How do I find good developers?

Good developers cannot be recruited "classically".

The question about good developers is one of the most frequent I am asked. For many years now, it has been difficult to find them. Good developers are scarce and spoiled by many offers. They can choose where and for whom they want to work. A good salary alone is by far not enough these days.

Money alone does not count

For years now, developers' salaries have been rising immeasurably, especially in the world's tech hubs.... Very high five- or even six-figure sums are no longer uncommon, even in this country. But salary is only a comfort factor for developers - unlike for sales people. Very good developers are looking for challenges. They want to create something that has never existed before. Want to create products that change the world and make it better. Ideally, even both together.

Good developers want more than money.

Where are good developers to be found?

The good developers are often aware of their value and very hard to reach. Finding someone on classic job boards like StepStone and Co. or on LinkedIn is like winning the lottery. That's why it's important to meet people where they are. That could be in the developer community, for example. The best place to be is where the developers are (and in the summer, that could be the cooled server room ;-). Companies must increasingly rely on employer branding in order to present themselves attractively to the developers they are courting. Nowadays, companies apply to developers and not the other way around. In this context, all recruiting measures must be geared towards picking up developers in the right places with the right messages. A common mistake is to send an ordinary headhunter, who has no idea about tech recruiting, to write to a developer, e.g. on LinkedIn. In 99.9% of the cases there is no response or a negative response.

Companies apply to good developers - not the other way around.

Do good developers want to work for you?

Developers want challenges. They want to enter worlds that no one has entered before. They are looking for technically demanding tasks and want to create meaning with their work. The path to a tech company where developers WANT to work is not an easy one. To do this, you need to create a tech DNA that is authentic and interests developers. This means much more than just slapping out some fancy marketing slogans. If you rely on hollow phrases and salesy blah-blah, you'll crash land sooner or later. Good developers quickly see through what makes the company tick and whether it meets their requirements. Excellent product management is also important. If it manages to communicate business requirements to developers without patronizing them or even overriding them, then an environment is created that developers will appreciate.

An authentic and lived tech DNA attracts good developers.

Quality has its price - even for developers

Companies basically get the employees they pay for. Entrepreneur Robert Bosch recognized this very early on, saying, "I don't pay good wages because I have a lot of money, but I have a lot of money because I pay good wages." The same applies to developers, you get what you pay for. Experienced and good developers know what they can charge. They get offers all the time and don't have to worry about their job. They don't trade that for the security of a traditional job with less pay either. Senior developers are not available for an apple and egg, you should always be aware of that.

The quality of experienced developers has its price.

Valuable and rare

In summary, developers are like diamonds: Valuable and hard to find. With the right strategy, companies can manage to stumble upon a "gem vein". This always brings new diamonds to light through recommendations. When these are further polished through challenges and the right environment, companies get precious and unique employees.