5 Mistakes Technical Hiring Managers Make

There seems to be a stigma attached to hiring that, in today’s economy, anyone can find a qualified IT candidate, to the dismay of many great HR professionals. The IT industry has an enormous skills gap where many managers simply cannot find enough qualified candidates. Consequentially, it’s not uncommon to find candidates in a position where they’re underqualified or simply in the wrong place for a mutually beneficial career opportunity.

Often, a skilled recruiter or staffing agency is able to avoid these situations. The problem often arises when one has a particular IT talent, but doesn’t have the required understanding of hiring and recruiting. Here are five mistakes technical managers make while recruiting.

1. Keywords can be learned overnight. Often, technical managers listen for certain acronyms or keywords to vet a candidate – just because a candidate is able to define a “variable” in a colloquial sentence doesn’t mean they’re a Java programmer. Knowing how to declare a variable and write an if/then statement doesn’t lend them any credence.
2. A week of lost productivity is bad. Several months are worse. If you’re looking for a networking technician, taking the first person with a CCNA doesn’t always make sense. Make sure they have experience and referencesto back it up. Many technical managers want to fill a spot yesterday. If you don’t maintain a list of passive candidates, it will take time to find the right fit.
3. Hiring underqualified personnel. This isn’t always as simple as it seems. Initially, it seems very straightforward – does the applicant know the subject matter and have the degree or certification required? Rooting out who is really qualified is something that takes practice and skill. A resume says only so much; experience in asking the right questions – and listening for the right answers- is paramount.
4. Talk too much. The interviewer should be asking the questions and listening to the answers. Many technical managers like to ask a few basic questions then rave about the advantages of their company and their job for the remaining allotted time.
5. Hire the wrong business culture. Skills are the obvious first priority – but hiring the right person also entails the candidate with a viewpoint and methodology that is in lockstep with the company and team. The wrong culture and mindset can cause personality clashes and generally raises the likelihood of turnover, thus costing more money.

Technical managers have a wealth of experience in their role – and there’s something to be said about that. However, it’s also fair to say that their role is not hiring, but managing current employees.

No matter what your recruiting process is, we can help. The Armada Group is a Silicon Valley based staffing agency specializing in many areas of on-demand talent. We specialize in bringing the most elite candidates to some of thefastest growing and most innovative companies in the world. Contact The Armada Group today to see how we can help you. If you are looking for a technical recruiting agency in Silicon Valley, contact The Armada Group today.