Success-based search vs. strategic recruitment – The reasons why success-based search often fails with developers

Ever wondered why success-based searches often come to nothing when recruiting developers? Filling positions quickly is not enough in the dynamic and demanding IT industry. Especially not in this day and age. And certainly not with the demands of Gen Z - the Spiegel headline reads: "Generation Z are the most disloyal jobbers of all time".
Also, the supposedly manageable and more favourable costs are usually a fallacy. That's why we explain here why success-based searches tend to lead to bad hires and staff turnover and why strategic recruitment is the real key to success.

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Definition and differences

To begin with, let's clarify what the two types of recruitment mean.

Success-based search

In a success-based search, the recruiter is only paid when a position is successfully filled. This is the definition of "success-based search". This often leads to a shorter and less thorough search process. Recruiters work under intense time pressure, which usually affects the depth of the evaluation and the cultural fit.

Accordingly, this method leads to a lower quality of candidates, as the focus is more on speed than on accuracy of fit. The risk of wrong appointments is high, as it is often not sufficiently checked whether the candidate is really a long-term fit for the company.

Strategic recruitment

Strategic recruitment, on the other hand, is a long-term approach that focuses on the long-term integration and development of candidates. This often involves an upfront payment, which allows the headhunter to work more thoroughly and specifically. And this enables a more comprehensive assessment of the candidates and thus tends to result in a better fit.

Because: better results can be achieved in the long term thanks to more in-depth analyses and better accuracy of fit. And this is precisely what leads to higher employee satisfaction and lower staff turnover. Strategic recruitment also continues to take into account the cultural fit and the company's long-term goals, which leads to greater integration and higher employee commitment.

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Challenges of performance-based search for developers

Let's now take a closer look at the challenges that arise specifically when recruiting developers.

Specific requirements: Let's face it - developers are generally few and far between. In addition, their roles often require very specific technical skills and experience that are also not easy to find. A superficial search can only lead to bad hires. And as mentioned at the beginning, success-based searches generally lack the depth required for often highly specialised roles in software development.

Cultural fit: As developers usually work in teams, a high level of cultural fit is required for effective collaboration. The success-based search often does not take this into account sufficiently. Here, the focus is mainly on technical skills and less on integration into the team and the corporate culture. If a hire is made, this discrepancy often leads to conflicts and lower productivity - especially if the cultural fit is lacking or insufficient.

Long-term development: Flexibility and a long-term perspective are the top reasons for developers when it comes to getting a job. These factors take precedence over salary. Therefore, they look for companies that offer them growth and development opportunities. Strategic recruitment can better anticipate and address these needs, while success-based searches often only aim to fill positions quickly. This leads to higher employee retention and better development of talent within the organisation.

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Benefits of strategic recruitment

We have already mentioned some of the advantages of strategic recruitment when it comes to the challenges of success-based search. But here are some more benefits when it comes to recruiting software developers.

More effective use of resources: Strategic recruitment enables a more targeted use of resources and minimises the cost of misplacements. Long-term savings and better team dynamics are achieved through a well-founded selection. This also applies to the recruitment process itself. Instead of an organisation's HR fighting through many CVs, it can focus on a few high-quality candidates.

Market knowledge: The labour market for developers is dynamic and competitive. Strategic recruitment enables better adaptation to rapidly changing market conditions and increases the chances of finding and retaining suitable talent. In-depth market knowledge from specialised recruiters helps to set realistic expectations and target the right candidates. This also enables a good fit between talent and company.

Building a talent pool and active networking: Another advantage of strategic recruitment is the targeted development of a talent pool. This makes it possible to draw on proven networks of developers and access qualified people quickly and effectively when needed. Active networking promotes long-term relationships with potential applicants.

Long-term perspective: The focus must always be on the long-term development and integration of candidates in the company. This is in the interests of both sides. After all, this leads to greater employee satisfaction and lower staff turnover. What's more, the long-term perspective also means that the company's future needs can be better taken into account.

Quality of applicants: We have already touched on this point. By gaining deeper insights into the company's needs and culture, more suitable candidates can be identified. This means that candidates not only have the required technical skills, but also the necessary cultural fit. 

Higher commitment: Better quality also means that candidates are often more motivated and more committed to the company. And this also results in higher productivity and better team integration.

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Recommendations and best practices

In any case, your internal processes, your employer branding and, of course, your corporate culture must be spot on. Without this, finding the best talent is useless if they don't land on a solid foundation. We have also written some in-depth articles on this topic, which we have linked here.

Employer Branding

Employer branding is a long-term process for building an attractive corporate brand. It includes internal measures to promote employee satisfaction and loyalty as well as external measures to attract potential talent. A strong corporate culture is the foundation for successful employer branding, which must be lived by the entire organisation. A clear communication strategy and presence on suitable channels are also important here. Also read our article "Employer branding – what really matters".

Corporate culture aka "Developer Paradise"

To ensure that your company becomes a developer paradise, you need a meaningful culture. What does that mean? It's about exciting technological challenges and freedom for creativity. Create a collaborative, team-oriented environment in which younger developers in particular feel comfortable. Integrate continuous learning opportunities and innovative technologies. Above all, you need to recognise performance and build an attractive reward system. With this mix of meaningfulness, appreciation and motivation, you will attract and retain top talent.

Onboarding

Everything starts with onboarding, so it needs to be properly organised. Onboarding 2.0 includes integration into the product, processes, tools and corporate culture as well as measures for an early sense of achievement, mentoring and continuous learning. This ensures an outstanding developer candidate journey and maximum commitment from your future developers.

Diversity and inclusion, employee wellbeing and more 

There are also a number of other topics such as diversity, employee wellbeing, a culture of innovation and more to inspire incoming talent for your organisation in the long term. However, this would go beyond the scope of this article, so read our popular article "Startup founders as new talents: What corporations can learn from young founders" for more insights. 

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Conclusion

By integrating the above recommendations and best practices, you have the highest likelihood of not only attracting the best developers to your team, but also promoting their long-term satisfaction and productivity. Strategic recruitment is the bridge to sustainable and successful recruitment and retention of software developers. Make sure that your foundation is strong for future (as well as current) employees.