While functional programming is growing more and more popular, it can still be difficult to find functional programming talent, especially if industry experience is a requirement. But why is it so challenging to recruit these specialized professionals? Let’s dive into the complexities of this recruitment conundrum.
The Niche Nature of Functional Programming
Functional programming is a paradigm that emphasizes immutability, pure functions, and higher-order functions. While it offers numerous benefits, such as easier concurrency and more predictable code, it remains less mainstream compared to object-oriented programming (OOP). This niche nature means fewer developers are trained in FP, making the talent pool smaller.
The Recruitment Challenge
1. The Recruiter’s Dilemma
External recruiters, HR personnel, and in-house recruiters are often skilled at identifying candidates who fit well within a company’s culture and team dynamics. However, when it comes to technical roles, especially those requiring niche skills like FP, they face a significant challenge: they are rarely developers themselves.
2. The Knowledge Gap
Most recruiters have never written a line of code in their lives. This lack of technical expertise makes it difficult for them to understand the nuances of different programming languages and paradigms. As a result, they may struggle to identify candidates with the right skills, leading to several issues:
- Misinterpreted Skills: A recruiter might not realize that proficiency in one functional language (for example, Haskell) often translates to competence in another (for example, Scala). This can result in high quality candidates being overlooked.
- Overlooked Experience: Candidates who have spent hundreds of hours coding in a functional language on their own time might be dismissed because they lack formal work experience in that language. If the right language isn’t listed in their work experience they could easily get automatically rejected—even though they might be a core language contributor!
- Keyword Matching: Recruiters often rely on keyword matching to filter resumes. If a candidate’s resume doesn’t explicitly mention the exact language or framework the company is looking for, it might end up in the rejection pile, even if the candidate has relevant skills.
3. The CV Conundrum
Functional programmers often have diverse backgrounds and may not follow traditional career paths. A candidate might have extensive experience in FP but in unconventional settings, such as open-source projects or academic research. These experiences might not be immediately apparent on a standard CV, leading to missed opportunities.
Bridging the Gap
1. Technical Training for Recruiters
One solution is to provide technical training for recruiters. By equipping them with a basic understanding of different programming paradigms and languages, they can better identify candidates with the right skills. This doesn’t mean turning recruiters into developers, but giving them enough knowledge to make informed decisions.
2. Collaborative Hiring
Involve technical team members in the recruitment process. Developers and engineers can help screen resumes and conduct interviews, ensuring that candidates with the right skills are identified. This collaborative approach can bridge the knowledge gap and lead to better hiring decisions.
3. Flexible Job Descriptions
Craft job descriptions that focus on core competencies rather than specific languages or frameworks. Highlight the importance of problem-solving skills, adaptability, and a willingness to learn. This can attract a broader range of candidates who might have the right skills but don’t fit the traditional mold. Recruiters tend to overemphasize prior experience with a particular technology, even though a skilled developer can become proficient in a matter of weeks.
4. Use an Expert Recruitment Firm
If the above alternatives sounds time consuming and expensive, you could always use an external recruiter that specializes in functional programming talent. Functional Software has a proven track record of finding exceptional talent even for very niche programming languages like F#, Haskell or Scala. If you would like to know more, get in touch with us!