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Recruiters in 2023 are prioritizing SaaS experience, a bachelor's degree, and company-stage relevance over specific programming languages when sourcing software engineers. This shift, revealed by data from the ok.com platform, highlights a strategic move towards broader, more adaptable talent pools in a competitive market.
The recruitment landscape has been reshaped by economic turbulence, including tech industry layoffs, high resignation rates, and the widespread adoption of remote work. This has created intense competition for top engineering talent. To gain an edge, recruiters are looking beyond traditional filters to find candidates with proven experience in high-growth environments and transferable skills. Understanding these evolving search attributes—the specific criteria used in candidate sourcing—allows companies to discover talent others might miss.
Based on an analysis of sourcing data, a clear profile for in-demand software engineers has emerged. The most sought-after attribute is experience with Software as a Service (SaaS), a cloud-based software distribution model. This is closely followed by educational requirements, with a bachelor's degree or equivalent being included in over 40% of searches.
Perhaps the most significant shift is the growing importance of company-stage relevance. Recruiters are actively seeking engineers who have experience at companies of a similar growth stage, such as navigating an IPO or acquisition. This is considered a strong indicator of a candidate's ability to thrive in a specific business environment. The ability to verify a candidate's real-world skills through verified code contributions—a metric that triangulates data from platforms like GitHub to confirm a candidate's direct involvement in projects—is also a powerful differentiator.
The following table illustrates how search priorities have shifted from mid-2021 to mid-2022:
| Search Attribute | Q2 2021 | Q2 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific Programming Languages | 28% | 14% | -50% |
| Company Stage Experience (e.g., IPO, Exit) | 19% | 28% | +47% |
| Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent | ~33% | 40.25% | +21% |
| Master's Degree or Equivalent | ~27.5% | 33.59% | +21% |
| Years of Experience (Various Categories) | High | Decreased | -12% to -35% |
This data provides a clear roadmap for optimizing your engineering recruitment. Here are five actionable tips based on these findings.
Focus on Skills, Not Just Tenure Shift from sourcing based strictly on years of experience to evaluating core competencies. Proactive pipelining by skill set allows you to identify talented individuals who may not have a traditional linear career path but possess the abilities to succeed. You can then level candidates through your own internal assessment process.
Personalize Your Outreach for Better Engagement Generic messages get lost in the inbox. Writing effective recruiting emails that highlight a candidate's unique attributes—such as their experience with a specific company stage or a notable project—can dramatically improve response rates. Personalization shows you’ve done your research and are not simply spamming candidates.
Broaden Your Talent Pool with Flexible Requirements With the rise of remote work, geographical restrictions are less critical. Widen your search by re-evaluating "must-have" versus "nice-to-have" attributes. Furthermore, based on our assessment experience, requiring a specific computer science major may be unnecessarily limiting. Consider candidates with STEM degrees or equivalent experience, focusing on their verified code contributions and problem-solving skills.
Leverage Advanced Sourcing Tools Platforms like ok.com offer powerful sourcing software that can search for nuanced attributes like "seen a company through a Series A funding round" or "verified code contributions." Using these tools allows you to tap into hidden talent pools that competitors using basic search filters cannot access.
Have a Plan for Remote Candidate Closure The entire process, from the final interview to the offer negotiation, must be optimized for a remote experience. Ensure your team is trained to build rapport and sell the company vision effectively through virtual channels.
To recruit top software engineering talent today, experts recommend: broadening search criteria beyond rigid degree and language requirements, leveraging data to find candidates with relevant company-stage experience, and personalizing outreach to improve engagement. By adapting to these market shifts, recruiters can successfully navigate the current competitive landscape.
