How Employer Branding Attracts Top Talent

In today’s fiercely competitive job market, attracting and retaining top-tier talent has evolved into a multifaceted challenge. Consider this: among the multitude of opportunities available in the tech industry alone, why would candidates choose your company? The answer lies in the strategic power of employer branding. Employer branding has emerged as a vital recruitment strategy that goes beyond traditional methods. It is more than just a buzzword — it’s a holistic approach to building a strong organizational identity and reputation.

What Makes a Company Stand Out as a Great Place to Work?

At the heart of every great company is its people. An exceptional workplace thrives on employee autonomy, transparent business practices, and visionary leadership. Oh, and don’t forget the company culture! A company’s reputation as an employer is a top priority for recruitment teams, HR departments, and management alike. In today’s landscape, where candidates are not just looking for a paycheck but for meaning and purpose, the company’s values, culture, and vision are critical to attracting and retaining top talent.

Recruitment has always been, at its core, a marketing function, even if recruiters were once unaware of it! The mission of recruiters is not only to fill job roles but to sell the company’s DNA to ideal candidates. HR teams are the true “culture warriors,” working tirelessly to shape the workplace experience through onboarding, training, events, rewards, benefits, mentorship, and all the elements that make a workplace truly irresistible.

Why Is Employer Branding So Vital in Today’s Competitive Landscape?

1. Attracting Top Talent

In today’s competitive talent market, candidates are no longer simply looking for job roles. Instead, they seek companies whose values and culture resonate with their personal beliefs. A strong employer brand makes a company stand out and can attract high-quality candidates who are looking for more than just a paycheck — they are looking for a career journey that aligns with their personal goals.

When making a decision on where to apply for a job, 84% of job seekers say the reputation of a company as an employer is important. And 93% say it’s important to be thoughtful and informed about all aspects of a company prior to accepting a job offer. (Glassdoor)

2. Employee Engagement and Retention

A compelling employer brand increases employee engagement by fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. Employees who identify with the company’s culture and values are more likely to remain loyal and fully engaged. This results in lower turnover rates, which can significantly reduce costs related to recruitment, onboarding, and training.

85% of employees and job seekers expect their employer to support them in balancing their life between work and personal commitments.(Employee Retention Strategy Guide)

3. Positive Company Reputation

A well-established employer brand boosts a company’s reputation, not only among potential employees but also among clients, partners, and investors. A company with a motivated, engaged workforce is viewed positively by all stakeholders, building long-term business success.

Now, let’s delve into the core of the matter: what comprises employer branding and what are the key elements that render it effective?

1. Established Company Identity

A clear company mission, identity, and values offer potential candidates insight into the organization’s guiding principles. This clarity helps attract professionals who share those values and are more likely to thrive within the company.

2. Engaging Recruitment Process

An engaging, transparent, and efficient recruitment process enhances the candidate experience. Regular communication, timely feedback, and a seamless transition from application to onboarding can make all the difference in attracting top talent.

3. Showcasing Company Culture

In the digital age, leveraging social media, career websites, and videos to showcase your company culture is essential. These platforms offer candidates a glimpse into the company’s working environment and help them envision a future within your organization.

4. Employee Advocacy and Word of Mouth

Current employees who speak positively about their workplace can serve as brand ambassadors. Their organic posts on social media, employee testimonials, and reviews on job websites significantly enhance a company’s credibility, often more effectively than traditional advertising.

5. Attractive Employee Benefits

In today’s competitive job market, offering attractive and diverse benefits is a key factor in employer branding. This includes traditional benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off, but also extends to newer offerings like flexible work schedules, remote work options, wellness programs, learning and development opportunities, and mental health support. Benefits reflect a company’s commitment to the well-being of its employees and help differentiate it in a crowded market.

The Customized Approach of Employer Branding

Employer branding is not a one-size-fits-all solution — it’s a dynamic and customizable approach that needs to align with a company’s unique values, goals, and the evolving expectations of employees. With the competition for top talent growing fiercer by the day, companies must differentiate themselves beyond offering job opportunities. An effective employer branding strategy can be the edge that allows businesses to attract, engage, and retain the best talent.

At its heart, it’s not just about hiring — it’s about creating an ecosystem where both the company and its employees thrive. Employer branding is the strategic tool that allows organizations to build strong, lasting relationships with their workforce, resulting in long-term success and growth.

If you’re not acquainted with the term, referral program refers to a strategic initiative implemented by companies to encourage their employees to recommend friends, family members, or professionals within their network for available job opportunities. In the world of IT, where finding top talent is like finding a needle in a haystack, referral programs are a game-changer.

So, what’s in it for you as an employee?

Firstly, you have the opportunity to assist your friend in securing an exceptional job at our company. Not only is it a kind gesture, but it also brings a sense of satisfaction, knowing that you played a significant role in introducing a valuable asset to our team. Additionally, many companies, as well as Forte Group, offer cash rewards for successful referrals.

Referral programs have the potential to enhance employee engagement and foster a great sense of community. By actively participating in the recruitment process, you become more personally invested in the company’s success. Moreover, when you refer someone, it conveys a powerful message, “I think you’d be a valuable addition to our team.” That kind of confidence can go a long way in creating a positive work environment.

Referral program benefits

Now, let’s delve into the reasons why referral programs hold immense value for the companies. When you refer someone, you essentially endorse their skills and abilities, so you’re not likely to recommend someone who isn’t a good fit for the job. Furthermore, since referred candidates already have a connection within the company, they’re more inclined to stick around for the long term. In fact, studies show that referred candidates have a higher retention rate than candidates from alternative sources.

Referral programs are not only cost-effective but also highly efficient. Instead of allocating significant resources to recruitment efforts like job fairs or advertising, companies can rely on their employees to bring in top talent. After all, who knows the company culture and team dynamics better than the people who are already a part of it?

Naturally, there are some considerations to keep in mind when it comes to referral programs. One of the biggest concerns is the potential lack of diversity. People tend to refer others who resemble themselves, so it’s important for companies to ensure they’re not limiting their candidate pool. But with comprehensive training and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, these challenges can be effectively addressed.

How can you get in on the referral program action?

Talk to your friends and family about any open positions at the company, and let them know you’d be happy to refer them. And if you do make a successful referral, don’t be shy to brag about your achievements. Share your success story with your colleagues and encourage them to get involved.

So, why wait ? Seize the opportunity and start referring!

Referral Program: a win-win for everyone involved was originally published in Forte Group on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

1.Over the last six months, the IT industry has seen a significant increase in demand for skilled professionals. Specifically, the demand for software developers has been on the rise, with an increase of job postings on LinkedIn by over 25% compared to the previous six months.

2.The demand for cybersecurity professionals is on the rise, as companies continue to prioritize protecting their data and networks from cyber threats. In fact, according to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally by 2024. This presents a great opportunity to specialize in this field.

3.The trend towards automation and artificial intelligence (AI) is also impacting the IT industry. In fact, a report by Gartner predicts that by the end of 2023, AI will have eliminated 1.8 million jobs, but at the same time, will have created 2.3 million new jobs. So specialists with expertise in AI and related fields such as machine learning, data analysis, and natural language processing keep your CVs updated as you will be on high demand in the coming years.

4.The demand for cloud computing skills is also on the rise. According to a report by Flexera, 83% of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by the end of 2023. This means that specialists with expertise in cloud computing, such as AWS or Azure, will have great job opportunities in the coming years.

5.According to global LinkedIn data from Jan 2023, recruiters are now 50% more likely to search by skills than by years of experience. This means it’s more important than ever to showcase your unique skillset when applying for jobs.

6.In addition to technical skills, soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are also highly valued in the IT industry. According to global LinkedIn data, the top five most in-demand soft skills for IT jobs are creativity, collaboration, adaptability, leadership, and time management. Make sure to highlight your soft skills in your job applications and interviews.

Keep these trends and facts in mind as you navigate the IT job market in 2023, and continue to upskill and adapt to stay competitive.

We’re always on the lookout for talented professionals to join our team across various roles. Check our current openings at and let’s take the next step together towards a fulfilling career!

At Forte Group, we want to ensure that our recruitment process is not only beneficial for us, but also for you as a candidate. We’re constantly improving this process to attract top talents. Today our recent hires have raved about our organized process, speedy feedback, and friendly team members who make them feel at ease. And with the ever-changing landscape of IT, there’s never been a more thrilling time to join our team. Dive into the article to discover what sets us apart and see why Forte Group is the perfect match for you.

The communication and feedback during the hiring process with Forte Group was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The process was well-organized, and I received rather quick, clear, and consistent feedback. The questions I had were immediately addressed without beating around the bush :)

If to talk about the most rewarding aspects of working on the project, these are the opportunity to develop my skills and, of course, the people. Working in an awesome team with amazing people who motivate me to learn and grow is undoubtedly rewarding.

The chance to participate in a challenging project was the reason I applied to position at Forte Group. Additionally, working with a high-performing team with many years of experience in the field motivates me to keep learning.

Regarding the hiring process, it was very professional from the Recruitment side — they were always very thoughtful of my timing and requests, and from the technical side as well, they effectively communicated the expectations of the role and what the team was looking for.

The entire hiring process was relaxed, comfortable, and respectful towards each other. Everyone I interacted with was friendly and competent.

A couple of questions during the technical interview were quite challenging, but it was fun and rewarding to discuss them with the team lead. I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion and learned something new.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that I received responses promptly after calls and the technical interview. As far as I remember, the entire hiring process, from the first recruiter’s message to the offer, took around a week.

The trajectory of the company and the fact that Forte Group can offer a local contract including all the benefits by law helped me to determine that Forte Group was the right company to work in.

The key element in whole hiring process was my recruiter, Inna, who was very kind, very helpful and always kept me updated. Most important she responded to all my questions as soon as she could.

The recruitment process was clear from the beginning, with defined dates and times for the interviews, and I always received feedback on the process. The technical interviews were a challenge that helped me with issues that are faced on a day-to-day basis, in my profile as a QA engineer.

I knew some people who work in the company, and I always do a little research before joining a new company. I liked the culture and transparency approach, which brought me closer to making a decision, and here I am very happy and learning a lot after 2 months. Thank you very much for the opportunity!

Joining the Forte Group team is not just about finding a job, it’s about becoming part of a community that values innovation, creativity, and collaboration. Our hiring process is designed to identify those who share our values and have the skills and experience to contribute to our team.

So if you are ready to take the next step in your career, we encourage you to apply today and see where your journey with Forte Group can take you!

The main goal of the Technical Interview is to receive info about the candidate’s experience, level of expertise, and opportunities for further development and personal growth. The candidates, in their turn, seek to learn more about the project and the team and get feedback on their expertise.

Let’s move on to some structural details.

First, a recruiter or an interviewer presents the agenda of the meeting. It always depends on the candidate’s level. For example, during an interview for the Middle or Senior level, an interviewer asks you to start by dwelling on your experience of projects, technologies, or tasks you have worked with. Remember that there is always a certain amount of time for the interview. Most often, it is an hour, less often, an hour and a half — depending on the project. This time covers an introduction, a technical task, and clarifying questions. So be explicit and share as much relevant info as possible. If you have any pet projects feel free to share them beforehand. It is more important to spend time on technical questions and tasks. When the speech about the experience and soft skills drags on, there is less time to demonstrate your hands-on experience.

Talking about soft skills, even during the technical interview, they are considered especially when discussing leadership or managerial positions. Interviewers pay attention to the candidates’ ability to communicate and discuss solutions.

Note that a well-structured and honest resume is essential. It helps to specify what other technologies the candidate has worked with.

If we talk about Juniors, it’s a bit different. Junior specialists will be asked a lot of theoretical questions: whether they are self-taught or have relevant education. So, the candidates should be specific about the scope of the course and the tasks they carried out. Here our advice is to not be shy. Tell us as much as you can about what you’ve done and learned. You can read more on how to get ready for an interview here.

The main part of the TI is obviously tech tasks and questions. Always come prepared. Be ready to do whiteboard coding, and share the screen for the coding task.

It is vital to remember that job interviews can be stressful. For some it is more stressful than for others. In our opinion, the important point that helps to calm down is to understand that no one will try to fail you deliberately. On the contrary, we strive to hire the candidate to close the position as fast as possible. So when candidates understand this, it becomes easier to talk and interact, and the interview is less stressful.

Furthermore, we would like to point out that there are always questions you don’t know the answers to. And it’s ok. You can try to deduce it logically or to suppose what you would do if you faced this problem or task. But if you understand that you have no clue, just admit that, and move ahead to the next question.

It is obvious, but we couldn’t dismiss this point — don’t google :) Don’t think that nobody will notice. Sometimes candidates honestly say that they need to take a look at some theory just to make sure. It’s much more honest than when people try to cheat.

As for the feedback, we try to give it after the Technical Interview as soon as possible. On average, all the candidates get feedback despite the decision. The recruiter informs the next steps. There are such moments when during the interview, the candidates immediately begin to embarrass the interviewer by asking if they have passed the interview, whether they have solved the problem, and so on. It is always better to give time to think and arrange all the pros and cons. Remember that not always a technical interviewer makes a hiring decision.

Bear in mind that there is no specific plan for each interview. It’s always about live communication. Perhaps, there are some key points that we cover, but our interviewers try to tailor the process to meet the communication needs.

Look through the list of open vacancies on our career website, and don’t hesitate to send us your CV!

Today, on International Women’s Day, we asked Iryna about her career growth, the challenges she faced, and all the pitfalls of recruiting in IT. If you’re looking for inspiration, motivation, and connection around your career journey, then read on cause there will be a lot of it in this interview!

Tell us about the first steps in the profession: how did you choose your career path?

I have always wanted to choose a profession related to communication and people from different cultural backgrounds. So I was looking for something suitable to match my preferences. My cooperation with Forte Group started in 2014 with a phone call. One day I had a call from a recruiter inviting me to visit recruitment training. I successfully finished that course and immediately received an offer from Forte.

What was the hardest part about starting out?

IT was a completely new industry for me. It was terrifying at first because I had to call candidates and ask if they were looking for work and sell them some projects and opportunities. I had no idea that sometimes it would be difficult to talk to candidates when they wouldn’t even listen to you or that there would be passive candidates who weren’t looking for anything. That was the challenge: convincing them and selling the project and position you were working on.

But I love challenges, so I decided to set goals for each month and achieve them. When I had a goal in front of me, I always tried to go far and beyond to stay on track.

You got to recruitment and stayed there for quite a while. What hooked you so much that you continued to develop in this direction?

Because of the opportunity to communicate with people from different countries and actively use English, as I have always wanted to. There were also some unusual cases. One of my candidates wrote to me, “If you want me to reply, then answer the question: why did Van Halen always order only brown M&M’s to their dressing room?” And I had to search for the answer to that question! This is precisely what appealed to me most– you are always on the ball and up to speed.

Just a little part of our huge Recruitment Department

Now you have completely different tasks to handle as VP of Talent Acquisition. And we’re just curious to know what is the most enjoyable thing about your job right now.

A lot has changed within the last 9 years — locations, teams, achievements, and challenges. Now I’m responsible for some tasks I have never done before and have to develop them from scratch. Together with Recruitment Team Leads, we’re setting up the department’s functions, building structures, and automating all the processes. It helps me to grow professionally and personally as I always strive to upskill.

What is special about IT recruitment? There’s a perception that recruiters are not that tech-savvy, is it true?

Of course not :) Recruiters should understand the fundamentals of all technologies and be well aware of the latest updates. You don’t have to learn how to code in Java, but at least you should understand the difference between the Front-end and the Backend, what Scrum is, and how it works. So it’s essential to give the candidate the impression that they’re talking to a tech-savvy person who can maintain a decent conversation. This is why recruiting in IT is different from any other field.

Forte Group is a medium-sized company. What advantages does it have over the outsourcing giants?

• The fact that you know a lot of people in person, and you can talk to everyone you need in almost no time. We actually have very open and friendly relations in Forte.
• Also, there is no bureaucracy. To get an answer to a question or to solve a problem, you don’t have to fill out a thousand different applications, you can fill out one form and contact the person responsible for solving everything very fast.
• Accessible communication with management. You don’t have to make an appointment a week or two in advance, or you just have to call somebody and talk to them. You can do that in a timely fashion, as everyone is very responsive!

You’ve achieved a lot in your career, but what are your 3 most significant accomplishments within Forte?

I feel lucky to have an opportunity to build diverse and high-performing global Recruitment Teams. It would not be possible without my wonderful Team Leads. I’m proud of the comprehensive training and skill development programs we’ve built for our Recruiters and Researchers. And last but not least, we grew our Ukrainian office from 30 to 280 employees!

Our Recruitment Team spotted on the Power of Unity corporate event

Do you have any management life hacks that help you in working processes?

Avoid procrastination. Try to focus on the most critical tasks during the first part of the day.

What principles do you use to build relationships within the team?

Trust and respect. Trust helps you build a favorable environment where people help each other succeed and grow as professionals. And even though our team has a little internal competition, healthy competition takes place.

I have always said, and now I keep saying, that if you know any tips on getting through to a candidate or presenting some information better, you should always share it and show that you are open to helping someone. And if you need help, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for it. There are no silly questions. You just have to remember that there are people with different levels of experience, and you always have to consider that and balance it out.

What is Forte’s philosophy in terms of having a more diverse workplace?

Forte Group provides equal opportunities for everyone who would like to join us. Being a global company, I think that diversity is vital to our success.

Do you feel there are still few females in the technology sector? What do you think companies can do to encourage more women to choose careers in tech and rectify the imbalance?

The industry makes it challenging to combine having a tech career with maternity and family. Tech employers who aren’t supportive of their female staff and don’t offer flexible time working options can further discourage females from joining in. Embrace and highlight flexible working options. By doing so, women can consistently achieve more and show greater results.

What advice would you give to someone who is choosing a career path?

Choose it wisely and see what you enjoy doing the most. Connect your passion in life with your career as closely as possible. Set clear goals and envision what you want your work to look like. Never be afraid to fail and make mistakes. This is how you learn, grow and become the best version of yourself. Be persistent!

It was really insightful, so thank you for your honest and sincere reflection!

Follow this Medium publication to stay in-the-know with our latest updates and some insights from the Forte Group Recruitment Team.

Check our current job openings, and don’t hesitate to apply. We will be glad to see you as a part of the Forte Group Team!

One of the key points you have to fix is that relocation to the USA is first of all about the opportunities: to have a chance to gain experience in large projects, to form a pension fund, to provide a good education for your children, etc. We’ve gathered 5 main reasons to help you make a decision on relocation.

1.Your dream may come true. Have you been dreaming of relocating to the United States? This opportunity is ideal for you!

2.An opportunity to gain experience in large projects by working with the largest reliable companies in the US that have been on the market for 50+ years. This is reliability proven by decades of experience. In addition, you should remember that most of the largest companies in the world have their head offices in the States. That means you have the opportunity to work with the 1st source.

3.An opportunity to form a pension fund by joining a 401k savings plan. So you’re contributing to your retirement and creating your personal fund. Note that you cover it just partly, another part will be covered by Forte Group.

4.We provide you with Flexible Spending Accounts to manage your finances and make your spending more effective.

5.Forte Group contributes to the insurance plan, which allows you to feel comfortable in the US. We are working with an insurance provider with one of the widest networks of hospitals and pharmacies. You can select the plan for yourself and your family and choose the plan that is right for you and your needs.

Forte Group has 22 years of successful experience in employee relocation with the #L1 and #H1B visa programs. Some of our team members shared their stories of relocation.

We relocated to the US 4.5 years ago. Moving to a new country brings a lot of uncertainty, but it was a relatively smooth process for me. I’ve had support from Forte every step of the way during the visa process. I could count on the support from colleagues and HR throughout my move during the first few months and received excellent advice. Forte provided a guest house we shared with other colleagues and their families. We could find our own place while staying in the guest house, and we also had support from Forte during that process.

I’m absolutely grateful for the opportunity to relocate and happy with the relationship I’ve built with Forte over the years. Relocating to the US wasn’t easy, but looking back, I think it was the best decision for my family and career.

Forte offered me an analytical consultant position and found a project that matched my qualifications and experience well. I already had an H1b visa when Forte offered me a job, I just needed H1b transfer support and Green Card sponsorship. I obtained full support from Forte for both. The company supervised the work with the immigration lawyer and all the Green Card application steps.

The relocation process was a bit challenging at the beginning, but with Forte’s help, things went smoothly. We had a temporary house to settle in, which gave us comfort and time to work on other things. As for support with documentation, since the beginning, I have had extraordinary support from Forte. The HR department was outstanding, helping me with all details and constantly making themselves available for video calls, so everything went smoothly.

The movement itself was a big step for my family and me. All the initial challenges and difficulties were quickly overcome with Forte’s help, and now we couldn’t be happier. It changed our life for the better.

Send your CV to yana.demianenko@fortegrp.com right now to make your dream come true!

Pablo believes that working closely with key stakeholders and understanding the reasoning behind the product decisions leads to outstanding results, which empower clients’ further success. He joined Forte with a shared vision on how to deliver software, in a way, scaling up his own company’s vision. We asked him to share the challenges of building agile teams in Latin America.

How did your IT career start?

Everything started with a passion for technology. I was always fascinated by the power of it, even as a kid. I was the one in my primary school class who had fun with the “boring” LogoWriter. When I had my first PC at home, I invited friends to play with it and to make some developing things. Funny times!

Naturally, I studied technology and started my first trainee job during classes. As a Java developer, I worked for a consultancy firm on several projects. That gave me a good overview of other working methods, architectures, client expectations, and working for various industries. Afterward, I worked for several years as a travel industry leader, becoming more interested in being the connection point between the development teams and the stakeholders. That’s where my managing path began.

I’ve also been the co-founder of 2 SaaS products and a boutique software development company with a clear vision of creating Agile teams and quality software. I got the best experience in end-to-end engagements, from talent acquisition to product discoveries, to delivering and showing value to our clients.

What key points about the South American IT market should everyone know?

Indeed, being in a close time zone to our clients in the US makes it very easy to collaborate as a remote team.

LATAM people are the key to success. They are passionate about technology and like to share and learn from others. In most countries in LATAM, you’ll find creative and dedicated people who love what they do and are eager to improve continuously. Language and culture also have no barriers. You will find one of the highest English proficiency rates. You’ll find a huge talent pool in Latin America with highly passionate people that creates highly performant and reliable teams.

Business is always about ups and downs. Have you made any mistakes in business? What lessons have you learned?

Mistakes? A lot! That’s how you learn, by inspecting and changing towards your better shape. Let’s look at my first team’s example. We started a product with partners, loved the challenging software development aspect, and thought our ideas were excellent. We were planning, story mapping, defining value, and delivering as a machine, but we never considered the user expectations.

We learned our lesson — always validate your business ideas by doing as minimal development as possible, and don’t waste work on features users won’t use. Test and Validate your thoughts with your actual users (not with your friends).

Share the secret of how you manage to motivate people to work in the company. What kind of manager are you?

The key to motivating people is always to listen, take good care of their personal goals, understand what they want to achieve, how they want to progress, and what are the next steps in their career path and, from my standpoint, help them meet those goals. In addition, ensure to have exciting teams, product goals, and resources to excel at their jobs with passion.

What South American labor market issues do you consider the most pressing?

South America is a constant emerging market. It’s a land of opportunities, which means that it is also a very competitive market. At Forte, we find the best talent and create exciting communities. We work hard to find key training areas and enable career growth opportunities for all our team members.

What are your requirements for candidates? I mean a bunch of hard and soft skills. Share your TOP five.

Hard to get a top five, but these would be some:

• Willingness to take ownership of tasks
• Technical appetite
• Desire to learn, inspect, adapt, and change
• Curiosity
• Transparency
• And, above all: team player

How did your cooperation with Forte Group begin?

We owned “Centaurico” with two great friends, a software development company based in Argentina. During our journey, we met an excellent company named Agile unicorn. We shared a common vision of delivering software with an agile mindset, delivering quality and predictable value to our clients. When CJ Montano joined Forte to bring his vision, it was clear that we would continue working together at some point. In 2021 Centaurico joined Forte with the mission to grow the Latin American presence. In just a year, we created multiple teams and delivered value for more than 15 clients. We are looking to keep increasing and finding the best talent in Latin America, so if you’re interested, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Forte Group is now spanning three continents with global offices. Are there any roadblocks to working in an international team?

Working with people on three continents brings tremendous cultural diversity, translating into different ways of sparking new ideas. I believe there’s a great value in having people across the world. However, I think that bringing the best possible collaboration and efficiency to each team is enough to be in the same time zone. Especially in this new world of remote work, I value people’s skills more than their location.

What do you think of modern IT and its future?

The demand for software engineers will keep increasing during the next few years. The pandemic accelerated a process of digital transformation that was already in place. Now, more and more businesses are not viable without technology. I believe cloud architecture is key to achieving scalability at all levels. It continues to be a critical factor in success for companies of all sizes. At Forte, we have top-level partnerships and certify our teams to develop the most efficient solutions.

As engineers are always looking for better and more productive ways of solving problems, I see the field of artificial intelligence with great potential. Trained models can now recommend and even generate complex algorithms (AlphaCode or Copilot) or create realistic images based on random natural language inputs (Dall-e). It is far from being stable, but something that will eventually help us focus on product designing and architecture of better and more complex product solutions.

Additionally, the incredible possibilities and applications that blockchain brings into our world seem to open a new dimension and paradigm in how we will interact with each other soon. So understanding the path and being part of the technical solutions will be crucial to the success of emerging technology.

The last and the essential one, share the advice you would like to receive much earlier.

Enjoy the journey, be curious, and think that with your actions, you can make things better for the world and the community around you. Always be a team player, don’t be afraid to ask questions, challenge processes, and share your ideas. They’ll get better and better after each conversion.

Thanks Pablo for sharing your thoughts and vision!

Want to work with fellow engineers who aspire to do great work and make an impact within the IT community? We are hiring!

In mid-2022, we opened the doors of our first office in Poland, Kraków. Since then Forte Group Team in Poland has been growing steadily. Now, in early 2023, we’re about to open a new office in Warsaw. We decided to meet with the director of the Kraków office and inquire about Forte Group’s plans for Poland in particular and IT community in general.

Tell us about yourself, Maura. What was your journey like to get where you are today? What did you do before you came to IT?

My experience covers more than 20 years in business now. During the first years of my career, I had worked for an Austrian company in the metallurgical industry, with its branch office in Poland. I was mainly responsible for administrative issues, translation works, and backup of sales and marketing processes.

Can you give us more details about your career in IT?

For the last 8 years, I had been working for an IT company where I provided comprehensive administrative management extended by process management and operational support in HR and financial areas, with a particular focus on growing from a start-up type model, with just a few people, to a medium size company and finally entering the structures of a bigger group.

Why did you choose Forte Group?

First of all, I wanted to stay in the IT industry because I know all the ins and outs and have some hands-on experience. Besides, I like it for many reasons, but most importantly, for its constant growth, development, and focus on change. Secondly, Forte operates in different areas of business and has various clients. For me it means that it is open and has no limitations , but bright prospects instead. And , the most important thing, I think, is something about the company itself — its culture and people. That’s what I was impressed by from the very beginning something really unique and distinctive. It makes me feel that I really belong here.

Now I have a complete picture of what Forte Group is and what it stands for, and I can honestly say that this is basically what I thought it would be like based on the first impression I got. Great people and great culture.

You’ve mentioned a unique corporate culture of Forte, so please explain what you mean by the words “unique and distinctive.”

Everyone I interacted with was supportive, helpful, responsive, and always smiling! It seems like nothing is a problem, and we can figure out everything together. I felt it well before I was actually offered a job here, even during the first round of interview. It astonished me because it is not that common, especially in big companies.

Can you share with us some plans for the development of Forte Group in Poland?

We have just registered the legal entity in Poland, headquartered in Kraków, and a new location, Warsaw is due to open at the beginning of March. It definitely means that we are going to grow and develop.

How many people are there in the Kraków office? How has the number of employees changed over the last year?

Forties are present all over Poland, but two biggest locations now are Kraków and Warsaw. Kraków is a registered headquarters of Forte Group in Poland, and there are 24 people there now, but even more of them are in our Warsaw location — around 40. Most of them relocated over the last year.

How would you describe the IT labor market in Poland?

I would say it is continuously growing, not rapidly but rather steadily, which means that both the present situation and future prospects are optimistic. IT specialists are still in high demand. And in the nearest future, IT investments will be focused mainly on the services and software market rather than hardware and facilities, which is good news for Forte as a software company.

What can you say about Poland’s IT community (hackathons, meetups, and conferences)? Is it well-established or developing?

I would say the IT community has already been formed to some extent, especially over the last few years, but I think it is still developing. Some steps were taken to make the IT industry more united and, by means of that, give it some prominence — like founding SODA — an association of software developers that now has more than 200 member companies. It organizes meetups, conferences, and trainings, giving space for networking and exchanging experience.

Thank you, Maura, for this little trip to Forte Group Poland!

Looking forward to meeting you once again after the Warsaw office opening.

Check our current job openings, and don’t hesitate to apply. We will be glad to see you as a part of the Forte Group Team!

LinkedIn is, first of all, a professional social network. Unlike Facebook or Instagram, it is used primarily to achieve career goals: find or offer a job, build a personal brand, offer cooperation, and make professional acquaintances. Of course, even here, you can see cats, dogs, and other non-business content, but overall, the social network was created to build professional connections.

According to official statistics from March 2022 on LinkedIn:

• 810 million users and 57 million companies registered;
• 15 million vacancies posted;
• 6 people receive a job offer every minute;
• 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn regularly. Forte Group Recruitment Team is not an exception.

A well-filled LinkedIn profile is more than just a resume. Using all the features provided by LinkedIn, you can tell your story, show your background and ambitions, and stand out from the crowd to attract recruiters’ attention.

• Your Name should be filled out as follows: First Name preceding the Last Name, according to the international standard. The first and last name on Linkedin must match the first and last name on the resume. Many people, for some reason, do not consider this point, although it is essential.
• The visual component of the profile is crucial because it affects the recruiter’s perception of you. It is preferable if you’re smiling in the picture, looking into the camera with your face taking up 50% of the image. It should be a casual business picture (without palm trees and sun loungers) but not too formal because this is a modern social network where you should demonstrate your openness to communication.
• If you’re in an active job search, don’t forget to use the Open to Work frame over your photo — it will immediately make you stand out in the eyes of the recruiter.
• Add the background. This is a horizontal banner behind your main photo. There are no specific requirements to follow but remember that this is a professional network, so use your common sense.
• Don’t forget to include the location. If you plan to relocate, you should indicate the city where you want to receive an offer. For example, if you are currently in Tbilisi, but looking for a job in Warsaw, then set Warsaw as a location.

If you’re planning to work at an international company, we recommend filling out your profile in English.

The LinkedIn profile headline is the first thing other users will read on your profile because it’s right below your name. It automatically fills in after you specify your work experience, but you can change it to emphasize your qualifications and personality better. It’s worth adding your position or the one you’re looking for + key skills.

For example: Looking for Project manager | Agile & Delivery Manager | Scrum Master | Healthcare

• The description shouldn’t be too long or too short — at least 40 characters.
• The information in this section should include the keywords relevant to your position and critical requirements for you. It is better to specify the job you are looking for + stack + other vital points for you and the prospective employer. For example, you are ready to start working abroad.
• Don’t just list your accomplishments or the stack you’re working with. Tell your story, share your motivation and challenges that inspire you, and what you’d like to work on in the future. There are no strict formatting rules here, so this is the place to say everything you’d like others to know about you. Here are some examples of good profile descriptions.
• Include important projects in your track record. Choose those you are most proud of and those in tune with the vacancies you are interested in.
• Avoid common phrases such as I am goal-oriented, easy to learn, stress-resistant, etc. Indicate only what concerns you specifically.
• Add a call to action at the end of the section. For example: Contact me to discuss cooperation opportunities.

What else can you add:

If there’s a link to GitHub/Behance/Dribble, etc., it’s best to add it to that department.

Contact information. It is worth adding your contact information to speed up the number of incoming responses.

Itis more than just specifying the company and the position. Be sure to describe your responsibilities and professional accomplishments. Note that someone in the same role can do other things in different companies. For developers, it’s a good idea to spell out the stack you worked with on this project.

You shouldn’t skip this section even if you haven’t got any relevant experience. Describe what you did in your current position, avoid copy-paste, and try to describe each of your projects or work experiences unique way. If there is no work experience, you should focus on your skills — what you can do and how you can bring value to the potential employer. Recruiting takes into account not only hard skills but soft skills as well, which can be found in this section.

You can choose more than 60 skills in the LinkedIn database, but it is better to mark up to 30 skills in your profile. Skills should be detailed, that is, not just “management” but “process management” or “project management.” Here you need to specify all the keywords for you.

Please pay attention and use the correct name of technology — write .NET, not dotnet

If you’re looking for a job as a Front-end developer and you haven’t specified any keywords, unfortunately, your profile will be the very last of the massive list of profiles. Recruiters only see three skills in the first place, so ensure these are vital skills for the job you are applying for. You should also ask colleagues and managers to endorse your skills — this will raise you in the search results.

Don’t be shy about asking your colleagues and supervisors to write a recommendation or reference. At least three recommendations already add weight to the profile, inspire more confidence on the recruiter’s part, and significantly increase your credibility as a professional.

Remember to include your education as well. In the education section, you can specify not only the university, degree, and majors but any academic achievements (e.g., graduation with honors, participation in competitions, etc.).

If you took any relevant courses, mention them and include a certificate, especially if you are just taking your first steps in IT. This is a great way to show employers that you can learn and develop your skills independently.

Update your profile information as soon as it changes, even if you are not looking for a job. So in the future, you can update only some points at a time. Also, even if you are not in an active job search, it is worth visiting your page at least once a month, replying to messages, adding new people, and updating information. When the time comes, it will work out great for you.

Use the tips above to leverage your expertise and take your career to the next level.

Look through the list of open vacancies on our career website, and don’t hesitate to send us your CV!