In the modern digital world, competition for technical talent is on the rise. With industries rapidly becoming more digitized, businesses across Pakistan need skilled developers, data analysts, and other technical professionals who can manage projects requiring digital innovation and growth.
However, finding the right technical resources is not easy. Headhunting requires more than just posting a job ad on a portal and waiting for applications. Companies need to be creative, and target sourcing strategies to stay ahead in this talent war.
Build a Strong Employer Brand
Technical professionals are often selective about the companies they work for. They look for organizations with innovative projects, a strong mission, and a culture of learning and growth. Having a strong employer brand is key to attracting such talent.
A robust online presence can influence a candidate’s perception of your company significantly. To build a strong brand, it is usually effective to showcase your company’s values and work culture on platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and your website. Sharing work-related success stories, highlighting exciting technical projects, and encouraging current employees to leave positive reviews online.
For example, well-known companies like Careem and Systems Limited have built strong reputations as tech employers in Pakistan, making them magnets for technical talent.
Leverage Job Boards and Portals
In Pakistan, platforms like Rozee.pk and Mustakbil.com are popular among job seekers, including those in tech roles. HR professionals can use these and other online job portals successfully as one of the most accessible ways to find talent.
You just need to make a detailed, targeted job description, to have a higher chance of attracting the right candidates.
To maximize your reach, you can focus on:
- Creating clear, concise, and engaging job posts.
- Highlight unique aspects of the role, such as opportunities to work on cutting-edge technologies.
- Strategically use keywords to ensure that job posting ranks well in search results.
Tap into Niche Platforms and Communities
You need to use specialized spaces like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and Behance. These are spaces where technical professionals often gather for discussions and problem-solving.
For example:
- GitHub profiles can reveal developers’ coding skills and contributions to open-source projects.
- Stack Overflow users often share insights into their problem-solving abilities through Q&A threads.
Being active on these platforms allows you to find candidates or pick up referrals for the vacancy you have. You can build your presence on such technical forums by engaging with these communities by contributing to discussions or sponsoring events to build a rapport with potential candidates.
Use Employee Referrals to Your Advantage
Your current employees are among your most valuable resources for sourcing talent. They usually have industry connections and can refer skilled individuals. Encourage employees to recommend candidates by offering incentives through a structured referral program.
Not only does this save time, but it also increases the chances of finding culturally aligned hires. Referral programs are particularly effective in smaller tech circles, where word-of-mouth plays a significant role.
Partner with Universities and Run Internship Programs
Universities are great sources for discovering young technical talent. Build partnerships with institutions known for producing skilled graduates in computer science, engineering, or data analytics. A successful strategy is to conduct, sponsor, or host workshops, seminars, and student competitions to filter out promising new hires. Another option is to participate in job fairs.
Internship programs are another effective way to identify potential hires. Internship programs allow you to assess potential employees’ technical skills, work ethics, and cultural fit before offering full-time roles.
Tap Into the Power of Social Media
Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and X to post jobs, share project and company updates, and engage with tech-focused groups. For instance, LinkedIn offers advanced search filters that allow you to find candidates with specific skills, job titles, or even certifications.
Communities and groups on Facebook, and X can be valuable tools for sourcing technical talent.
You can also run targeted ads to reach passive candidates who may not actively be job hunting.
Collaborate with Recruitment Agencies
For companies short of time, resources, and expertise, partnering with an agency saves time and ensures you’re only presented with pre-vetted candidates. This cuts down on the overall hiring workload.
Sometimes, outsourcing the talent search to specialized recruitment agencies can yield better results. The right technical recruitment agencies usually have huge candidate databases and understand what top tech talent looks for in a job.
Host Hackathons and Coding Challenges
Hackathons are a great way to promote your company and to identify talented professionals who excel under pressure. International tech giants like Google and Microsoft also use coding challenges to find top developers.
In Pakistan, 10Pearls has successfully hosted hackathons to engage with tech enthusiasts and identify potential hires. You can replicate this strategy by organizing similar events either virtually or on-site.
Adopt Data-Driven Sourcing Strategies
As we move towards maximum automation, applicant tracking systems (ATS) can also help you effectively organize candidate data, track application statuses, and even predict a candidate’s fit for a role using machine learning.
For hiring process, using the power of data analytics can simplify your sourcing process. Tools like LinkedIn Recruiter, HireVue, and other AI-powered platforms allow effective filtration of candidates according to your required skills, experience, and other criteria.
Conclusion
Finding any talent requires a multi-pronged approach. But for technical talent, building a strong employer brand, tapping into niche platforms, leveraging data, and utilizing creative strategies like hackathons, companies can improve their chances of sourcing the right candidates.
It’s time to take your technical hiring strategy to the next level. Start implementing these sourcing techniques today to build a team that is a source of innovation and success for your business.
Sadia Zaheer holds a Masters in Business Administration from IBA, Karachi. After working in several financial institutions in Client Management, Corporate Lending, Islamic Banking and Product Management she jumped careers to pursue a career in writing.
She is a Finance, Business and HR Development writer with four years of experience. She reads a lot and takes care of her multiple cats to remain calm.
