Nailing the hiring process: a tech lead's checklist

In the world of technology, one of the main challenges for tech leads is to find qualified professionals who also have a cultural fit with the company. Read on to learn about the aspects to consider during the recruitment process.

If you are leading a team in the IT industry and are responsible for hiring new members for your squad and projects, you have likely encountered challenges in finding talents who fit both culturally and technically with the company's demands. This is expected, considering that one of the greatest pains faced by managers is the difficulty in making successful hires. Therefore, we have prepared a checklist with the key items that tech leads should consider when opening a new position.

First and foremost, it's essential to mention that the first step in making this mission simpler is to opt for working with specialized consultancies for outsourcing tech professionals, which have highly trained recruiting teams. Together, the leader and recruiter need to be on the same page regarding the profile they are looking for. However, it is the the tech lead who knows the particulars of the job. Let's see what information you should not miss providing to the recruiter.

Job Activities are the essence of recruitment

The foundation of every recruitment process is the job description and its activities. This description essentially comprises a list of the main functions and responsibilities that the employee will have in their daily routine within the project and the company. For example, if you were considering the position of a software developer, some of these activities would include planning the software structure, writing source code, conducting tests, identifying and resolving performance issues, among others.

Hard Skills

To perform the listed activities, a series of technical skills - commonly known as hard skills - are necessary. It is essential to provide a list of specific technologies, tools, or methodologies that will be used. Specify particular knowledge, such as programming languages in which the candidate should be proficient, frameworks, libraries, and databases they should be familiar with.

Desired Experience

As a tech lead, you shouldn't just seek a technically competent professional but also someone who understands the business or is open to understanding it. Depending on the position, it's interesting to mention the need for experience in specific projects or segments. This is also the moment to specify the desired seniority. Here, a joint evaluation between the tech lead and the recruiter is needed regarding the scope of the project and the activities that will be executed. This requires discussing the project in detail.

Project Description

Projects are the central point of a IT professional's work - and consequently, a squad's work. Therefore, take the time to elaborate on the description of the project for which you need reinforcements. Provide details such as whether the employee will be providing support, creating new applications, or responsible for guiding and developing junior professionals. It is also important to mention the stage of the project, whether it is already ongoing or will be created from scratch.

If possible, mention the project's relevance to the company's business strategy. Highlighting the challenges and opportunities increases the chances of finding a good professional who aligns with what the organization has to offer.

Don't forget to also present information about the team's culture and soft skills to ensure even more successful recruitment. However, this is a topic for another article. Would you like to know how to identify the soft skills of your squad?