Let’s face it - recruitment is hard. And it’s not getting any easier. Inundated with CVs, but nothing that quite fits the bill. Know the feeling? You’re not alone.
You’re one of many brave hunters out on the digital plains of LinkedIn, Indeed or Reed. Watching, waiting - for a chance at capturing the web development unicorn. It’s a tough landscape, and the risks are high. But you’re certain you can find it, and reap the rewards.
Put down the net. Collect up the bait. Get back in the Land Rover. Here’s the truth about unicorns that you may need to hear.
Hang on a minute… what?
You’re right. We should probably elaborate a little bit.
Unicorns are beasts that we perceive to be beautiful, perfect and serene. They’re an image of something that looks much better than the version we can see (your bog standard horsey) - and yet, we still all believe them to be a real concept. At least in our imaginations! For those that are recruiting, the unicorn is the perfect candidate they’re desperate to find. Experienced. Talented. Ready to commit for the long haul. Almost hand-carved for the seat that needs filling.
Why the unicorn may not actually exist
Gasp. Surely not.
Well, you didn’t really think they existed, did you?
Unfortunately, unicorns are just a creation in our minds. And they’re not going to fill that empty seat or help your business continue to grow.
For our clients, a web development unicorn is competent in front-end design, back-end coding, UX and boasts a plethora of transferable skills from previous roles too. In reality, it’s far more common that web developers have an area of expertise where they shine - but it’s very rare to find a single person who ticks all the boxes.
The costs of hunting - and failing
Unfortunately, if you’re in HR or recruitment, you’ll likely be well aware of the numbers associated with failed hires and recruitment campaigns.
As well as lost time, productivity and (lots of) money, not having the right web development support for your organisation can seriously impact your brand identity. If a small problem crops up and you don’t have the expertise to fix it, it can quickly become a bigger issue. A website glitch is just the start - unhappy customers and lost revenue are two likely longer-term impacts. Whilst you’re unicorn hunting, you’ve got an empty seat and a lack of capacity which means the rest of your team are under greater pressure. And when you hire the wrong people, there’s a salary cost (+13% for NI, pension, holidays and sickness) to consider. Either you have an unhappy 3-month probation followed by another recruitment phase, or you don’t fill the seat at all.
No single unicorn - but a herd of horses
Instead of yearning for a unicorn, wouldn’t it be nice to have a herd of horses?
Finding a web developer to hire in-house can be risky. By contrast, an outsourced department wins you much more - and removes all of the aforementioned risks.
Our clients benefit from leading industry accreditations that show we’re proven experts in front end, back end and UX - and that’s just for starters. They gain access to a strategist, project manager and graphic designer alongside their development team - skill sets proven and fully trained to the highest standard. We provide access to enterprise-level specialist technology too, as well as the know-how to utilise it.
The best bit? Our herd of horses costs the same as hunting (and failing to find) a unicorn.
The ultimate “plug and play” solution for your business.
Need a ride?
We’re not saying you shouldn’t hunt for unicorns. But we think you should be prepared that you are not going to find one any time soon. Instead, we recommend having a chat with our lovely team about how we can proactively and preemptively solve your development woes - today, tomorrow and for the long haul.
Click here to choose a herd of horses and get ahead in the race 🐎
