Secret to Attracting the BEST Technical Talent (STEP 1: ditch the recruiters)

It's why the best coaches have the most successful teams.

I have spent a lot of time recruiting and hiring for my teams. Developers are especially difficult  to recruit —  especially on a budget ,  but price (high or low) is not a reliable indicator of competencies or value. After many years, I have found the best results when doing the recruiting myself. No three recruiters could bring resumes as good as what I can get myself just by advertising and screening the candidates myself.

• Recruiters aren’t coders. Their ads show it. While they might be getting correct information from the client, it too often is misinterpreted or presented in an awkward fashion. Especially when cold calling, recruiters are limited to the buzzwords they have been fed and really can't hold a meaningful conversation with the candidate. If you want to generate trust, you as the hiring manager need to make the contact. It's just as vital as the winning football team's coach making the calls to the best athletes.

• Specifics matter. When writing the ad, be specific about requirements — put it in the title! Guys don’t want to have to adapt to a new platform or environment every time the switch jobs. This is marketing, and specificity wins in marketing.

• Candidates want to talk with their new boss. By giving them a direct line to the hiring manager, it removes a lot of anxiety. They don’t want a middle man getting in the way.

• Everyone fears another "bad boss". This is especially true for candidates who have worked for tyrants or negligent bosses. When the hiring manager introduces himself up front, they can see that 1) he cares enough to meet you up front; 2) he's obviously a good communicator; 3) he will listen to me when I have questions.

• It takes one to know one. How often has a recruiting agency sold you the most wonderful resume that turned out to be either missing something vital or just didn't represent reality? As a hiring manager, your technical expertise regarding your project will help you to better judge candidates right out front, saving time, energy, and heartache.
  

I'm a big believer in delegation, but when it comes to the all-important job of engaging new teammates, there's really no substitute for the personal touch. The old "if you want something done right, do it yourself" line of thinking matters when it's a high priority, and hiring is one of those priorities.