Affecto - Software, Product & Data Talent

Poor employee reviews… Some of my most successful hires have been with organisations who at the time had ‘challenging’ Glassdoor reviews. In fact, one Head of Software initially didn’t want to meet a company purely because of what they’d read on there. However, they changed their mind and discussed during their interview - it’s proved to be one of the most rewarding decisions of their career. As always, context is key but what do you think?

What do you look for first in a Software Leader’s (Dev Manager through to Head of Engineering, etc.) CV/resume? I’m asked this question all the time and for me it’s impact in role/acheivements (with context) but what about you?

I’ve placed loads of people over the past decade or so. Including one a good friend of mine… whom I watched England squeak through with yesterday. I met him around 8 years ago when I placed him with a Software House in Leeds as a Mid-Level Java Dev… and now he’s about to take his first Head of Engineering gig. As a Recruiter, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the impact you have on people and their career because it’s ‘your job’. Now, Recruiters aren’t saving lives like Surgeons, paramedics or firefighters, but we do have the ability to change peoples lives… And I think that’s something to be proud of!

Come along to our coding workshop - perfect for beginners or anyone who wants to see what programming is about! Loving our new poster by Mark Whitley 😍

Unconscious bias during an interview process... Really interesting question raised in the comments last week and I think most of us have been guilty of it at one stage or another. What do you think? Only allowed 4 options so, if for you its Panel or Group Interviews (or any other format for that matter), keen to get your thoughts in the comments.

With hybrid working on the rise against fully remote options, a question for both sides of the table - Does meeting in person during an interview process matter in today's market? For me, it absolutely does but with the caveat of not always being feasible. However, would it add any value to an opportunity, company or indeed candidate in your mind if you were to meet face to face? What do you think?

If your interview process is 2 rounds (or less), you’ve already got a huge advantage over about 50% of your competitors for talent! Even in 2024, I'm still having conversations with surprising regularity about frustratingly long (Last week, I heard of a 9 stage) processes, quite a few didn't result in an offer either... An excruciating, repetitive interview process can do just as much damage to your employer brand as a poorly organised and communicated one. For the VAST majority of roles, 2 stages are more than enough... 1st - Informal video conversation. Remember, you also need to sell YOUR opportunity just as much as a person does themselves. 2nd - Formal onsite (or remote if appropriate) interview including tech screen/test if required. Depending on format, a 3rd stage MIGHT be appropriate for certain key hires perhaps with multiple stakeholders. Only if there's mutual value in each stage throughout the process though. Anything above that and you really are making things hard for yourself! How many stages do you think an effective process should have?