To start, I’d like to refer to excerpts from a real conversation that go something like this:
Me: I would like to get a developer having an experience of about 3 years.
Recruiter/Manpower company (would be referred to as MC going forward in this article): That would be easy to find, so what skill set is required?
Me: Should have a fair understanding on LAMP as well as MEAN and ideally should have worked on them as well.
MC: So, a Java developer would be perfect for this?
Me: MEAN/LAMP? I hope you do understand these terms.
MC: Yes of Course, give me a week, I will start lining up candidates for you.
Certain terms were agreed upon and papers were signed.
We are a small unit of dedicated developers and as we grew, so did our infrastructure. As our applications used all sorts of stacks, we needed a developer who would be proficient in handling these. Rather than going through the online portals like Naukri, Monster, LinkedIn (which are pretty expensive), we took the chance and went with an MC. We were under the impression that the candidates that would be sent to us would be interviewed or pre-screened from their inner circles and then sent to us.
A week later all my assumptions were put to rest when I received candidates having worked only on PHP or .NET. They had never heard of Apache or Node.js, leave aside LAMP or MEAN. These candidates were lined up via multiple MC’s not just 1 and all of them had committed that they understood the requirement and would be able to fulfil the position. Also, there were times when the same candidate was sent by multiple MCs!
What is wrong here?
The MCs have not been able to keep track of the change in skill set in the advanced technology space. They were used to the mass hiring model by the IT giants where average skill sets were needed. They have not been able to transition to the startup model and the chances are they would struggle with it.
How do the smaller companies hire?
Hiring for smaller companies is always challenging. The requirement is extremely specific, where every employee needs to contribute and hopefully be billable. Time is not used efficiently when posting jobs on platforms such as Naukri etc. as you get quantity and not quality. Let’s keep aside the poor User Experience associated with this process. Startup and SME hiring needs to be smarter and more efficient as this is a make and break moment for all.
Are all MC’s incompetent?
No. But, there are no guarantees and such MC’s can be expensive for the long-term
Is there any solution that exists?
Yes, there are multiple platforms that are helpful in hiring – MyQapp.xyz, InterviewBit to name a couple. On these alternate platforms, the audience is the one that is extremely receptive in nature, fast and you can expect to find a candidate with the relevant skillset you may be looking for.