How to recruit people in your start-up

These days we are in odd place here at Digital Max Solutions (DMS). DMS is a 5-year-old yet still a small web applications development and social media branding company in Kathmandu, Nepal. We have steady work coming but not enough developers to grab these new exciting works.To date we have tried these few tactics:

  • Recruiting from placing advertisements in paper or online. (Kantipur daily & Himalayan times Wednesday listings)
  • Recruitment from local recruitment agencies (headhunters). We used “Real Solutions” a local head hunter agency.
  • Word of mouth (through ex-associates or current).

The best is as always through Word of mouth especially recommended by past and existing associates  We do provide incentives for their successful recommendations also. It’s only fair we pay them if we are paying head-hunters as well. We are hiring from the local competitive IT market. Its tough recruiting these days since most young people are increasingly opting to try their hand at the “greener pastures” on the other side. (By other side, I mean, USA, Australia, South Korea, Japan, UK or even some other non-English speaking European countries). Interesting dilemma for a small company such as ours.

How do we build a strong  IT industry in Nepal when talented youths in this field  will not stay here to support the pillars required to make it strong?

7 thoughts on “How to recruit people in your start-up

  1. true.rnNepal is becoming a better prospect for freelancers than working on arnsizable company.

  2. We have some Indian National working, not from Banglore though, most are from border towns . nnOne thing I noticed lately is lot of Nepalese working in India have started to apply for jobs in Nepal and reason being ( as written in applications) they want to come back home. I suppose pay gap in IT industry is narrowing between Nepal and India and thus the reason for increased application from Nepalese IT professional from India.nnrocikc

  3. also, have a gentleman’s agreement against poaching of each other’s employees in the middle of projects…nyes a training institute is also a must. good points.

  4. I also run a small outsourcing company in Kathmandu and its getting harder and harder to find the qualified developers.We are looking for 20 developers immidiately and we are getting one qualified developers a week (that too thru recommendations ).In this rate we will have 20 vacancies all the timennThe biggest problem is developer/s applying visas while working and saying I got my visa yesterday and I have to leave in 3 days.Another problem is no proper skills in fresh universities graduates .nnI think all of Nepal’s out sourcing companies should get together and start a college/Training institute and recruit from there.we can easily create thousands of jobs.nn

  5. Indians have it easy working in Nepal because of open border policy. You don’t need Visa to come to Nepal. Lots of Indian citizens work in Nepal.

    but I don’t know what exact permissions they need from the government of Nepal to work here. I see a lot of indian friends who work here without any restrictions. (seemingly).

    As for Bangalore, I feel thats the next step for IT firms here. Have to reach out to Indian Pool because of the limitations of talented resources here right now.

  6. Have you ever considered recruiting in Bangalore? There are lots of very talented developers there who have a hard time breaking into the big firms there. I don’t know what the working visa situation is for Indians working in Nepal, though. I’d certainly be interested.

  7. well i must say, handicap in internet speed, and young people not committed enough to work severely handicaps the IT industry here.

    sad but true.

    Entrepreneurship has lost itself in middle class and upper class young bloods thus being supplanted by “migration” 🙂

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