The 10 Best Software Development Recruiters

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• [toc headings="h2" title="Table of Contents"] Demand for skilled software developers is high and growing. The number of job openings for software engineers is expected to grow by 25% through 2032, and there is already a talent shortage in this sector. At the end of 2020, there were already some 1.4 million unfilled software development roles around the world, and a recent survey shows that 87% of companies that hire these professionals are already feeling the effects of this talent gap.+ For businesses that rely on developers to meet their business needs, these statistics are alarming. But there is a solution: working with software engineering recruiters. The best IT recruiters can connect employers with highly-skilled talent that's difficult to find in this competitive job market, solving even complex staffing problems. If you're struggling to find software developers for your roles, the IT staffing agencies on this list can be a big help.

• The top 10 software development recruiters

• 1. Nexus IT Group

• There is a reason household names like Amazon and Capital One trust Nexus IT Group as their go-to software engineering recruiters. They offer industry-leading IT staffing placement rates, with 96% of the software developers they place still employed after 12 months. They can find software development talent quickly, too, with 81% of successful candidates submitted within a week of starting their search. That combination of speed and candidate quality is why they're among the leading software staffing agencies in North America. Read more about Nexus IT Group

• 2. Red Shift Recruiting

• Based in New York, Red Shift has built a reputation for excellence in software recruitment over more than 40 years connecting employers with technology professionals. They work with tech companies to fill a range of developer roles, including web developers, software engineers, UX designers, and software developers. Their direct hire recruiting services are backed by a placement guarantee, and they can also fill positions on a contract or temporary basis, providing a personalized recruiting process designed to meet the needs of your organization. Read more about Red Shift Recruiting

• 3. CalTek Staffing

• CalTek Staffing was founded in 2002 by two professional recruiters, and that depth of expertise is their main advantage for clients. Headquartered in San Diego, they've expanded their reach as an IT recruiter beyond California, with offices in Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Washington, and Atlanta, Georgia. While their specialization is finding IT and software engineer talent, they can provide these staffing solutions to businesses in a range of industries, from aerospace and defense through pharmaceutical and telecommunications companies. Across fields, the depth of the relationships they build with clients and candidates is at the heart of their success as a staffing agency. Read more about Caltek Staffing

• 4. Insight Global

• As the second-largest IT staffing firm in the United States, Insight Global has the reach to help any business find the right people for their jobs. They can find professionals who are an ideal fit for any type of developer position, from full-stack developers to experts in front-end design, web design, e-commerce, JavaScript, or whatever type of software development your team needs. With thousands of professionals in their network, they can connect clients with applicants in as little as 48 hours, helping your company hire the employees it needs quickly. Read more about Insight Global

• 5. Alliance International Services

• If you're an international company looking for the best developer talent from around the world, then Alliance International Services can be an excellent recruitment partner. They've helped hundreds of companies across 36 countries meet their employment goals, including many across the US and Canada. In addition to executive headhunting and permanent direct placement services, they offer IT outsourcing and other temporary talent solutions. That variety of recruiting options, along with their broad information technology talent pool, makes them a top choice to fill a range of software developer opportunities. Read more about Alliance International Services

• 6. Scion Technology

• Scion Technology's excellence in talent acquisition has earned them a number of awards, including the Best of Staffing Client Satisfaction and Talent Satisfaction designations. They work with hiring managers across the United States, with offices from Boston to Los Angeles and in many major cities in between. Their knowledge of the technology hiring landscape is one of their main benefits for clients. They also bring a hands-on, personalized hiring process to every search they undertake, providing a combination of expertise and flexibility that you won't get from just any staffing firm. Read more about Scion Technology

• 7. The HT Group

• Since 2004, the HT Group has been a top-ranked staffing firm, winning accolades from Forbes, Best of Staffing, and the Austin Business Journal, just to name a few. Their recruitment success starts with their proven screening process, which is tailored to the specific details and requirements of your role to ensure the candidates they send along are a perfect match in both skills and culture fit. They also pride themselves on serving as business consultants as well as talent acquisition specialists, providing their clients with resources and knowledge to help them become a more effective employer and meet their business goals. Read more about The HT Group

• 8. Web Recruiters

• At Web Recruiters, they don't just provide recruitment services to clients. They also provide in-house software development services, and that's one way you know they're a true expert in this area. They understand the skills and experience required to excel as a developer today because they use them, too, and that gives them a level of expertise beyond most staffing agencies. The speed of their IT recruiting services is also impressive, sending applicants to hiring managers within 3-4 days in most searches. Read more about Web Recruiters

• 9. Oxford Solutions

• For companies in the Midwest, Oxford Solutions is a premier software staffing firm headquartered in Pittsburgh. Their primary focus is as contingency recruiters providing enterprise staffing solutions for critical projects, and their experience and in-depth understanding of the industries they serve is their main advantage. They work often with organizations in the finance field, making them uniquely qualified to find job seekers with skills and experience in FinTech development. Read more about Oxford Solutions

• 10. Expect Technical Staffing

• Founded in 2013, Expect Technical Staffing is the #1 IT and engineering recruiting firm in Colorado. They work with organizations of all sizes, from tech startups to Fortune 500 companies that need to add IT professionals to their team. The developers in their network are experts in all of the modern programming languages, databases, and frameworks, able to meet the requirements of any developer role. Expect offers flexibility, as well, hiring talent on either a permanent or a contract basis to bring their clients the workforce they need today. Read more about Expect Technical Staffing

• What makes a good software development recruiter?

• While there are some differences in the process and technology that recruiters use to find and screen applicants, this isn't the main differentiator between firms. Instead, it often comes down to the relationships and reputation they've established with industry professionals. Assessing that can be challenging, but there are a few key factors you should consider when you're choosing a recruiting firm. An agency's track record of successful placements is the first thing to look at when you're deciding whether they'll make an effective talent acquisition partner. Look at the types of positions they fill and testimonials from both job seekers and companies about their experience. The top software development professionals want to work with recruiters who will advance their career, so a firm that's proven it can do that effectively will naturally develop a larger network of high-quality talent. Another of the first things you should consider about a recruiting firm is how long they've been in business. A company that's been recruiting for 30 years is naturally going to have a more established reputation, and the larger talent network that comes with it, compared to one that has only been around for a year or two. It's also a plus if the staffing agency has won any awards. These types of accolades aren't just an indication that they've achieved recruitment success in the past, but can also draw in more clients and candidates embarking on a job search. There are a wide variety of recruiting firms out there, and there's no one agency that's the absolute best fit for every company. That said, finding one with an established history of success, that regularly recruits for the types of positions you need to fill, will give you the best chance of finding the right software engineers for your role.

• How to prepare for your first meeting with a software development recruiter

• The most important thing to do before setting up a meeting with a recruiting firm is to understand your role inside and out. The better you can explain the requirements of the role, and what skills and experience you want to see in candidates, the more effectively the recruiter will be able to find that for you and the more you’ll benefit from working with a recruiter. This isn't just about telling them what you want to see on a candidate's resume. You should also be prepared to answer questions about your culture and values as an organization. While skills like knowledge of programming languages are critical for success as a software developer, cultural fit is often a better indicator of candidates who will be a good long-term placement. A recruiter can connect your company with people who are ideal on both fronts, but only if you effectively explain your needs. It's also smart to prepare questions for the recruiter. For example, if you want to know more about their recruiting process, what talent pools they use to access candidates, or how long it takes them to fill a position, these are questions you can ask during that first meeting. This is also a great time to clarify their expectations for you. Find out how involved they expect hiring managers to be during the search and interview process, and whether they continue to offer support through onboarding or post-hire. Some firms even offer fully managed talent solutions, payroll support, or other post-offer services. If you're looking for this kind of full-service experience, that's something you should clarify from the start.

• Finding the best software development recruiting firm

• Like we said earlier in the article, there is no one best staffing firm for every company. Any of the 10 recruiters above can provide valuable expertise and high-quality software engineering talent for your business. It all depends on your company, your location, and what you need out of the talent on your team.