The Evolution of Developer Hiring
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The document discusses the evolution of developer hiring from the 1960s to 2017, noting the shift from 'computer programmers' to 'software engineers' and highlighting changes in recruitment practices over time. It emphasizes how traditional hiring methods have become outdated, as many developers are not actively seeking new jobs and prefer different recruitment approaches. The document concludes by urging companies to adapt their hiring strategies and understand the preferences of developers to attract the right talent.
The Evolution of Developer Hiring
- 1. The Evolution of Developer Hiring #DevelopTheFuture
- 2. Let’s go back to software development in the 1960s. Present day The 60’s Rather, computer programming, as it was called back then.
- 3. Software engineering was very, very different.
- 4. than anyone could have ever imagined. Computers were suddenly MORE POWERFUL
- 5. And they looked a little something like this: This is a DEC PDP-1, a computer system introduced in the ‘60s that intrigued the early hackers at MIT and eventually led to the development of the very first video game.
- 6. The people who worked on these projects? Back then, they called themselves “computer programmers.” Universities, businesses, and government clients alike wanted software that would help them be more productive.
- 7. Time-sharing systems Data processing machines included things like: Digital storage systems Online business transaction processing Those projects
- 8. BASIC COBOL some of these tech languages: SNOBOL Simula They were built using Speakeasy
- 9. quality software was tougher to write than ever before. Surprisingly,
- 11. ““ Edsger Dijkstra, one of the first advocates of software development as a profession. As long as there were no machines, programming was no problem at all; when we had a few weak computers, programming became a mild problem, and now we have gigantic computers, programming has become an equally gigantic problem.
- 12. that very few universities had on-campus computers at the time, which made it incredibly difficult Not to mention to learn how to write software.
- 13. This created an incredible demand for Software Engineers
- 14. Without many formal education tracks in software engineering, companies found themselves recruiting liberal arts and mathematics students.
- 15. to some low-tech advertising tactics: Classified ads in newspapers Headhunters Skywriter planes advertising programming jobs with fly-over banners To attract candidates, companies resorted
- 16. ““Headhunters did not call specific people by name. Instead, they’d make general calls to a programming office space and hope that someone would be interested. Casper Jones Specialist in software engineering methodologies
- 17. But after that initial call with a headhunter, the usual next step was to select which major company you’d like to work for and where you’d like to be located.
- 18. companies offered a surprisingly lush suite of medical benefits and perks like hotel and Because engineers could work for whomever they wanted, travel reimbursement.
- 19. In fact, Jones also says that software engineers in the ‘60s were often able to get a 15% increase in salary just by switching companies.
- 20. It wasn’t uncommon for a software engineer to have worked for 6 companies just 5 years after learning how to write code.
- 21. had it pretty good, right? Not quite. Sounds like software engineers
- 22. ““ In an essay titled “The Humble Programmer” Dijkstra writes, Programmer? Well, to tell the honest truth: he was What about the poor hardly noticed.
- 23. Fast forward a bit to the 1980s…
- 24. and started referring to them as For starters, people stopped using the term Computer Programmers Software Engineers
- 26. were no longer the only ones interested in the Enterprise customers potential of software.
- 27. These machines, along with a line of consumer products from IBM, marked a huge shift in computing from being entirely business focused to being more accessible by everyone. This is the Apple II, which was actually released in 1977 at a price point of $1298 USD.
- 28. As a result, software engineers built products to make the everyday citizen’s life a little easier, including Office suites Calendars Home finance programs
- 29. were created. when the first iterations of the World Wide Web It was also during this time
- 30. C++ Objective-C Erlang Perl Some of the languages software engineers used to tackle these projects included:
- 31. Not only were software engineers Accenture America Online Adobe building consumer products, they started forming entire companies that revolved around software.
- 32. there were also classes like this available... Across the board, software development also became a more institutionalized field, and many universities offered formal education tracks to students interested in becoming software engineers (no longer computer programmers). a degree in computer science Although if you couldn’t get
- 34. not much changed for software engineers looking for work. While technology, itself kept evolving,
- 35. Computerworld Magazine, August 4, 1980
- 36. While they wanted to find a new job, it was essentially the same as if it was in the ‘60s.
- 37. for the most part, was outsourced Tech recruiting, to headhunters.
- 39. Let’s fast forward a little more to the early 2000s.
- 40. here to stay The Internet is officially
- 41. software engineers alike were excited As a result, entrepreneurs and World Wide Web presented. about the endless possibilities the
- 42. were the people making this Software engineers all possible.
- 43. people were connected to each other in ways they never Because of the Internet, imagined were possible.
- 44. They started using tech languages that probably sound familiar to you today: Java JavaScript PHP Python Haskell
- 45. Even though we eventually realized the Dot-com bubble was a very real thing as startups failed in record numbers, software developers were still in high demand.
- 46. problem, and it might sound familiar at this point. There was just one
- 47. treat software developers particularly well. Most companies still didn’t
- 48. ““I only started Fog Creek after realizing that I would never find a company that would treat developers with some modicum of respect. Most companies treated developers as rank-and-file typists instead of the creative geniuses I know they really are. Joel Spolsky
- 49. As challenging as it was to be a software engineer in the early 2000s, simply finding a software engineering job was an even more frustrating activity for developers.
- 50. graduates competed against each other for jobs at career Newer engineering fairs on college campuses.
- 51. sent hard copies of their resumes More experienced candidates companies they were interested in. and cover letters directly to the
- 52. of times when employers actively sought to Of course, there were plenty hire developers.
- 53. they’d go back to those familiar recruitment agencies to do the But when they did, hard work for them.
- 54. less concerned about what the At this point in history, headhunters would huddle around the fax machine to make sure they got the hottest “leads.” And by leads, we mean resumes. candidates wanted than they were about the commission And agency recruiters were far they’d get for filling the role.
- 55. to endless cold calls from recruiters about jobs that Eventually, developers got used weren’t even remotely relevant to their interests or career goals.
- 56. In short, tech recruiting during this period was incredibly impersonal.
- 58. Developers are (literally) writing the script for the future.
- 59. for business applications or personal computers Software is not just anymore.
- 60. It comes with us everywhere now.
- 61. It’s even accessible via our faces.
- 62. for creating these products are even celebrated on highly- And the developers responsible regarded television shows.
- 63. Every company right now needs software developers to accomplish its goals.
- 64. According to the 2016 Gartner CIO Agenda, the biggest challenge employers face is identifying and hiring the right technical talent.
- 65. And yet...
- 66. tactics from the ‘60s, ‘80s, and early 2000s are The same tired recruiting still being used.
- 67. too many impersonal emails and cold calls Developers still get from headhunters.
- 68. Those recruiting methods might have worked at one point, but those days are long gone.
- 69. In fact, 87% of developers consider themselves “gainfully employed.” And only 13% of developers are actively looking for a new job. *according to the 2017 Stack Overflow Developer Hiring Landscape
- 70. What does that mean for all of you?
- 71. The recruiting “tactics” of the past no longer work.
- 72. Still not convinced? 87% of recruiters claim to use LinkedIn to do their jobs, but 22% of developers don’t have LinkedIn profiles. 52% of developers hate being contacted about new jobs on Facebook. 44% of developers say they hate being contacted by phone.
- 74. Recruiting developers effectively requires you to understand how they want to be recruited and what they look for in jobs.
- 76. Let’s talk a little more about what’s broken about developer hiring today.
- 77. You’re looking in the wrong places. Developers have made no secret of the fact that they don’t use traditional job boards. Most of them aren’t even looking for new jobs (the majority of your talent pool is passive). 1
- 78. You’re using the wrong tools. Programmers don’t use sites like LinkedIn or Facebook as often as other professionals do. They don’t respond to obvious “spray and pray” tactics. Developers know when you’re reaching out to as many candidates as possible in hopes of finding the right one. 2They hate getting cold calls about jobs.
- 79. how to talk to them. Developers don’t expect you to know everything, but they’re more receptive to recruiters who have a basic understanding of their company’s tech stack, or even just a general awareness of the latest technology news. Developers have a lot of job options--so it’s up to you to know what matters most to them. 3Without this knowledge, why would a developer want to continue the conversation? You might not know
- 80. That’s where you come in.
- 81. We know that developers have some pretty strong opinions about recruiters.
- 82. they’re based on their past Interactions with recruiters. And sure,
- 83. But we both know that you’re not just any recruiter.
- 84. are just as misunderstood as developers. In a lot of ways, your jobs
- 85. You don’t want to hire You want to build lasting relationships with candidates, even when you ultimately decide not to hire them. people just for the sake of hiring people.
- 86. You’re not just in the business of recruiting. You’re in the business of talent acquisition.
- 87. ...and you know that your business requires a lot more empathy than developers think.
- 88. So, since we can all agree that the demand to find and hire developers is at an all-time high...
- 89. have a lasting impact on your entire company. That puts you in a position to
- 90. world’s developers writing the script for the future... Because not only are the
- 91. are writing your company’s future. Your developers
- 92. And how is your company going to find the right people to write that future?
- 93. You.
- 94. Finding the developers to take your company to the next level will require two things from you.
- 95. You need to recognize that developer hiring is a process – and that implementing your process will take time.
- 96. Your entire company But if you’re willing to change your approach to recruiting and hiring developers... will benefit from your efforts.
- 97. Ready to hire your next developer? Talk to an Expert