According to CareerBuilder, 74% of companies have hired an irrelevant candidate at least once. Businesses can lose thousands of dollars on such mistakes. In IT, inefficient recruiting is especially painful — the candidate market is limited, and, most likely, it will not be possible to start the search against the burning deadlines.

How do you find specialists who meet the vacancy’s requirements? You can try recruiting with the help of donor companies. Let’s find out what it is and how it works.

What are donor companies, and why use them in IT recruiting

Donor companies have the employees you need that meet the specific job requirements. For example, suppose you need to find a developer in the Blockchain field or a candidate with experience in digitalising banking services. In that case, it is best to use a search by donor companies. So you will not go through a general inquiry, filtering out hundreds and thousands of irrelevant candidates and wasting time, but “come from the other side”. In this case, you will first find companies that have specialists with relevant expertise, and only after that will you offer them vacancies.

Usually, this method of searching is more efficient. And here’s why:

• Better conversion at the main stages of recruiting and time-to-hire. Specialists are usually more interested in considering your vacancy and pass interviews more efficiently.

• Easy onboarding and helpful solutions for the team. Developers come with ready-made solutions and an understanding of the specifics of the niche.

• The cost of hiring is reduced. Less spending on additional resources for searching, optimising the time of specialists who conduct interviews, etc.

In addition, your hiring manager will love and respect you even more because you provide only the best candidates and understand all the nuances of the position.

Which businesses and positions are suitable for search using donor companies

Despite all the benefits of this search method, it is only suitable for some vacancies. The allocation of donor companies takes a lot of time and resources, which may not bring the expected result. For example, suppose you’re looking for a Ruby Dev for Fintech without any additional requirements. In that case, you don’t need to filter candidates (almost any developer with Ruby experience will probably work for you).

I highlighted several markers that indicate that searching by donor companies may be helpful for your vacancy:

• Specific project/direction,

• Special requirements/wishes for the candidate from the manager (experience in the Blockchain field),

• Rare position (SAP engineer, research analyst, etc.),

• Particular type of company or work model (product mindset for a project with a social mission),

• Additional requirement in experience with rare technologies (Java EE, Magento),

• Specific knowledge or solutions to help build the project will be a plus.

How to search for candidates through the donor companies: a practical case

Searching for donors is relatively easyfor sources and recruiters who already have at least one such experience or possess unpopular features of LinkedIn. Let’s analyse one of the options for finding a relevant specialist with a specific stack through donor companies.

We resort to searching for vacancies with a similar stack. For this:

1. If the company we are hiring for already has at least one such specialist, we find his profile and study it in detail (where he worked and who his colleagues were). For example, you can use an Alumni search on LinkedIn to find specialists from the same university.

2. We review the vacancies of other companies according to this stack.

3. We check the site with data on company stacks.

4. We search on Facebook (there is still a search for people by the company where they work).

So you can make a list of donor companies. Enter it in the LinkedIn search, complete the query, and you’re done — you found relevant candidates.

According to Gallup, only 13% of Western European employees are engaged in the workplace. Others are not too active or do the minimum that allows them not to be “kicked out” of the company. Low engagement costs companies dearly. How to achieve a high level of engagement?

What is employee engagement, and how does it affect a company’s bottom line?

Engagement is a physical and emotional state that motivates the team to do quality work and give their best. Engaged employees do not need to be constantly inspired. They take the initiative and “row ahead” themselves.

A team of engaged employees has lower turnover. And this, in turn, means lower costs for the company and a positive working atmosphere.

And finally, according to Gallup, companies with highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable. In the long run, team engagement helps quadruple business profits. Harvard Business School professor James Hesketh studied the corporate culture of 200 companies for 11 years. He concluded that organisations that took care of corporate values, encouraged initiative, valued their employees and worked with their involvement increased revenue by 682% during the experiment.

“Employee engagement is their emotional connection with the company when the employee knows and feels that the company cares about him. He is passionate about work, his responsibilities, career goals and ideas, and wants to improve the product/project and the company in general.”

How to measure engagement: important factors

The involved specialist recommends the company as a place of work and makes efforts to achieve the result. He is willing to perform tasks that go beyond his primary functions. A highly-involved specialist shows initiative, does not transfer responsibility to others, offers new ideas and moves on to new projects without problems.

Signs of a disengaged employee:

- simulation of work, work from “call” to “call”;

- reluctance to take responsibility in complex or non-standard situations;

- deterioration of the quality of work and non-acceptance of feedback;

- frequent disruption of deadlines;

- negativity in terms of innovations;

- weak communication with colleagues.

Gallup has developed a methodology for checking employee engagement. It consists of 12 statements/questions. You can learn more about the method on the website.

How to keep and increase team engagement outside the office

Many people wanted to work at home before the pandemic to have loved ones, a favourite sofa, a cat, pyjamas, a blanket and tea nearby. But when this happened, people faced many factors that negatively affected their psychological, physical state and engagement in general.

Working in the office, the specialist keeps pace. Should he switch to the remote, motivation may drop, and the threat of burnout and depression may increase. In addition, in remote work, the connection with the company, understanding its goals and interest in them is often lost. We have collected tips on how to keep companies and employees motivated while working remotely.

1. Maintain regular communication with employees

According to research, loneliness harms employee performance and teamwork. Set up contact with the team so everyone feels “connected”. How to do it:

- Call and discuss plans — for example, daily at 10:00 for 5–15 minutes.

- Organizing joint chats for chatter, memes, and off-tops.

- Arrange regular “mood checks” — tests, surveys and personal contact with the manager.

- Organize online and offline events. For example, quests or online quizzes.

- Remember important dates. Personal greetings are an excellent reminder that specialists are essential to you.

2. Follow a work-life balance

In Italy, the average working week is 20 hours. And in Great Britain, working more than 48 hours a week is forbidden. At the same time, the habit of constantly working overtime, common in Japan, costs the Japanese too much. According to statistics, Japanese people who died of heart or brain failure worked more than 80 hours of overtime, and those who died by suicide worked more than 100 hours a month.

Real estate corporation Tokyo Tatemono launched a program introducing a computer shutdown system at the end of the working day to prevent overtime. And in 2019, Microsoft Japan tested a 4-day work week — as a result, the productivity of the company’s employees increased by 40%. Teach employees to work more efficiently, not longer.

3. Encourage personal projects

We often underestimate personal initiative, although the opportunity for employees to implement small personal projects within the company can benefit both parties. For example, we already wrote on the blog that Google has a special gift: each employee can devote one day a week to third-party projects. The famous “Google” Gmail and AdSense were born thanks to this.

Engagement at work is about something other than money. People need to have a good income level. But engagement cannot be increased with money alone. People care about their physical and mental health, empathy, and support. Concentration will be at its highest if a good salary and bonus system supports this.

Why do you need an HR brand? A simple example is Google. Only some people know the details of work, benefits, and workload at the company, but working at Google is still a dream for many. According to LinkedIn, the company annually receives 2 million resumes worldwide.

Invest in building your employer brand. People want to work in these companies not just because of the bonuses — they dream of joining a team of professionals and trying out for famous employers. A brand can be built regardless of the location of the office or the number of employees on the staff.

What is employer branding?
Employer Brand is a term from MarHR that refers to a company’s image and degree of popularity as an employer. According to the Harvard Business Review, companies that invest in HR and employer branding are twice as likely to make the Forbes list.

In addition, according to Randstad Employer Brand Research, companies with a strong HR employer brand attract twice as many job candidates as those with a weak one, and their personnel costs are lower. 68% of applicants say they are more likely to submit a CV to a job if the company has a strong employer brand.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once said, “Personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” It’s the same with IT brands: it’s essential to talk about your company, to know who you are and what you offer employees.

One of the things that could be improved in developing an employer brand is to think that high salaries solve all problems. People go to work not only to work — otherwise, we would be sitting around the clock continuously selling our skills, taking on the projects for which the best pay.

If the advantages of working for the company end in the salary, the competitor should offer a higher amount — and the employees will leave. A strong value proposition and unique benefits will motivate candidates to stay with you for years. The Randstad company annually conducts global research on trends in the HR field and identifies the top priorities among candidates. In 2021, they became:

• high salary and social package — for 62%;
• work-life balance — for 58%;
• interesting work — for 57%;
• pleasant working atmosphere — for 55%;
• career growth — for 49%;
• hybrid schedule with the possibility to work remotely — for 39%.

It is also essential to understand the goals and mission of the company. According to Officevibe, only 40% of employees know their organisation’s strategy and goals. This is a low figure considering the company has a much better chance of retaining a team that shares its mission and values.

Last but not least, recognition of results is essential — feedback reduces stress, helps build trust in the team, and increases employee productivity.

Companies analyse competitors and target audiences but rarely ask employees’ opinions about the convenience of the workplace. And in vain: this is not an aspect on which it is worth saving. Research shows that good office lighting and ventilation increase team satisfaction by 24% and productivity by 16%. The most accessible place to start is to purchase orthopaedic office chairs.

For senior-level specialists, autonomy in management is essential — it is unlikely that a skilled employee with experience will be inspired by working in hellish tracking of hours and describing every detail in Jira or Trello.

How to strengthen the employer brand
According to London’s Employer Branding Agency Research, 68% of candidates want to test the interaction with the company before employment: meet the team and management, walk around the office, and learn about the company’s plans and career opportunities. We have collected tips on how to provide candidates with a “test drive”.

Open days
Arrange this format for juniors or final-year students. During office tours and open days, they can meet the team, ask about the corporate culture and fall in love with how the company’s office life is organised.

Lectures and webinars of employees and managers
An employee’s story about his profession can favourably show your company as an employer, and stories about corporate rules, insights and facaps will reveal the inner kitchen and increase candidates’ confidence.

Company pages on career portals and job sites
Immersion in office life, career stories of employees, and examples of achievements or corporate parties will allow the applicant to understand whether he will fit into the mindset and culture of the team.

What else?

1. Look for company ambassadors. Company employees who talk about their work in various channels can become ambassadors. This will help attract suitable candidates and broadcast the organisation’s culture and values.

2. Pay more attention to newcomers. Send newcomers a welcome box and checklists before starting work, and conduct adaptation programs so that employees feel comfortable in the team from the first days and want to avoid going to your competitor even before the trial period ends.

Work is another relationship in our lives. They are long: according to statistics, we spend half of our lives at work. When offering offers to the next candidate, you must show that you can guarantee money, growth, and drive without injuries. Then you will be chosen by top specialists.

Various software development companies exist, and they can be broadly categorised based on the type of software, the target users or industries they cater to, etc. This blog will describe the common types of software development companies. Which contractor will best meet the needs?

Custom Software Development

These companies develop custom software solutions tailored to a client’s specific needs. Unlike off-the-shelf software, custom-made software is built from scratch to meet specific business needs and is designed to provide a highly personalised solution. The process of custom software development typically involves gathering requirements, designing and prototyping, coding and implementation, testing, and ongoing maintenance and support.

Product-based Software Development

These companies develop software products that can be sold to customers in a particular market or industry. They focus on creating software products that a broad range of customers can use and often invest in ongoing product development and support. Product-based software development typically involves several stages, including market research and analysis, product design and development, testing and quality assurance, and marketing and distribution.

Web Development

These companies specialise in developing websites, web applications, and web-based software solutions. They work with clients to design and build websites and web applications that meet their needs and are user-friendly, responsive, and scalable. Web development can range from simple static websites to complex web applications, including e-commerce, social networking, and online collaboration tools.

Mobile Application Development

These companies specialise in developing mobile applications for iOS, Android, and other mobile platforms. They work with clients to build custom mobile apps tailored to their specific needs and optimised for mobile devices. The process of mobile application development typically involves several stages, including concept development, design and prototyping, coding and implementation, testing, and deployment to app stores.

Game Development

These companies specialise in developing video games for various platforms, including consoles, PC, and mobile devices. They work with clients to create engaging, visually appealing games and optimise them for the target platform. The game development process typically begins with a concept or idea, which is then refined into a game design document that outlines the game mechanics, story, characters, and other vital aspects of the game. This is followed by the actual development process, which involves programming the game mechanics, creating the art assets, designing the levels and environments, and integrating sound effects and music.

Cloud Computing Development

These companies specialise in developing cloud-based software solutions, such as SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). They work with clients to develop scalable, secure, and efficient cloud-based software solutions. Cloud computing development can involve various tasks, including designing and developing cloud-based applications, integrating cloud-based services into existing applications, and optimising applications to run efficiently in the cloud environment.

This information lets you choose the best fit for your needs. Digital Method is an excellent example of a Product-based Software Development company producing software for fintech and banking institutions.

Software development companies emerged in response to the growing demand for computer programs and applications as technology advanced in the late 20th century. Сomputers became more prevalent in homes and businesses, so users needed software to run on these machines and perform various tasks.

In the early days of computing, most software was developed in-house by organisations with the technical expertise to create their programs. By the way, the first-world software development company is generally considered the American “Computer Usage Company”. It was founded in 1955 and later became known for its software products in the travel and leisure industry.

But the era of software developers started in 1980–1990. Computing has become more complex and specialised. Organisations need help to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology. This created a demand for companies that specialised in developing software.

Bill Gates, then CEO of Microsoft, wrote a memo, The Internet Tidal Wave, which turned the world’s largest software firm towards the opportunity of the Internet. In that May 1995 letter, he wrote:

`The Internet is at the forefront … and developments on the Internet over the next several years will set the course of our industry for a long time to come.`

Today, software development companies play a critical role in the technology industry, developing software for various applications, including business, entertainment, education, healthcare, and others. These companies employ highly skilled software developers, designers, and engineers who work together to create effective software solutions. Today there are thousands of software development companies, the biggest among them are Google, Amazon, Oracle, Adobe, Microsoft, etc.

DigiMeth is one of the representatives of this vast industry, having a list of pros that stand us out. The team is located in the capital of fintech, London, which is why our core clients are banks and financial companies. DigiMeth has a staff network across the world. Our team can provide high-quality, customised solutions. Read more about Digital Method cases in the next blog.