HR in IT. How recruiters at IT companies select candidates

Margarita Mysina, IT Recruiter at Mad Devs, @maddevsio

Liliya Lirolo, HR at DataArt, @lililirola, @dataart.kzteam

About Yourself and Your Company

Margarita. I am a recruiter for Mad Devs and an expert in resumes and consultations. Mad Devs is a large force tech team engaged in the development and administration of major IT products in various fields around the world. We work with many countries and continents, and we have ample experience and workload in candidate sourcing and analysis.

Liliya. I am a recruiter and HR professional at the development center of the international IT company DataArt in Almaty. I entered IT recruiting three years ago, having previously worked as a psychologist for nearly eight years.

DataArt develops software in various sectors, such as healthcare, finance, travel, retail, and others. The company has been in existence for 26 years. DataArt employs over 5,000 people, with offices located in more than 20 countries. We collaborate with over 400 leading companies. You can learn more about us and read our testimonials on the website dataart.com.

Specifics of HR in IT

Margarita. When it comes to IT, HR in this field has its own specifics because the IT sector itself is specific and non-linear. Recruitment is also non-linear. In modern realities, an HR specialist or IT recruiter must not only professionally evaluate candidates' soft skills but also possess basic knowledge of technologies.

Liliya. HR in IT has several specific features. First, our primary value is people. We do not produce physical products, but we possess intellectual resources and fulfill needs.

Second, there is high competition for specialists, so our HR professionals must know the company well and be able to sell it. In IT, the candidate makes the choice, not the employer, which complicates the task.

Third, it is important to create a corporate culture for long-term collaboration with colleagues. It is important to remember that a candidate chooses us once, while employees make this choice every day.

How Junior IT Specialists Can Find a Job

Margarita. My opinion consists of several points:

— Organize your resume. Be sure to indicate where you studied or took courses, your projects, the technologies used, and the tasks. Write about yourself and do not lie. No one expects a junior developer to have 10+ years of experience.

— During an interview, you can honestly say: "I don't know." This will demonstrate your honesty and create a positive impression.

— Practice and study theory. Practice is impossible without theory, and vice versa. Develop yourself independently using available courses and educational projects. Those who want to develop will always find ways to do so.

Liliya. Before understanding where you want to go, the most important thing is to think for yourself, look at online platforms, and decide on a job. Work should bring pleasure. At the moment, there is a lot of interesting information freely available on the internet.

My recommendation: keep an eye on events in your city and on top speakers in your technology field on LinkedIn and GitHub. This will help you master new frameworks and directions, attend thematic events and meetups. Participate in job fairs, where we are also present. Be proactive: do not wait for vacancies, but write to and add recruiters and HR professionals on social networks yourself.

Regarding DataArt, we offer attending our events. We plan to hold a summer camp. We hold such camps twice a year—winter and summer. This is an educational initiative aimed at an open audience of various professions. These camps consist of a series of webinars and workshops aimed at improving hard and soft skills. Our speakers prepare topics, and you can attend all sessions or choose the most interesting ones.

DataArt also conducts IT schools. These are educational courses for university students and others who wish to understand the basics of a new profession. Such courses are conducted in technologies such as Docker and others. Those who successfully complete the courses can apply for trainee positions at DataArt. The internship program is designed to take an intern from a trainee level to a junior level, leading to real projects. The internship lasts three months. Each intern has their own mentor who will oversee the learning process. After successfully completing the internship, juniors move on to real projects of our company.

Job Search Strategies for Experienced IT Specialists

Liliya. Experienced specialists always attract interesting offers even without actively searching for a job. It is important to have an understanding of what you want and what you have learned, whether it is remote work, freelancing, or consulting.

Personal networking also plays an important role. Reach out to acquaintances, former colleagues, and friends, find out about current market trends and referral program opportunities. Excellent reviews of your work will not go unnoticed and may attract the attention of recruiters.

If your field has become outdated, update your skills through courses and certifications, participate in conferences, and speak as a speaker. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile, add new skills and achievements, and actively connect with recruiters. The main thing is to be flexible and open to new opportunities, and then success will not keep you waiting.

Margarita. Resumes should be updated regularly. Re-studying technical questions standard for your field is also important. If something has been forgotten or is unknown, it is logical to refresh your memory.

If you have worked in one field for a long time and have not updated your skills, study the current technologies used in modern projects. If, for example, your level is senior developer, I do not think it will be difficult for you to learn some newer examples.

During an interview, try not to come across as aggressive. The "I know everything" attitude can reflect poorly on you. Be open and friendly, as an interview is an opportunity for pleasant communication.

Do not forget about soft skills. It is important to approach an interview with a positive mindset. Everyone is interested in your success—remember this.

In-Demand Professions in IT Companies

Liliya. DataArt focuses on specialized, rather than general positions. Our team already has enough experts in Java, JavaScript, and Python. We pay more attention to attracting qualified specialists, such as full-stack developers and specialists in rare fields, for example, quantum developers and solution architects.

In Kazakhstan, we notice a large number of Java and .NET specialists, as well as DevOps engineers. However, we lack experienced Solution Architects. This may be related to the fact that the IT industry in Kazakhstan is relatively young, and not many specialists have yet moved to the architect level.

Margarita. Taking into account market analysis, recruiting, sourcing, and all other processes, the top candidates in demand at the moment are Machine Learning engineers. These are cool, smart, and in-demand specialists who are at the peak of popularity. Unexpectedly, cybersecurity specialists and DevOps engineers working with cloud technologies are also considered extremely in-demand. Technologies such as Kubernetes, Terraform, and others currently hold key positions in the industry.

Liliya. Based on experience, I believe that corporate culture plays an important role in retaining employees. Compensation is important, but sometimes even a high salary cannot retain an employee where they feel uncomfortable.

It is important that the company has a minimum amount of hierarchy and bureaucracy, allowing it to provide a flexible work schedule, which is currently relevant for IT specialists. A corporate learning system that helps employees develop is also important. This also includes additional medical insurance and the ability to work from many countries around the world.

Margarita. I agree that corporate culture is of great value. Corporate culture is important in that the company does not interfere with the employee's personal space. This is relative freedom, trust in employees, and the absence of micromanagement. The list of benefits can be long, but the most important thing is that work is not for the sake of work, but for people, so that they are comfortable where they are. Then they bring maximum benefit to the company and the project.

Lately, candidates in interviews often say that they were "crushed," not given freedom, not given the opportunity to think. This is also important—it is part of the corporate culture.

The lack of opportunities for professional growth and freedom of action causes dissatisfaction among employees. And the remote work format is becoming increasingly in demand.

Where to Find Candidates

Liliya. We actively use various channels to find candidates. This includes our internal candidate database, events, meetups, and networking. LinkedIn is used for active and passive sourcing, and GitHub for analyzing candidates' skills. We also turn to HeadHunter, Telegram channels, and social networks. Personal connections and employee referrals also play an important role, supported by referral programs.

Margarita. We use various means to find candidates. There are working chats and channels with vacancies in Telegram, and LinkedIn is also popular and used in various ways. Many have started using this platform due to changes and numerous relocations. Social networks are mainly used for narrowly targeted groups by programming language or other topics. We also turn to personal connections and referrals, including referral programs within and outside the company. In general, we look for candidates where they are active and where they can find us.