Why You'll Meet Your Next (and best) Employee at Node Interactive
As a web development shop with a growing team of in-house and contract developers, we know hiring candidates with the right skillset is incredibly important. We run a people-first business, so we aren't just looking for competency in certain technical areas, (although mastery of Node.js is a base requirement at Big Room). More than technical skills we're constantly on the hunt for people who can creatively solve problems, are willing to reach outside their comfort zone to make things happen, and have personalities that make our clients and team love working with them.
While we are always collecting CVs, we are also hunting for those heavy-weight developers in their natural habitat. On github, in open source communities and at awesome conferences. Node Interactive is one of the top conferences where our hiring team is scanning every room for our next amazing employee.
Here's why we look for better / smarter / cooler employees at conferences:
The best candidates aren't actively looking for jobs
Your future best employees are happily (or mildly content) working for someone else right now. If you rely on incoming resumes to determine your hiring options you're missing the bigger opportunity. Right now, even happy employees are willing to leave their current job to find work that is more fulfilling, pays better or allows them to relocate to a city they want to live in (one perk of being in gorgeous Portland, ME).
If you believe they'll make the perfect addition to your team, start a conversation. It doesn't need to be about the job itself, but building a relationship with your ideal candidates will make it easier to reach out to them in the future. Ask them about the work they're doing and how they feel about the company they are with. Don't push the conversation, but let them talk to you about their ideal position. Maybe it's the one you're hiring for.
Hire someone you know will become a better developer
Niche conferences like Node Interactive offer one of the few opportunities for developers to expand their skills and explore new areas of their work. This curiosity and willingness to learn new things is a must-have characteristic in new employees. The developer you hire today, whether they are a beginner/intermediate or advanced coder, will be more likely to continue to improve and grow as an employee.
Look for the people who show up early to sessions that align with where your company is going. Stay late at networking events to catch the most interesting (and interested) people who can't stop talking about their passion for the work.
Likely to be connected to the bigger community
People who choose to go to conferences are more likely to be social and an active part of the development community. Whether through open source projects or online forums and conversations, the relationships they create at conferences often build into collaborations that last years.
This sense of community is hard to spot on a resume, but it can be invaluable to a new employee. Having a sense of community and collaboration makes great employees and leaders in your organization.
Do informal "interview" while networking after hours
The best interview questions also happen to make the best small talk. You'll learn more about a person while waiting in line for a drink at a networking event than you will in a formal interview if you ask the right questions. Get to know the work they are interested in, the problems they think are important and the challenges they face while being in their current position (employed or unemployed).
If you are working on a project that needs expert Node.js developers ASAP - check out our Team Augmentation services. Hire a cohesive "team-in-a-box" to get the job done right, right away.