Are you an executive recruiter searching for top tech talent? If so, you have likely discovered that recruiting developers is somewhat challenging. The short supply of top tech talent makes it necessary for you to explore options beyond the normal recruiting channels you may be using. One such unique venue for finding top tech talent is GitHub. What is GitHub? As an executive recruiter, you no doubt already embrace social media as a recruiting channel that can yield rich results. Think of GitHub as a social media channel specifically tailored to developers. An Eremedia article defines GitHub as “a computer software engineer-focused social network used by students and professionals around the globe to share, create, critique and contribute to code and open source projects.” In other words, GitHub is where developers hang out to discuss and share their thoughts about ongoing projects and items of special interest to the developer community. This makes GitHub a rich source of recruiting leads for your firm. eBook: Using Social Media for Executive Search – Learn how to leverage social media in your executive search process more effectively. GitHub’s Advantage over LinkedIn Why not simply use LinkedIn to connect with developer candidates? There are three main factors that make GitHub a better choice for recruiting top tech talent. First, LinkedIn is largely centered on professionals based in the U.S. GitHub, on the other hand, boasts a large pool of international tech talent. Second, because GitHub is the destination for developers to go when they have a project they wish to discuss or when they want to catch up with what the latest and greatest accomplishments are in the field, it is a constantly engaging platform for top talent. Third, it draws tech talent at all levels, from well-established experts to emerging talent, thus helping to ensure that you will find someone whose qualifications match both the skills your position requires and the budgetary constraints under which the position exists. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/295199255″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Getting the Most Out of GitHub Since the developer talent pool at GitHub is extensive, there are some things you can do that will help you sift through the talent on display and pinpoint both active and passive candidates who meet your recruitment criteria. Filtering Your Search Results: When sourcing from GitHub, you will find it helpful to use a number of filters to narrow your search appropriately. For instance, you can filter by geographical location, name, number of followers, or by software language names in your search. The Eremedia article continues: “The advanced search feature on GitHub allows you to select numerous variables to narrow and target your query. You can select specific software languages, repositories, dates, etc. to pull up results that match your requirements. As you fill in the details, the top search bar auto-populates with your chosen terms.” Researching Your Chosen Candidates: Once you have narrowed down your list of potential candidates, you can dive more deeply into their qualifications with a little more digging. Clicking through each candidate’s profile, you can discover such things as which developers your candidate follows, what type of code they write, how active they are in the GitHub community, how many followers they have acquired, and so on. All of these things will give you an idea of the skill level and expertise of the potential candidate. Additionally, often their profile and activity may provide clues about whether they are actively pursuing a career move or are passive candidates who may become active at another time. Reaching Out to Candidates on GitHub: In most cases, developers include their email addresses or websites in their profile. Armed with this information, you can craft a well-designed email to engage with the potential candidate. Here are some tips for crafting your outreach communication: Stand out from the crowd by personalizing your outreach using information you have gleaned from the candidate’s GitHub activity. Keep early conversations exploratory in nature, especially for developers who are passive candidates at this time. Build a relationship over time with well-worded communication, so that when a developer is ready for a career move, your brand stands out at the top of the list. The Bottom Line GitHub is a solid source of great tech talent. By using the platform wisely, you can identify and reach out to qualified candidates who meet your criteria. Using GitHub search filters, you can narrow down your searches and pinpoint the candidates who show superior promise. Once you know who those candidates are, use your recruiting acumen to cultivate relationships with them, thus keeping your talent pool stocked to overflowing with great tech talent. Need more help in developing a deep and wide talent pool for your firm? Schedule a demo of ThriveTRM today to put the power of technology to work for your executive recruiting needs.