Recruiting Technical Talent at User Group Meetings

Honor a Great Tradition in Computing While

Recruiting Top Talent (And At A Very Low Cost)

User groups are one of the best ways to meet people with technological talents. They have been known to be the base of many great things such as the global giants Apple and Osborne Computers.

Even though we send the majority of our information on the internet today, there is just something to be said about the tradition of meeting people in person for your business opportunities.

Going to a user group is an incredibly useful experience and can serve to educate you on a way to be a better developer and consumer of computer technology. That is why we are going to examine user groups and see how you can benefit from them today.

Finding A Group

The easiest way to find a user group is to go to the site Meetup.com. They have millions and millions of users that have common interests and are looking to meet with people who share these interests They are found in almost two hundred nations as of right now, with more people joining every day. It even has a search feature that makes it capable of narrowing down your results and refining them to make sure you find what you need.

If you want to build and launch a new mobile application, all you would need to do is to join and enter the search parameters for a mobile application designer, and then search for the people in your area.

If you are fortunate enough to live in one of the metropolitan area business hubs, then you will be surprised at how many and how often these groups meet. You just need to read the description and make sure that you found the right match for your technological needs.

Planning Your Visit

Before you even step out the door to go to the user group, you need to do a little bit of background research. See who is going to be there, what their major contributions to technology are, and then pick out a few that you would like to meet and interview. Also, you can search their profile for a picture that will make meeting them seem much less intimidating.

At The Meet

Once you are at the meet, you need to understand your specific goals in case the group organizer gives you a chance to address the crowd with your needs and wishes. This will give you the best chance to attract a variety of developers who would like to work with you to meet your business goals. This part is what makes the entire process so valuable and incredible for people that want to expand their business. You get to meet face to face with some of the most talented people, many at a time, without having to spend time and money to get there. This is what makes user groups the cheapest way of scouting the best talent.

You can also see the varying levels of esteem that certain people are held to by the collective. If you notice that people tend to lean towards a person when they are talking, you will know that the hushed silence in the room means that they are hanging on their every word, and so should you. You will also witness how your potential workers treat one another and their superiors in a professional setting, invaluable information if you are hiring for a long-term partnership.

After The Meeting

Once the meeting has concluded, there will be an extended social session that you can take advantage of. There will be a chance for you to talk to and possibly interview some of the people that you researched before the meeting started. You can ask freelancers if they have an available time, and even get some tips from those who are more experienced.

In the presence of food and drinks you may want to get a little bit informal, and that is fine. However, make sure that you always have a few business cards available to hand out as well. There are many times that a project will finish ahead of time and a worker will need to hop into steady work that you can provide. This allows you to keep your options open, and who knows? You may even be able to recruit your dream worker just by attending one of these sessions.

About the Author: Mark Anderson is a software developer and small business owner that has had great success recruiting talent at user group meetings. Read more about how he does it on his personal website.

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