Debunking Tech Recruiting Myths
Job searching is stressful. It’s time-consuming, exhausting, and repetitive. And getting a foot in the door can be challenging, particularly when you’re under pressure! So, here’s where recruiters come in. Recruiters act as the middleman between you (the candidate) and the hiring organization (our client), with the knowledge and expertise to facilitate a smooth hiring process — something that is especially important in the world of tech and IT. So why don’t more people use the aid of recruiters? Well, there’s a whole lot of misconceptions about who tech recruiters are and what they do. Let’s debunk some of them.
Myth #1: You have to pay for recruiting services if you’re looking for a job.
Truth: Client companies pay for recruiting services, not the candidates.
This is quite a common misconception and turns a lot of people looking for jobs off from using recruiting services. Recruiting companies are paid by the client organization looking for candidates to fill their open positions. Candidates do not pay for recruiting services themselves! Typically, a technical recruiter will earn a commission when you’re hired based on your first-year salary — so there’s a huge incentive for them to make sure you get as good a deal as possible!
Myth #2: Talent acquisition for tech is only successful in places like Silicon Valley, New York, etc.
Truth: Tech companies aren’t only headquartered in these big cities; large organizations are looking everywhere to find talent.
Experienced and driven tech workers exist all over the world. In BC alone, the tech industry has grown rapidly over the last few years and is now the #1 startup ecosystem in Canada, with over 10,000 tech organizations in the province. Tech workers are in high demand! And a recruiter can not only help you find the right company, but they can also help you find the location that best fits you.
Additionally, the advances that have been made through remote working over the last couple of years are also a huge advantage for any tech workers looking to work in a different country. There really is no limit to where top IT talent can be sourced.
Myth #3: Recruiters only care about the money.
Truth: Tech recruiters care a lot about how a candidate and a client might fit and will tell you if the opportunity isn’t right.
Building a relationship with the candidate and the client are of the utmost importance in the process of recruiting. It was mentioned earlier that recruiters gain a commission from job placements based on the starting salary, which is obviously a great incentive for them to procure a salary that meets or beats your expectations. However, aside from that, recruiters are invested in your overall satisfaction with the entire hiring process! Matching candidates with open positions is not an exact science and takes a lot of work — you may not get an offer on the first try. But recruiters are always listening to your needs and are dedicated to finding a match that everyone is happy with. It’s crucial to maintain that relationship and trust from both sides. We all want a win-win-win!
Myth #4: Technical recruiters have no technical expertise whatsoever.
Truth: Many tech recruiters have years and years of experience working in tech and are very familiar with the hiring process of IT workers.
Tech recruiters are trained to understand both the needs of the client and the candidate, which means that they must understand all the technical phrasing that’s put in both the job description and the resume. Most of the recruiters have an interest in tech from prior experiences, and the rest develop an interest after some time in their tech recruiting career. Some recruiters will also have programming, fintech, IT management, and other tech backgrounds themselves.
Myth #5: Recruiters only use the same candidates from their established talent pool and network and rarely ever try to find new talent.
The Truth: Tech recruiters are always looking for new candidates!
With new positions constantly cropping up, recruiters are always actively searching for new candidates to fill those positions. Recruiters will certainly try to place candidates more than once, but this is based on a whole variety of factors, like if the candidate does not get a job offer on the first try, for example. This is more a testament to how recruiters are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that the candidate can secure a fitting position with the right company. Again, building that trust is important — sometimes candidates who have a longstanding relationship with that recruiter will even come back with referrals that only add to the pool of new candidates!
Still not convinced? If you want to learn more about what tech recruiters can do for you, come chat with us at affinity-access.com! We’ll answer any other questions you have about how our technical recruiters can help you seek out those golden opportunities.
