IT Recruitment: Why Has Your Job Ad Been Active for 3 Months While Seniors Reject Your Offers?

A Deficient Market: Why Seniors Aren't Reading Your Job Ads

Since our service focuses on headhunting - the recruitment and selection of hard-to-reach candidates, whether for executive management roles or senior roles in specific technologies -the situation in Serbia's IT industry is clear.

For most positions above the junior level, a traditional job ad is insufficient. At this stage, a high-quality IT recruitment process requires a direct approach due to a chronically deficient environment and general employee satisfaction within their current companies. Kudos to the industry for such a standard, but what does that actually mean for the talent sourcing process itself?

Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that only one or even zero suitable candidates apply to a job ad for this type of position. And this usually happens only under specific circumstances, such as a recent layoff at a company, which leaves professionals temporarily in active job-search mode.

Under normal circumstances, all of these candidates receive multiple recruiter offers directly in their inbox weekly. Because of this, their need to actively browse job boards is practically non-existent.

A Paradigm Shift: From a "Duty Performer" to a Business Partner

Because of this, the IT recruitment process itself must be highly detailed, but also quite "sales-oriented."

These candidates aren't looking for a job - you are looking for them. When offering them a position, it is crucial to emphasise the specific value the role carries. The goal is for the candidate to see for themselves what their current position is lacking and whether it's time for a new business partner.

I intentionally emphasise the word partner, because this person will not simply be a duty performer tomorrow.

They are professionals who will provide solutions to complex problems and propose strategic changes that enable the growth of the entire organisation. That is why you must transparently explain to them exactly what they stand to gain by entering your process and investing their valuable time in it.

I understand that internal procedures in many companies are rigid and identical across all seniority levels. However, I firmly believe that the selection process should be carefully tailored to each specific role rather than serving as an unyielding company-wide standard.

If your process involves candidates being interviewed by peers lower on the hierarchical ladder, it is essential to train them properly. They should not ask questions if there is even the slightest chance they won't understand the depth of the answer. Strictly technical questions about technologies or practices that the interviewer themselves has never worked with in practice should simply be avoided.

Keep in mind that these candidates have already worked on hiring talent within their own companies (directly or indirectly), and your selection process will serve as a direct indicator of how things function inside your organisation. All administrative and operational matters must be flawlessly prepared before the process even begins, and any necessary changes must be handled ASAP.

Where Are You Going Wrong in the IT Recruitment Process?

Why is all of this important? First and foremost, it is absolutely critical for Hiring Managers not to enter the candidate search with unrealistic expectations, without a clear backup plan, and without a backup candidate. What exactly do unrealistic expectations look like in this process?

An unrealistic expectation is managing this process as if a junior walked in, while expecting an adequate professional who will take on the responsibilities of a senior, architect, CTO, or COO. A person who has already reached that level in their career will not choose a company where they are subjected to standard, one-way interrogation. They choose a company where, together with other peers, they can come up with creative solutions and make that company better.

Your process must focus on a dialogue about problem-solving, plans (both for the position and the company), as well as defining the level of autonomy, creativity, and responsibility. You must clearly outline what is expected of the candidate, but also listen to what they expect from you as a future employer.

Interviewing Pitfalls: Case Studies, Live Coding, and Whether We Actually Need Them

I have noticed that case study steps are still frequently used in interviews. Personally, I do not support them because I believe they often undermine the interviewer's authority. If an interviewer cannot gauge the quality of a candidate's work through a conversation about past results and how they solve real problems, it reflects a certain degree of insecurity in the interviewer themselves. Any top professional in a given field can accurately predict how much time is needed to solve a problem and what kind of work yields specific results, forming a clear impression of the candidate based on that.

When it comes to live coding, I believe a short format can show the direction of a person's thinking and how they communicate with the team or superiors. However, if the interviewer watches the process in complete silence while an awkward quiet fills the room and creates artificial pressure, you won't achieve much. If you must use this tool, leverage it through active discussion to better understand your candidate's way of thinking.

Unrealistic Expectations: An Offer That Can't Be Refused and the Importance of Plan B

Finally, the most unrealistic expectation you can have is that your initial offer will be accepted immediately and that your work is done. Highly senior and top-tier candidates are invaluable to their current companies and will very often receive a counteroffer.

Therefore, if you truly want this candidate, you must have a Plan B and AN OFFER THEY CANNOT REFUSE. I don't mean horse head, but rather a premium financial package, an education budget, and other perks that allow them to come to work stress-free.

When opening a critical position of this calibre, you must match everything their current employer provides, plus a stimulating incentive that makes the switch genuinely worthwhile.

Keep in mind that these professionals have often spent years with the same company; there is built-in loyalty, camaraderie, and professionalism. Do not expect them to join your team within the standard 30 days - the notice period can last significantly longer, depending on the complexity of the projects they must safely hand over to their old team.

Last but not least, always have a backup candidate ready, because even if you execute everything perfectly, their current company (or a competing employer they are interviewing with in a parallel process) might also come forward with an offer that can't be refused.