The AI industry is growing at the speed of light, and talent training is struggling to keep up. While there's been a surge in AI graduates in recent years, most lack the real-world experience employers seek.

In local e-commerce markets, there aren't that many big players. So, more often than not, you have to poach professionals with the right experience from competitors. Then your competitors poach someone from you, and round and round it goes. Naturally, each new hire comes with improved conditions for the specialist, and companies keep investing more and more.

The previous points lead to a situation where the most skilled specialists are in high demand and are already engaged with other companies. Companies have to go to great lengths to lure such a professional away. Most IT professionals aren’t eager to switch jobs without a compelling offer, so convincing them to join a new company usually involves presenting a very enticing opportunity.

This is a common issue, especially relevant for startups and small projects. Often, even C-level managers can't precisely define the profile of the specialist they need, let alone an in-house recruiter. They might want to integrate AI into their processes but struggle to determine the specific type of developer and required tech stack. It requires a deep understanding of the IT HR market.

Most companies want to hire an IT specialist who has already successfully implemented what they need, ideally in the same field and, even better, in a similar project. Statistically, such professionals are scarce, and attracting them can be difficult. Other candidates may lack sufficient expertise in the required area, often having only theoretical knowledge and fragmented experience.

The days of antisocial programmers who code better than they communicate are over. Modern companies are paying more and more attention to soft skills. Today, even the deepest techies are expected to have product thinking and the ability to fit seamlessly into a team. These skills vary depending on the company's size and stage. IT giants want candidates with a corporate mindset who can smoothly integrate into current processes and communicate effectively. Startups, on the other hand, prioritise "fire in the eyes", which is frequently listed as an essential requirement in their job postings.

In recent years, remote work has taken the world by storm, blurring the boundaries between regions and countries. So, when you're struggling to hire those rare sought-after IT specialists, the first thing to consider is looking beyond your local market. Recruiting from developing countries can be particularly effective: you can find IT talent willing to work remotely for very reasonable rates, and if relocation is necessary, there are bound to be specialists eager to move from regions with struggling economies.

In poaching developers from competitor companies, the main goal is to figure out what might interest them and then skillfully push those buttons. For some developers, offering higher compensation does the trick (we're talking not just salary but also stock options, relocation packages, and so on). However, the real stars are usually attracted by exciting tasks and opportunities for professional development. Accurately identifying what is most important to the candidate is crucial.

The recruiting process is always a partnership where not only the recruiter and candidates play the main roles but also the employer. Maximum results can only be achieved when hiring managers actively adjust their requirements and upgrade conditions if the market demands it.

Candidates often attribute non-existent skills to themselves to land their desired position. And recent graduates from numerous IT courses may falsely inflate their years of experience. Both categories sometimes successfully pass interviews and even get hired for positions for which their qualifications are insufficient. In general, the world of AI technologies is undergoing an incredible amount of change: yesterday, certain frameworks and tools were popular, and today they are almost forgotten, and completely different ones are being actively used. Therefore, an IT recruiter has to constantly grow their expertise and stay on top of the latest trends.

It is useful at every stage of recruitment, from reading between the lines of resumes to understanding a candidate’s motivation and assessing their soft skills. This psychological approach is especially crucial in cold outreach when you're trying to hunt specialists who aren't even thinking about switching jobs.