What Nearsure’s Recruitment Process Is All About

Often, software companies are unable to meet their expectations due to staffing challenges. In fact, according to several experts, appropriate talent is the most important problem US companies are facing at the moment, mainly related to acquisition and a lack of locally-based talent. Both of these things, while key to ensuring productivity and growth, have become increasingly difficult to navigate due to:

• fierce competition
• a lack of new skill sets
• a fall in STEM investment
• high costs linked to having software developers in-house

Nearsure is a remote-first, nearshore software outsourcing company looking to unlock untapped potential in Latin America, providing the most knowledgeable, experienced and highly trained professionals to meet our clients’ immediate needs. And as recruiters, it is our job to find the perfect fit.

To make sure we achieve this, we have built an exhaustive recruitment process, consisting of several stages to assess the candidate’s skill set, values, ethics, experience, etc. At Nearsure, we look for team members that:

• share our company’s values and capabilities
• possess a combination of soft and hard skills
• are able to adapt to specific project requirements

Furthermore, we limit our pool of collaborators exclusively to senior developers with at least 5 years of experience. This way, we’re sure that we’re dealing with professionals with a solid technical background and ideally, with previous experience working on US-based projects.

Command of the English language is a key skill we expect all our devs to have, especially because we provide services to US companies and engineers need to be able to effectively communicate with their managers and colleagues in order to complete their tasks appropriately.

‍

Our Way of Recruiting

Our recruitment process is divided into 5 different stages, all of which are designed to ensure only the most capable professionals become a part of our nearshore outsourcing network. Overall, the process from the first contact to the final stage generally takes between one or two weeks, depending on the developer’s availability and the urgency of the project.

Step #1: Screening

The screening stage is essentially the first contact between us and the candidate. It lasts approximately 45 minutes and during this stage, the candidate is introduced to Nearsure, what the company does, what the contract we offer is all about as well as our benefits package.

We will go over the specifics of the job, while also assessing the candidate’s willingness to work remotely, ensuring that he or she has the work ethic we expect from all our team members. During this stage, it’s our job as recruiters to check whether the developer has the necessary level of English as well as the soft skills necessary for remote work.

We will also pay special attention to the candidate’s surroundings to see whether:

• his or her headset provides good sound and voice quality,
• their bandwidth is fast enough to avoid any video or image trouble,
• their infrastructure is fitting for remote work (a quiet space, a comfortable chair and a desk in the right height, good lighting, etc.).

In terms of capabilities, Nearsure wants employees that can communicate in an effective and assertive manner, enjoy working with a team, are proactive and direct their focus toward their goals.

Aside from the above mentioned traits, we also have to consider specific abilities depending on the position the client is interested in filling. For instance, while tech leads are expected to show leadership skills and effectively manage a team, senior developers need to be able to easily adapt to changes and be open to learning new skills.

Regardless of their position, every candidate we consider must be acquainted with Agile methodologies. During the screening, candidates are also asked about their experience, if they have previously worked remotely, as well as their availability and salary requirements.

‍

Step #2: Technical interview

In this stage, candidates are expected to show their technical prowess. For this reason, the interview is conducted by one of our tech leads. The interview is 100% in English, not only to assess the candidate’s level, but also to ensure that he or she is used to the technical terms and is able to effectively communicate with others in their field of expertise.

Being a senior software developer isn’t only related to the number of years of experience, but to the level of exposure that an individual has had to different areas of development.

To ensure that the candidate actually has the level of exposure we expect, our tech lead will ask about their experience and the type of situations he or she has been involved with, mainly:

• UI testing
• Integration testing
• Deployments
• App development

In addition, they will discuss a variety of different languages and technologies, therefore measuring their level of knowledge and ability to stay up to date. In this stage, the tech lead will already have the results of the candidate’s coding test to discuss and delve into any potential weak areas, as well as to provide feedback on his or her performance.

‍

Step #3: Cultural Fit

This is the final step before the client interview, which generally lasts about 45 minutes. It’s designed to filter individuals who are not aligned with Nearsure’s core values, which are:

• a remote-first culture
• self-management
• communication skills
• teamwork
• integrity
• responsibility
• commitment
• honesty

Important: From the very beginning, we make sure to document in our HR software every stage that the candidates go through, including specific notes or comments from each involved. By doing so, we can ensure that every aspect is taken into account and thoroughly considered before presenting the candidate to the client. This habit also helps us determine if there are any changes or additions we need to consider to further improve our process.

‍

Step #4: Interview with the client

At this point, the recruitment team will step aside and turn it over to the account manager, who will act as an intermediary between the client and the software developer, providing assistance whenever needed.

Before the interview, the account manager will brief both the client and the candidate. The dev will learn details about the project, what to expect during the interview as well as useful tips to ensure the process runs smoothly. If everything goes as expected, the candidate will be hired and will start to work straight away.

‍

Step #5: Welcome aboard

We’ve come to the end of our recruitment road: it’s finally time to deliver the good news! At this point, we get in touch with the dev to make our final offer and double check the details about the contract before signing.

Now it’s time to do the onboarding, introduce him/her to the rest of the team and schedule a kick-off meeting with the client to review the project details.

We also make sure that our newest team member is informed that he/she will receive a tailor-made benefit package focused on health, well-being, entertainment and personal finance to use as they wish!

Finding the fresh talent that clients are looking for can be quite a feat. At Nearsure we take on this challenge every single day, providing our clients with devs who have the right combination of soft skills and values, and we are committed to offering high-quality staff augmentation services for many more years to come.

Get in touch today and let us know what you need. We will deliver.