Trying to hire Java programmers

[eek]

yep. done/doing that. still

conor

Are you sure its not simply location?

Try an advert with London as the location and see what the reaction is.

[DotNetDeveloper]

Bournemouth Uni churns out a lot of grads, and I should know, I studied there 2002-2006 (and then went to London for work). Most students that come from up north or even London sometimes stay within the area after graduation...but yes, a lot do move to London to find work.

I know for a fact that their courses mainly teach un-grads .NET, but also bits of Java. So you'd probably be better off advertising for .NET with the view to train up into Java if you are struggling so much to find people. You'll probably find that most of the grads will have taken a 1-year sandwich degree, whereby they work for a year for a company in or outside the UK, depending on what they can get, so they have some experience.

Stating a salary, albeit circa, is far more powerful in terms of advertising a position, rather than stating 'competitive' or any such equivalent.

Java and .NET are also very syntactically similar so that it will be a quick transition.

[SueEllen]

Also talk to the university itself and find out if they have a place where you can advertise your jobs with a salary.

Universities have a careers service where you can advertise roles, or sometimes the actual department does this. This is for free.

It's a bit late now but if you advertised your job there in April you would have probably got a grad for this September though you could still do so.

[DodgyAgent]

You don't try and recruit from Eastern Europe and bring them here, employ them there and pay them well above their market rate. They will live like kings and have no where to go to, you'll have good staff with no ability to leave.

To be frank you're problem is location. Bournemouth doesn't have much of a java market and few people will willing move there for a job. Contractors move around the country permies will accept peanuts if its all that is available where they live but they won't move as that costs £15-20k.

I think you will find that salaries have risen sharply in Poland. Furthermore there is heavy competition to recruit these people. One tip I will give - NEVER set up a remote office unless you have someone who is "cast iron" trustworthy to run it.

[SueEllen]

I think you will find that salaries have risen sharply in Poland. Furthermore there is heavy competition to recruit these people.

Having worked with other Eastern European nationals not just Poles some of them don't like the UK.

Also some of the ones I worked with outside London felt duped as they though they were coming to be in London.

[eek]

I think you will find that salaries have risen sharply in Poland. Furthermore there is heavy competition to recruit these people. One tip I will give - NEVER set up a remote office unless you have someone who is "cast iron" trustworthy to run it.

Markets will rise to match supply and demand. You of all people should understand that.

Also note that I didn't say Poland as I know the market there is saturated. My current clientco uses Tunisia (but is having problems), and I've used the Philippines and Estonia before and will do in the future.

Edit to add and the Ukraine. Although the owner of the company I used there is really not someone you want to get on the wrong side of.

[d000hg]

Hello folks,

I started contracting about 12 years ago and now run a small, successful consultancy. Recently we started developing and selling our own software and demand is good. However, i'm damned if I can find any java programmers to join the team and we've been advertising extensively for months now.

Does anyone know what the general Java market is like right now? Are there really no java programmers at any level (student placements, grads, experienced coders) looking for work? I thought there were hundreds (thousands?) of graduates, programmers, all sorts our there in tough-economy-land. But it seems that's not the case and they already all have jobs they love. We really are drawing a complete blank and I can't understand why so thought I'd ask if anyone had any knowledge of the market in general.

Where can I find Java people?!! Any tips greatly appreciated.
Cheers
MR

Maybe you could post a link to the kind of adverts you are posting? Are you looking for permies or contractors? Based in your premises or working remotely? I might know someone... hell I might even be available since I could use the extra cash to fund my plan B!

[darrenb]

The biggest turn off for any job applicant is not knowing what the salary will be, or is likley to be. Especially for new grads who have no idea what the market is worth to begin with.

Good point. The sheer uncertainty of it is going to drive a lot of people away.

[DeludedAussie]

Hello folks,

I started contracting about 12 years ago and now run a small, successful consultancy. Recently we started developing and selling our own software and demand is good. However, i'm damned if I can find any java programmers to join the team and we've been advertising extensively for months now.

Does anyone know what the general Java market is like right now? Are there really no java programmers at any level (student placements, grads, experienced coders) looking for work? I thought there were hundreds (thousands?) of graduates, programmers, all sorts our there in tough-economy-land. But it seems that's not the case and they already all have jobs they love. We really are drawing a complete blank and I can't understand why so thought I'd ask if anyone had any knowledge of the market in general.

Where can I find Java people?!! Any tips greatly appreciated.
Cheers
MR

I can help - I charge 1k a day and can do much goodness for plenty cheapness

[nomadd]

I can help - I charge 1k a day and can do much goodness for plenty cheapness

Well, your 1k per day - rupees - quote is about £13.31. So I think he should hire you for your plenty cheapness.