After 10 years of fighting in Recruitment Trenches, I’ve learned one thing:
The best IT candidates aren’t looking for jobs.
We need to find them and offer something beyond just another “exciting career opportunity.”
So here are 5 practices that actually work:
1. Stop Hiding Salary Ranges
IT experts receive 10+ messages from recruiters weekly. Those without specific salary ranges go straight to trash. It’s that simple. Transparency builds trust from the first contact.
2. Abandon Multi-Stage Processes
Each additional stage means 15% fewer candidates reaching the final round. Top specialists are juggling 3-4 parallel processes and will choose the most efficient ones.
3. Involve the Technical Team from Day One
A CTO or Lead Developer sells a position better than the best recruiter ever could. A brief technical chat early in the process works wonders – candidates appreciate direct contact with their future team.
4. Build a Pipeline of “Future Candidates”
Building authentic connections through networking is essential for successful placements. When recruiters maintain relationships with candidates over several months, they understand their skills and aspirations better. This fosters trust, making candidates more likely to accept offers when opportunities arise. In fact, 80% of top placements come from these nurtured connections, emphasizing the value of long-term engagement over transactional interactions.
5. Personalization > Automation
Yes, AI tools can send 1000 messages. But a personalized message gets 4x higher response rates. Find something unique in a candidate’s experience and reference it in your first contact.
