Maria
Head of IT recruitment in Lucky Hunter
How We Found a Blockchain Developer for an American FinTech in 2 Weeks
Today, we share the case of how our technical recruiter, Maria, filled a blockchain developer position for a global fintech company in two weeks. The case posed a challenge due to the unique conditions that restricted the pool of potential candidates. During the search process, we persuaded the client to optimise the selection stages by eliminating the extensive test assignment. We also suggested focusing on alternative search regions where it was possible to find an experienced specialist whose salary expectations matched the client's possibilities.
How did we achieve this, and why should you feel encouraged to explore unconventional approaches and experiment in IT recruitment? Find the answers in our latest case study below.
How did we achieve this, and why should you feel encouraged to explore unconventional approaches and experiment in IT recruitment? Find the answers in our latest case study below.
The Task and Difficulties
Lately, a big fintech company reached out to us seeking to recruit a middle+ blockchain developer.
While the company's headquarters were situated in the USA, its development hub was located in Abu Dhabi: they expected the IT professional to relocate to Abu Dhabi. The role came with several specific requirements that presented notable challenges:
While the company's headquarters were situated in the USA, its development hub was located in Abu Dhabi: they expected the IT professional to relocate to Abu Dhabi. The role came with several specific requirements that presented notable challenges:
- 1Many candidates were not eager to relocate to the UAE because of the cultural differences.
- 2In addition to having expertise in Ethereum and a specific tech stack (Solidity, web3.js, truffle), the ideal candidate was expected to possess a high level of English language proficiency at the B2 level or higher. This requirement was crucial as the role involved extensive collaboration within an international team.
- 3The client also insisted on a long test assignment as part of the selection process, which significantly extended the duration of the recruitment processes and discouraged numerous IT talents from considering the opportunity.
- 4The client wished to explore developers from Russian-speaking countries; however, blockchain professionals are scarce in these regions. Many chose not to announce their experience, which posed challenges in identifying and assembling a suitable candidate pool.
- 5The specified salary range did not align well with market conditions. Offering up to $10,000 did not provide sufficient motivation for experienced professionals to consider leaving their current positions and relocating to a challenging and specialised region.
However, the customer presented attractive incentives, including medical insurance coverage for both the employee and their family, as well as assistance with relocating and securing housing. Furthermore, the product proved intriguing and unique. With these factors in mind, we began our search.
How We Filled the Job Opening
Shortly after beginning our search, we encountered a significant challenge: professionals with relevant experience and the technology stack sought by the client were not ready to relocate to Abu Dhabi. They did not want to consider this job for two reasons: specifics of the country and the salary range.
Mid-level blockchain developers were earning approximately similar salaries in their current positions, while the compensation for several senior professionals exceeded our client's proposed terms.
Those IT professionals who were open to further discussion got discouraged when it came to finishing the test task because it consumed too much time, making candidates less enthusiastic about being chosen.
Mid-level blockchain developers were earning approximately similar salaries in their current positions, while the compensation for several senior professionals exceeded our client's proposed terms.
Those IT professionals who were open to further discussion got discouraged when it came to finishing the test task because it consumed too much time, making candidates less enthusiastic about being chosen.
After compiling job opening statistics, including rejection numbers, and dissecting the reasons behind them, we presented our findings to the client. We discussed potential areas for improvement and mapped out strategies for future workflow development.
The principle of partnership in IT recruiting isn't just talk; it's something we see in action with each case. To successfully fill a job opening, working together and being able to openly discuss challenges with the client to find solutions is crucial. In this case, we suggested simplifying the recruitment process by removing the test assignment. It was a time-consuming task for candidates, which impacted their motivation for the rest of the selection process.
After studying international salary ranges for blockchain developers, we proposed adjusting our search approach and convinced the client to explore blockchain developers from different regions, specifically Pakistan and India. This decision was based on several factors:
After studying international salary ranges for blockchain developers, we proposed adjusting our search approach and convinced the client to explore blockchain developers from different regions, specifically Pakistan and India. This decision was based on several factors:
- 1Some people are sceptical about these markets because of stereotypes, but the truth is – there are plenty of talented IT specialists. The intense competition among candidates drives them to continuously improve their skills and expertise.
- 2Salary forks in this region allowed us to remain within the framework of the request indicated by the client.
- 3When creating a motivation plan, we centred on the chance to gain experience in a globally exciting project. In these job markets, many people want to work for international companies, so highlighting this aspect helped attract skilled blockchain developers.
Changing our search approach and speeding up the selection process paid off — we quickly discovered a capable blockchain developer from India who accepted the offer. This professional was drawn to the engaging tasks and the opportunity to work on an international project. Moreover, he was actively seeking positions with relocation opportunities and responded positively to the idea of moving to Abu Dhabi.
Success Factors
- The Principle of PartnershipThe client was open to compromise and receptive to our advice. Together, we identified effective solutions that enabled us to find a highly skilled professional.
- The Right Search StrategyAfter trying different approaches and realising it would be tough to quickly find the right specialist in the CIS region as the customer wanted, we suggested looking in India and Pakistan. Despite the specific challenges in these markets and after initially considering many specialists, we put together a group of top candidates, and the client chose one for the position.
- Lucky Hunter ExpertiseWe assisted the customer in finding and fixing issues in their hiring process, which led to a successful job placement. We did this by analysing the job market for blockchain positions, setting an appropriate salary range, and improving the selection process by eliminating the test assignment.
Do you need to find blockchain developers? Contact us, and we will do tech staff recruitment for you!
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