The Role of Internal Recruiters in Software Development: What’s the Real Hiring Capacity?

When evaluating the capabilities of internal recruitment teams within the tech industry, a common question among professionals is: What is the highest number of developers an internal recruiter has successfully onboarded within a year? Specifically, this inquiry often pertains to seasoned developers with over two years of experience, given the distinct challenges associated with recruiting more experienced talent.

Recently, during a series of interviews and industry discussions, I’ve encountered claims from recruiters about their hiring achievements. For instance, one recruiter asserted that they had successfully placed 60 developers in a single year outside of London. While impressive on the surface, such figures naturally warrant a closer examination to assess their plausibility and the factors that influence recruitment capacity.

Understanding Recruitment Capacity

Recruiting developers—particularly those with substantial experience—entails more than just sourcing candidates and conducting interviews. It involves comprehensive processes such as candidate sourcing, screening, technical assessments, negotiating offers, onboarding, and ensuring a good fit both technically and culturally. Each of these steps takes considerable time and effort, and the quality of hires often depends on depth rather than volume.

Factors Affecting Hiring Through Internal Recruiters

  1. Location and Market Dynamics: Outside major hubs like London, the talent pool may be smaller or more dispersed, potentially influencing the rate at which hires can be made.

  2. Company Size and Hiring Goals: Larger organizations or those with aggressive hiring targets may involve dedicated teams capable of higher throughput, but even then, sustainable rates are bounded by the recruitment process’s complexity.

  3. Candidate Availability and Market Conditions: The availability of experienced developers varies by region and the current job market’s competitiveness, influencing how quickly recruiters can fill positions.

  4. Recruiter Expertise and Resources: The efficiency and experience of the internal recruitment team play crucial roles. Well-established teams with strategic sourcing channels may achieve higher volumes, but classic estimates typically fall within a certain range.

Is a Hundred Developers a Realistic Annual Total?

Claiming to have hired 60 developers in a year outside of London isn’t inherently impossible but raises some questions about the scale and resources of the recruitment process. Most recruiters that I’ve interacted with report hiring figures significantly lower, especially for experienced developers, with ranges typically between 20-40 per year depending on company size and recruitment infrastructure.

Conclusion

While individual achievements may vary, it’s essential to approach such claims with a balanced perspective. High-volume hiring, especially for experienced