The recruitment process for the US projects

Intro

The IT industry is constantly developing, thus resistant to crises. It's no secret that employees in the IT sector not only earn well but also have plenty of new job offers.

It is enough just to look at our career website. We are constantly seeking IT Specialists to work for our clients from the US. And the number of open projects and specialists we are looking for is continuously increasing.

Our IT Recruiter will guide us through the process of recruiting IT Specialists for the US projects from the client’s perspective and the potential candidate.

Michał:

“I’ve been recruiting in the IT industry for about six years. During this period, I had many occasions to conduct processes for various companies and IT departments worldwide. It's hard to deny that one of the most desirable directions for IT experts is the United States.

Of course, it's not like everyone wants to work only for companies located in the US. There are many exciting projects in Europe, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and of course, Poland.

But, still, "the American dream" exists, and startups or big techs from NYC, Boston, California, and Silicon Valley are something that most IT professionals don't pass by indifferently.”

What is so attractive in the USA's projects?

First of all, the perspective of working with the biggest and the most significant worldwide companies.

We don't have to talk only about IT-oriented firms. There are many corporations in other industries and sectors, like private equity funds, venture capital, global banks, or investment potentates.

They all have big, internal IT departments that sometimes look like software houses. Isn't it a good idea to work for companies placed at the top of the Forbes 500 list?

Secondly, US companies are oriented toward new trends in technology. It's not like every company has the latest version of languages or frameworks, but the level of technical debt is relatively low.

Another indisputable fact - working with Americans will improve your language skills. Even if you are starting with the C1 level, cooperation and daily contact with native speakers will surely raise your skills in technical and non-technical speaking and writing.

What are the challenges?

Working on USA projects also has some issues, which can be a dealbreaker for someone.

First of all, in many cases, you have to fill an overlap with the time zone and (in the case of working from PL) work during the evening, e.g., till 6 or 7 pm. On the other hand, it can also be an opportunity for people that prefer to start a workday later.

You must remember that working hours depend on the project and the business requirements. It is common that after the cooperation between the team and the client is settled, everything is going well, and you gain the client's trust, you can work in the polish time zone. Especially if the whole team is working from Poland.

However, there is a "but". You often have to be present at the meetings with the client or client's team, which are later than 5 pm CEST.

From my recruiter's experience, this setup works very well for all our developers. People hired by us and who work with us are always very flexible and open to working in different time zones.

During every recruitment process, we checked very carefully with the client what he thinks the overlap between our time zones might be. Of course, there are always exceptions, but the general rule is around two hours per day, which presents no difficulties for our teams.

I mentioned that working with Americans will improve your language skills. And it is true. I consider it an advantage, but I can't pretend it is not a challenge simultaneously.

Cooperating with other non-native speakers may lead to misunderstanding, which eventually wastes time and effort. Not to mention that the productivity and morale of the team might also go a bit down.

Of course, it shouldn't stop you because continuous language learning is a step toward solving this issue, and "practice makes it perfect".

Working in another language can be awkward at times, but it is gratifying and has a lot of positive side effects.

Another thing is diversity. Globalization has changed our society and the way we work. Globalization at the workplace means you are in touch with people from several work ethics, languages, traditions, etc. In today's world, multicultural teams aren't new and can be found almost everywhere - in start-ups and large corporations. It can be both a benefit and a challenge to teams (not only virtual teams).

On the one side, it makes the team more vital; you can learn more about others and how they work. But at the same time, cultural differences might lead to conflicts. Teams from different cultures might have different opinions about leadership style or how you approach the problem. Most of it can be easily avoided, but we must respect and learn how to cooperate with people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. Remember, not everything you do is "normal" for your teammate.

What does the recruitment process look like?

In general, Europe and US have no significant differences in this matter. If you work as an external consultant and are outsourced from your Polish company, it usually takes 2-3 steps.

Step 1

The initial meeting often is an introduction and takes 30-45 minutes. During this time, you will meet your potential Manager or Leader.

At this point, you will gather detailed information about the general project assumptions, team remembers, and goals that must be delivered. This is also the moment when you can talk about the possibilities and exchange points of view about your cooperation.

Step 2

If everything went well during the first step and both sides are interested, you will participate in a technical interview.

Usually, it's a technical talk about your experience, cases, and challenges you’ve had a chance to overcome. Sometimes it's also a live coding session.

Step 3

In this step, you are waiting for the decision. It might happen that the company would like to schedule an additional meeting where you can ask questions about your future position and prepare the roadmap for your growth.

It's not that popular, but it sometimes happens that the company will assign a task for you to complete.

Step 4

If everything is fine and the client wants to start cooperation with you, it is our role to complete all the formalities. You don’t have to worry about anything.

We will prepare an offer based on a contract and deliver you essential equipment for work, including MacBook. Your only role is to prepare for the first day. We will organize an onboarding process and take it to step by step with you so that you can feel comfortable during your first days in the new workplace. We always invite our new Teammates to our Warsaw office. So, you can meet with the rest of the Sunscrapers Team.

Note that each company has another framework for the recruitment process. The above is only one of many possibilities.

What is very important to remember is that there is one thing that all managers appreciate - presenting yourself and your skills.

What do we mean? Remember that the first impression is essential (and you can make it only once). Americans appreciate it when candidates are self-motivated and try to convince them they will be a good fit for the company.

Your technical knowledge is crucial, but you should also present your potential and engagement. Nothing shows it better than being a proactive team member. Proposing new solutions, sharing your knowledge, and helping your colleagues are just as important as your technical skills and expertise.

It is also vital to show that you want to understand the business purpose of the product you are working on. And, of course, openness to feedback. Once you receive it - accept it and express your willingness to implement it in your daily work.

Let the company know how they will benefit from your experience and show them the value you will bring to the project.

Final remarks

At Sunscrapers, we always try to settle the recruitment process quickly and comfortably for both sides - the client and the candidate.

We are trying to avoid multistep recruitments and home tasks, which take a lot of time. We are experienced in cooperation with top American companies, among which you can find private funds, investments, and consulting companies.

How to find a perfect fit for your project?

How to seek job offers and successfully go through recruitment?

Sunscrapers come to the rescue!

Check out our career website if you are looking for new challenges.

Contact us if you would like to hire and work with the best! At Sunscrapers, we have a team of developers and software engineers with outstanding technical knowledge and experience to build your project successfully.

Sunscrapers can help you make the most out of Python, Django, and other technologies to put your project to the next level. We are waiting for you!