Recruitment process consulting for Custom software companies: hiring ahead of signed contracts with one assessment standard
A custom software company needs the right developers when a contract starts, not three months later. Recruitment has to read the sales pipeline and judge skill the same way every time.
Not sure what you need? Tell us about your business in six short steps and we will come to the first meeting prepared.
Share your requirementsWhy recruitment process consulting matters in custom software companies
Hiring in a project-led software company is often reactive. A deal is signed, the delivery head asks for four developers, and HR begins searching. Weeks pass, the client starts and the team is stretched. Interviews differ by interviewer, so a candidate rejected by one lead would have passed with another.
A steadier process starts with a monthly review of likely projects and the skills they need. It keeps a pool of screened people, uses one assessment per skill and gives a clear answer to candidates quickly. The aim is to hire faster without letting the standard slip.
How to set it up
1. Review the pipeline monthly
Sit with sales and delivery heads, list likely projects, the skills each needs and the start date, and decide which searches begin now.
2. Write a skill brief per search
Name the must-have skill, the nice-to-have and the level, in plain words. Avoid long lists of tools.
3. Use one assessment per skill
A practical task with a scoring sheet and a time limit, reviewed by two interviewers. Change the task from time to time.
4. Keep a pool of screened candidates
Record people who did well but were not hired, with permission, and contact them first when a similar need arises.
5. Respond to candidates quickly
Agree timelines for each step and tell candidates where they stand. Slow replies lose the best developers.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- Look at the last three searches and count days from request to joining.
- Compare scores two interviewers gave to the same candidate.
- Check how many searches began after the contract was already signed.
- Ask recent joiners what in the process nearly put them off.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach recruitment process consulting in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
Ask sales and delivery heads for a monthly list of likely projects and technologies. Even a rough list lets HR start screening and warming candidates earlier.
Practical tasks help if they are short, relevant and scored by a sheet. Long unpaid tests put off good candidates, so keep them to what you need to judge.
Set a target for each step, share it with candidates and keep the interview panel's calendar available. Delays of a week or more often lose people to other offers.