more time than many other occupations and involves several stages. There are several phases and interested parties in the recruiting process, including review of resumes, interviews, tests of technical proficiency, and evaluation of organisational compatibility. This extended timeline can result in numerous drawbacks, as the top talents may be paid offers from other companies while waiting for the employer’s decision.
Wasted time in the recruitment process leads to candidate dissatisfaction, high costs, and time-consuming productivity. A vacancy for a period of time will have serious consequences on the organisational performance in terms of productivity and time. Deloitte claims that as much as 79% of HR professionals agree with the statement that AI will become important in hiring decisions within the near future and, therefore, calls for efficient recruitment. Furthermore, strict screening to evaluate technical competencies and critical thinking as impediments creates further hindrances, claiming more time and possibly harming the company’s image.
To streamline the recruitment process, companies should leverage technology and automation tools:
Applicants with clear technical skill sets are sometimes hard to come by, adding to the problem of an inability to find suitable candidates with specialised know-how and the interpersonal skills that come with teamwork. Some of the requirements prerequisites for individuals to be hired include coding skills and knowledge of development frameworks. However, factors such as interpersonal, communication, and conflict-solving skills, flexibility, and the ability to work as a team are just as relevant since collaboration and effective project implementation are vital as well.
When it is impossible to find those candidates who possess a well-proportioned set of skills, certain problems arise. A lack of soft skills may be problematic for technically skilled app developers to hold effectively, resulting in confused communication and a lack of well-coordinated teamwork. On the other hand, strong, soft skills but inadequate technical skills mean that the candidate will require further training and consequently slow down project completion. According to a study conducted by LinkedIn, 88% of employers said that soft skills are either crucial or even more significant than technical skills, which puts pressure on the candidates.
In order to overcome this challenge, behaviour-based assessment must be applied during the interviews. Such assessments can review contextual factors, including the candidate’s ability to communicate, work in a team, solve problems, and adapt. Structured interviews based on clear questions and concrete top-bottom rating scales can be successfully applied to identify soft competency skills. Furthermore, using case studies and group assignments during the interview is a second set of criteria that can shed light on how the candidate interacts with others and solves problems in a real-world context.
It is very important to look for passive candidates, those who do not look for a new job but might be among the most skilled and experienced ones. Yet, the task is often not easy – to reach and appeal to these candidates. They are generally satisfied with their job positions and may not be frequently browsing through various job postings or opportunities.
By not being able to source passive candidates, the app development company loses great talents who have the potential to become part of the organisation. Such candidates may be rich with experience and knowledge, which is always helpful when facing the challenge of multi-functional application development. However, companies often fail to develop proper algorithms to reach out to passive candidates and that can narrow down the talent pool and, hence, the option to get the best candidate.
To reach these passive candidates, recruitment managers should incorporate networking efforts in their search process. This entails attending trade shows, webinars, and conventions where candidates may be in attendance. Therefore, the active posting on company social media pages, as well as the use of professional platforms such as LinkedIn, also helps pool passive talents. Text messages or emails sent directly to the passive candidate or targeted content that show the strengths of the company as an employer can have a positive effect on the candidate’s indecision and motivate them to begin a search for a new position.
Communicating expectations to candidates and ensuring that they agree on the salary, benefits, work hours, and opportunities for career advancement is a challenge. As was already stated, candidates come with great expectations, and it is important to meet such expectations in order to attract the best app developers. This is because when expectations are not met, people are generally dissatisfied, turnover rates are high, and this affects the organisation’s image.
There are several consequences if the candidate’s expectations are not managed properly. For example, candidates may opt to pull out of the recruitment exercise if they are not satisfied with what they have been offered, thus wasting a lot of time and money. Furthermore, it sometimes happens that candidates join a company only to find that the work environment is not what they had in mind, thus resulting in early turnover and demotivated employees. The above misalignment may also tarnish the image of the app development company and thus make it difficult to attract talented employees in the future.
Candidate expectation management requires transparency and clear communication. Recruitment managers should ensure that information about the job opening, salary, other remunerations, and prospects for future advancement is shared when the candidates are being sourced. This compass includes general topics such as job prospects, growth and development, and corporate culture and values. Candidate attraction can also be enhanced by offering realistic job previews and having candid conversations with the candidates about their expectations and what the company can offer.
There are many problems recruitment managers encounter when searching for talented app developers. For every challenge, there is a solution: attracting qualified candidates, bridging the skills gap, reducing competition, and maintaining a balance of technical and soft skills cannot be handled haphazardly. Through the use of better recruitment techniques, developing and promoting a capable employer brand, and proper assessment and engagement, these challenges can be tackled, and the best talent can be secured for app development projects.
