Apps for mobile devices including the Android and iPhone are big business, which is why finding experienced mobile app developers is causing big headaches for recruiters.

1. Five Smart Strategies for Sourcing
Mobile Application Developers

2. Five Smart Strategies for Sourcing
Mobile Application Developers
Smart phone users have a cornucopia of applications to choose from for their
mobile devices. Apple’s App Store alone offers more than 250,000 iPhone apps –
and counting. It’s clear that applications for mobile devices including the Android
and Blackberry are big business, which is why finding experienced mobile
application developers is causing big headaches for recruiters around the nation.
In a recent Dice survey, more than half of recruiters and hiring managers said that
quality mobile software engineering and design talent is “scarce.” To underscore
that demand, Dice.com job postings that require Android proficiency have risen
More than half of from 150 to 700 over the last year. Postings for iPhone app developers have risen
recruiters say quality from 210 to 790. As a whole, there are currently more than 1,700 job postings on
mobile app design
Dice related to mobile development.
talent is “scarce.”
The number of searches by recruiters looking for technology professionals with
mobile application experience has also increased, up fivefold during the past
year. A search of the Dice resume database yielded more than 26,000 candidates
with mobile experience, with more than 2,000 of these resumes being added or
refreshed in the last month.
Survey respondents indicate that trend will continue with 57% saying
they expect a slight to substantial increase in mobile specialist hires
in the next 12 months. Considering the surge in demand, it’s not
surprising that 27% of respondents say the salary trend for this group is “higher
than normal.”
Now the challenge is sourcing these hard-to-find tech candidates. Some
companies are going to the extreme of acquiring other businesses that have
strong mobile application development expertise. But that’s not an option for
most companies. So if you need to hire a mobile application developer, what
should you do?
Key search strategies
Look within – Peter Weddle, HR consultant and publisher of WEDDLE’s Guides
to employment sites, says that if you already have talented mobile application
developers on staff, you should start by gathering strategic intelligence from
them. Hold a focus group to learn how they spend their time, what they read
and how they communicate. Then use that info to form your recruiting process.
“Most of us fly off and do 100 things but we’re clueless about whether we’re
going to the venues where the best and brightest hang out,” says Weddle.
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3. Personalize your process – These niche candidates are the superstars in
the technology sector right now, so use extra care recruiting them. Create
personalized approaches and develop a truly compelling sales pitch about your
opportunity. One way you can do this is through the Dice Talent Network, where
you can communicate with candidates on a personal level and build a network
of candidates that have your desired skill-sets. Remember these candidates are
hearing from a lot of recruiters; what can you do to stand out – without annoying
them?
Enlist support – “A-level people attract other A-level people,” says Weddle.
Searches by recruiters
He suggests enlisting the help of high-achieving technology professionals in
for professionals with
mobile app experience your organization to connect with potential mobile application development
on Dice have increased candidates through industry events and online forums. “The fact that they’re not
fivefold in the last year. mobile app developers, doesn’t mean they don’t know mobile app developers,”
comments Weddle. Over time these connections between tech professionals just
might lead to new hires.
Prepare to pay – Recognize the positive impact this specialized
candidate could have on your company’s bottom line and prepare to
compensate him or her accordingly. To be competitive, you may have
to go above and beyond what you would consider a generous compensation
package. The national average for a tech professional with mobile experience is
$75,600, according to the Dice Salary Survey. Remember: if this hire creates a
“killer app” for your company, the investment will be worth it.
Hire then train – If you can’t find technology professionals with mobile
application development experience, consider hiring highly motivated
professionals with related experience – such as Java or software development –
then train them in mobile application development.
As demand for mobile applications continues to skyrocket, finding talented
mobile application developers will become even more difficult. To compete and
attract the best and the brightest, learn about your prospective candidates, build
relationships that can yield future prospects and prepare your best compensation
package to entice these superstars to join your team.
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