When it comes to hiring for technical roles, the traditional HR recruiting approach often falls short. Technical recruiting is essentially the same as regular HR work, but it focuses on areas that require specific knowledge
The skills, qualifications, and mindset required for technical positions are vastly different from general roles, necessitating a specialized expertise in hiring.
Technical recruiters possess in-depth knowledge of the technologies, programming languages, and industry-specific requirements that are essential for IT roles. They can effectively assess a candidate’s technical abilities and cultural fit, ensuring a seamless integration into the team.
In contrast, HR recruiters may lack the expertise to evaluate technical skills accurately.
In this section, we’ll explore the key distinctions between technical recruiting and HR recruiting, and which way to go for your IT staffing solutions!
What is a Technical Recruiter?
A technical recruiter specializes in recruiting for STEM roles, such as developers, programmers, engineers, system and network administrators, and a variety of other IT roles. To deliver on this responsibility, a technical recruiter must understand IT skills before sourcing the right profiles for the role. Their primary responsibilities include:
- They create and post technical job descriptions on IT specialist job boards, LinkedIn, and other relevant channels
- Source and screen candidate CVs to see if they match the requirements of the role with the skills that are mentioned
- Interview qualified candidates through technical assessments, behavioral questions, and more
- Build and maintain a solid tech talent pipeline of qualified applicants for future technical hiring needs
- Stay up to date on technological trends to have strategic conversations with clients about IT recruitment strategies.
What is an HR Recruiter?
An HR recruiter is a professional tasked with finding the right prospects for an open opening within a company. Their job description ranges from identifying a staffing need to effectively filling it.
They are responsible for creating recruitment plans, advertising for open positions, and interviewing candidates.
Understanding the Differences: Technical Recruiting vs General Recruiting
Technical recruiting is the specialized process of hiring technical professionals for roles such as software engineering, programming, code development and more. It’s different from regular HR recruiting because technical recruiters follow a specific process to attract candidates with sought-after technical skills.
With the increasing difficulty of hiring skilled IT talent, technical recruiters can navigate the complex landscape of technical skills, stay ahead of industry trends, and find candidates who may be the perfect match for your open roles.
Some of the key differences between technical recruiting and HR recruiting include:
Candidate Sourcing
Since they’re well-versed in tech, technical recruiters know the right places to source IT talent. They are specialists who understand your IT recruitment needs and will scour through every digital trench to tap into a large pool of IT talent.
These include niche online communities, attending tech meetups, and even coding forums.
They speak the language of developers, understanding their needs and desires and building relationships within the tech community. This makes it easier for them to find the perfect candidate with the right blend of skills and experience.
On the other hand, HR Recruiters are all about casting a wider net, scouring job boards and employee referrals to find suitable candidates from across the board.
Unlike technical recruiters, their approach is more holistic, seeking candidates who have the skills and align with the company culture and values.
For HR recruiters, it’s more about building bridges and fostering connections to create a diverse talent pool that reflects the Organization’s ethos.
Resume Screening
Technical recruiters already have the tech knowledge required to screen and identify the perfect fit for an advertised IT role. They’re like code-breakers and can scan through resumes, keen on experience, technical skills, education, and accomplishments.
They look beyond the surface of resumes, analyzing personal portfolios and side projects on platforms like GitHub to gauge a candidate’s proficiency. The technical screening process is designed to help them identify candidates who stand out and how they might fit in the open role.
HR recruiters screen resumes the same way. However, they may gauge the resumes based on minimum qualifications that are mandatory for a candidate to perform the job. They also focus on the bigger picture, assessing both technical skills, soft skills, and cultural fit.
The goal is to paint a holistic picture of each candidate, uncovering the hidden talents that may not be evident on paper but are crucial for one to succeed at their role.
Calling Candidates
When calling candidates, technical recruiters speak the language of code, engaging in discussions about algorithms, frameworks, and scalability. They also understand the industry jargon their candidates use when describing their skills and experience.
They can easily prove a candidate’s technical prowess using terms like “JavaScript” or “Java,” “DevOps,”, and “SDLC. For them, calling a candidate is more than just having a first-treaty conversation. They use it to gauge your technical qualifications and if you might be a good fit.
Calling candidates for an HR recruiter is like having a heart-to-heart conversation with a friend. They approach each call with empathy and warmth, taking the time to understand the candidate’s career aspirations and motivations.
They also take this chance to share more information about the role/Organization. Most HR recruiters will undoubtedly be providing candidates with information about the job description with further details about the role and the Organization,
For them, it’s about building relationships, one conversation at a time, and creating a positive candidate experience that reflects the company’s values.
Assessments
When it comes to technical assessments, technical recruiters are like judges at a hackathon, evaluating candidates’ coding skills and problem-solving abilities through coding challenges and technical interviews.
They delve deep into the code, dissecting algorithms and scrutinizing syntax to assess a candidate’s technical acumen. The focus is on specific technical fundamentals, such as knowledge of SQL, rather than general experience or skills.
HR recruiters, on the other hand, excel at cultural fit assessments. Like matchmakers, they pair candidates with their perfect match. They conduct behavioral interviews and cultural fit assessments to gauge a candidate’s alignment with the company’s values and culture.
For them, it’s about finding the right fit for the role, the team, and the Organization. So, most of their assessments adhere to a behavioral interviewing model. For example, they may ask the candidate to describe a situation where they had to report late at work.
Should Your Company Work with IT or HR Recruiters
When it comes to sourcing and hiring top talent, companies often face the dilemma of whether to work with HR recruiters or IT recruiters. The choice depends on the specific needs of your organization and the type of roles you’re looking to fill.
Here’s a breakdown of when it makes sense to work with each:
Work with HR Recruiters When:
- You’re hiring for general business roles like accounting, marketing, sales, or administrative positions
- You need to build a diverse, well-rounded team across different functions
- You value cultural fit and soft skills over technical expertise
- You’re looking to fill high-volume, entry-level positions.
Work with IT Recruiters When:
- You’re hiring for specialized technical roles like software engineers, data analysts, or cybersecurity experts
- You need candidates with niche skills and up-to-date industry knowledge
- Technical qualifications and hands-on experience are your top priorities
- You’re looking to fill highly-skilled, senior-level positions
Ultimately, the decision comes down to the unique needs of your organization. By understanding the strengths of each recruiter type, you can make an informed choice that will help you find the right talent to drive your business forward.
Conclusion
There are more benefits to working with technical recruiters for IT hiring than relying on the general HR recruiters. While a general HR recruiter may still fill your IT hiring pipeline, you’ll need time to sieve through the candidates and eliminate those with subpar technical skills.
In such a case, you need a IT recruitment agency with good reviews and qualifications. This is vital as numerous agencies consist of random recruiters that don’t know anything related to technical hiring.
At DistantJob, we focus on remote IT recruitment, which can help you find the right tech talent for your company’s needs.
Investing in an IT recruitment partner like us is a much needed game-changer for your company, that’ll help you build a high-performing, future-oriented technology team. Contact us today, and we’ll be ready to alleviate the burden of finding and hiring the right IT talent!
