5 Foundational Processes for your IT Hiring

In the IT industry, the hiring process can be just as competitive as the application process. With so many businesses requiring the help of great IT employees, finding the right candidates has had a real effect on tech hiring in Toronto.

One way to differentiate yourself from other businesses seeking IT professionals is to build a strong interview process. To help you begin building your ideal interview, consider these 5 foundational processes.

1. Think of Each Candidate as a Customer

When you speak to an applicant do you find that your attitude differs from the way you might speak to a customer? If so, changing your approach could deliver preferable results.

As a hiring manager, it’s easy to speak down to applicants as though they have something to prove. In an industry that has become so reliant on our tech talent, it’s important that each candidate feels important. By being respectful, making eye contact, and treating candidates as we would a loyal customer, chances are greater they will accept a job offer.

2. Plan and Practice Before the Interview

Tech talent recruiting isn’t a “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of process. Each role has unique requirements and you will need to design questions based on the key skills you need in order to achieve the outcomes you desire. The best place to start is with a thought-out Outcome Driven Job Description.

Being prepared with questions designed specifically for the role is key. The outcome you receive could rest entirely on the questions you ask and how you deliver them.

By reviewing each of the role’s tasks and the questions you’ve designed for your interview, you can see how they fit into your company’s culture and the requirements of employment.

3. Avoid Behavior-Based Interview Questions

Too many companies are sticking with the same traditional interview question opener, “describe a time when you had to…” These questions don’t always supply results because:

  • They may be rehearsed only providing you with a canned response

  • They reflect story-telling ability, not skill

  • They show how great a candidate is at being interviewed rather than doing a job

  • Statistically behavioral questions don’t result in the best candidate for a job

When recruiting tech talent, ask questions about job content. This shows you what a potential hire would do for your company, not just learn what they did for their last one.

Think of it like this, if you are hiring a chef, which approach will help you to know each candidates potential:

Behavioral question interview approach: Tell me about a time you prepared a three-course meal and what was the result.

Vs.

Job Content interview approach: Prepare a three-course meal

Clearly the Job Content question is going to provide you with more solid data. Designing questions using your Outcome-Driven Job Description around the actual work is a better approach.

For example, if you are hiring for a software engineer, you want to learn early on in the process if they can communicate clearly, if they can code and if they can create and think about algorithms. That’s where you start.  Create interview questions or a test that accurately capture skill level in these areas.

4. Select the Right Hiring Manager for the Interview

 Just as no two job applicants are equal, not every interviewer is suitable to evaluate a specific candidate. For example, a software engineer may be best assessed by another software engineer or the manager for your IT department.

Understanding the questions being asked and the processes involved helps determine whether a candidate knows what they are talking about and would work well as part of the current team.

And don’t discount that evaluating candidates takes practice and not everyone in your organization will be good at it. Some people should not be allowed to interview candidates including anyone who is not a good listener, disgruntled, underperforming, is feeling threatened by a new position or just anyone who will make a negative impression.

5. Refine Your Interviewing Skills

As we stated before, evaluating candidates takes practice. Before you try your new interview with a real candidate, give it a go with another employee. Test yourself to see if the questions you’ve designed give the right results. Video record the role-playing experience, so you can effectively rate yourself and the interview. This will show your strengths and weaknesses so you can make improvements.

For Tech Talent Recruiting in Toronto Work with a Tech Talent agency

Interested in learning more about successfully recruiting tech talent in Toronto? Contact Poly Tech Talent today. With our FlatFee IT approach, we work with job seekers and companies seeking talent, providing tools and guides to ensure compatibility.

For more valuable articles like this one, visit our Ultimate Guide to Hiring Executive Tech Talent.