Why It’s Tough to Hire Software Developers

Is this you?

You need to hire one or more software developers. Shouldn’t be too hard, you say to yourself After all, tons of people get an undergraduate degree in computer science or engineering every year. And, while fewer of them go on to earn a master’s degree or doctorate in the field, you should be able to find people who have at least two years of programming experience, right?

So you put out your ad and wait for the resumes to pour in.

And then….[sound of crickets].

You’re flummoxed. After all, Computer World reported in March 2013 that the number of undergraduate computer science majors rose by 29 percent compared to 2012. What’s more, the article reported that this was the fifth-straight year the number of undergraduates enrolled in computer science majors.

As for engineers, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) reported that the number of engineering degree graduates grew by 5.6 percent in 2011 and predicted that overall degree totals would increase in the years ahead “since enrollment its upward trend in the fall of 2011.”

So with the number of computer science and engineering graduates growing, why can’t you get a decent number of applicants for an open position?

Part of the problem may be that you’re not Microsoft or Amazon. The work you’ll need those software developers to perform isn’t “sexy,” and, in fact, it may a tad dull (storage and distributed algorithms for an infrastructure company, anyone?).

Yet, even Microsoft is having a hard time finding developers.

A September 2013 article on CNNMoney reported that Microsoft was looking for more than 3,300 professionals to fill software development roles in engineering and in development and core research. The article reported that Microsoft said that openings were up 30 percent from 2012.

And that’s just at one company, and it’s “sexy” Microsoft, too boot!

What’s more, the problem probably isn’t going to go away anytime soon: the article also stated that Microsoft itself found that there’s going to be a 1.2 million job openings that require a bachelor’s degree at minimum by 2020, but “at its present pace, the United States can’t produce even half of the graduates needed to fill them.”

So, if it’s any comfort, you’re definitely not alone. But that’s small comfort indeed if you have positions going begging and lots of work to be done.

So what’s a hiring manager to do? Establish a relationship with offshore outsource provider. An established relationship will make it easy to access talented resources to meet project demands. Here are three benefits of outsourcing development work:

• Offshore outsource providers allow any size company to access a wide variety of skillsets.


• Experienced outsource partners provide valuable insight into the challenges associated with managing a development team.


• Partnering with an outsource firm eliminates the time and frustration associated with the talent acquisition process.

We doubt that finding a great software developer will become easy in the foreseeable future, but partnering with an outsource firm is a great alternative.

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