IT recruiting: the key to finding software developers in Portugal

This is for the tech companies looking for the best software developers out there. Yes, we know it: IT recruiting can be competitive and quite complex, truth to be told. But there are ways to make it easier, or at least, a bit simpler.

For starters, here’s a simple reminder: Portugal has been in the spotlight, both for companies and professionals, having emerged as a hub of technology and innovation, attracting software developers and IT professionals from around the world. This presents not only a great chance for tech professionals to grow and find great work opportunities, but also a unique one for those on the other side of the fence, meaning that companies looking to tap into the highly skilled IT talent pool in Portugal, can find here a vast offer. 

In the last couple of years, Portugal has become a hub for IT talent, attracting some of the brightest and most skilled software developers from around the world. The country offers a favorable business climate, an attractive cost of living, and a vibrant tech community (we’ve talked about this before). This has made it a top destination for companies looking to tap into the talent pool of IT professionals.

So, yes dealing with the complexity of IT recruiting can be harsh. And whether you’re a start-up or a multinational corporation, finding the right software developers for your company can be a challenge. However, with the right strategies in place, Portugal can have it all for you.

To help you out, we have made a full guide to help you navigate the process of IT recruiting easily and find the best of the best in Portugal.

IT recruiting: why should you do it in Portugal?

No, this is not an advertisement (we get it, could seem like one, but the list below is full of provable facts). Here are a couple of reasons why you should focus your IT recruiting strategy in Portugal:

• With a rapidly growing IT industry, Portugal is home to a growing community of talented and highly skilled software developers, thus offering a large pool of tech professionals for you to invest in; 
• Compared to other countries, Portugal is quite cost-effective. Going for an IT recruiting mission here can help to get the best while saving some money;
• The relaxed, laid-back lifestyle, is working as a major attraction for software developers who look for a better work-life balance;
• Portugal is home to a thriving tech scene, focusing on innovation and cutting-edge trends, so if you want to have access to state-of-the-art technology this is the place for you;
• There is a vibrant tech community bustling in Portugal. Just take a look at the tech events and meetups taking place in the country (such as the Web Summit, for instance), providing a great opportunity for companies to connect with potential candidates and tap into the talent pool.

IT Recruiting in Portugal: how to do it successfully

Whether you are a big tech company or a startup starting to shine in the tech scene, you want the best software developers working with you. So far so good. The hard part is to find them… and hire them.

The IT recruiting market is competitive and intricate, but there are a few methods for you to make it more effective (and easier). Here’s how:

1. Use the best technical recruitment agencies

Are you still attempting to do it all by yourself? You don’t have to! Especially if you don’t fully know the market. Using a technical recruitment agency specialized in finding IT talent, such as Lading.Jobs, is the way to go. Having the help of these agencies will not only simplify the process – given that they will list out the right candidates for your needs because they have a comprehensive network of candidates –, but also give you a deeper understanding of the Portuguese market, thus saving you time and resources, and increasing your chances to find the right candidate.

With Landing.Jobs you can cover all the tech specs you are looking for on a candidate, plus they will guide you through all the legal and administrative issues.

Also, maybe you want to consider an Employer of Record (EOR). This is a third-party service provider that acts as the official employer for a worker on behalf of a client company. So, if you’re looking to recruit in Portugal, but you’re not established here, this might be a good way to do so and comply with all the legal requirements. Important note here: at Landing.Jobs we can also help you with this one.

2. Use Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is when you outsource your company’s talent acquisition functions to an external service provider. 

RPO providers assume responsibility for some or all aspects of the recruitment process, from sourcing candidates to managing the interview process and onboarding new hires. In an RPO model, the service provider functions as an extension of the company’s internal recruitment function, providing additional resources and expertise to support the company’s hiring needs. 

The goal of RPO is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the recruitment process while reducing costs and allowing your company to respond to changes in hiring demand more quickly. 

Some of the main benefits of using an RPO: 

• Expanded talent pool—making it easier to engage and attract qualified candidates, including passive candidates. 

• Advanced resources and scalability

• Cost savings—particularly in reducing the cost of recruiting. 

• Consistent process—it provides a consistent recruitment process, improving the quality of hire.

• Smoother and faster transformation—particularly for in-house teams that may struggle to drive change. 

• Scalability—especially if you don’t have the internal team and resources to handle it.

• Cost-effectiveness—RPO is a cost-effective long-term investment strategy that can be scaled up or down based on the company’s changing hiring needs. 

• Leveraging big data and efficiency with best practices—RPO serves as a reliable partner that reduces expenditures while hiring employees and leverages big data and best practices to increase efficiency. 

At Landing.Jobs we’re also RPO providers, helping companies handle their hiring needs by temporarily onboarding our tech recruitment experts. If you think this might be a good solution for your company, reach out to us. 

Other recommendations

There are other ways to complement your tech recruitment efforts, ones that require you to be more active in the tech industry. 

Ask for referrals

IT recruiting is quite competitive and specific. You need to battle with all the other companies recruiting and offering the best salaries and benefits, while looking to find the right fit for the job, and for the company culture. So, why not ask current employees, friends or business contacts for referrals? These are expected to know your company and might have the best candidate right there for you.

Some companies even have a referral program offering incentives for successful referrals to motivate their professionals to bring them the best peers they know. These programs are a win-win idea. The company gets a list of highly qualified software developers, and the current employees get a bonus to do so.

Go to networking events

This one is not new (at all!). Attending tech conferences, summits, meetups, and other networking events in Portugal is a great way to connect with potential candidates and (for IT recruiting purposes ) highly qualified software developers.

People go to these events to get to know what’s new in the tech scene, but also (and in some cases, mainly) to meet up and network with other IT professionals. So, for those intending to do some IT recruiting this might be it.

There are plenty of events in Portugal: Future.Works, Web Summit, JNation, Porto Tech Hub, Lisbon Investment Summit, BLOCK3000: Blockchain Battle 2023, IAM Tech Day Europe 2023, or IAM Tech Day Europe 2023, just to name a few. Just get in there and you might end up with a full list of software developers that might possibly end up working with you.

Run some technical challenges/assessments

Even if it just “for fun”, as a challenge, these might help you evaluate the tech skills and knowledge of potential candidates. You can find more about their programming languages and technologies knowledge and, who knows, you’ll find what you’re seeking.

IT recruiting in Portugal: get down to business

You have what you need, now it’s to time get to work. Portugal has it all: the vibe, the weather, the food and – especially – the tech force you need. You just have to find it.

And even if you don’t know how to start, we got you. Because we got the market insights you need and, more importantly, the network for you to find and hire tech professionals in Portugal through Landing.Jobs.

Check everything you need to know here!