Junior Software Developer Recruiters | Contingency Junior Software Developer Headhunters

No upfront fee
Pay only if you hire
Technology only
We reach engineers who aren't on job boards
Replacement guarantee on standard searches

Associate Software EngineerSoftware Engineer IEntry-Level DeveloperApprentice DeveloperAssociate Software EngineerSoftware Engineer IEntry-Level DeveloperApprentice Developer

What this hire really comes down to

Hiring a junior software developer is a decision to invest. You are buying potential, coachability and a solid base, and you are committing senior time to mentoring. Employers come to us when they want to grow talent that fits their stack, when seniors are stuck on routine work, or when budget favors a pipeline over another expensive hire. The hard part is distinguishing real fundamentals from a polished portfolio of copied tutorials.

The environment determines the right profile. A product team with strong code review and a patient lead can take someone newer. A small team without a senior to guide them cannot, and the hire will struggle. Decide who owns onboarding, how many hours a week they have, and what the first ninety days look like. We ask about this at the start, because many failed junior hires are failures of support rather than talent.

We look for one language known well, whether Python, Java, C# or JavaScript, plus Git and SQL fundamentals. A GitHub portfolio matters, but only when the candidate can explain every line, including trade offs and what they would change. A live code exercise reveals how they read problems, ask questions and recover when stuck. Communication in a pairing session says more than a clean algorithm answer.

What we check before you see anyone

GitHub portfolio
We read the repositories: commit history, readme quality, tests and structure. We ask the candidate to explain a design decision and to describe a bug they found and how they fixed it.
Live code exercise
A short exercise in the candidate's chosen language, done together. We watch how they decompose the problem, handle hints and talk through errors. Silence and guessing are poorer signs than clear reasoning.
One language well
Ask for depth in one language, not a long list. Probe data types, collections, error handling and how they would structure a small service in it.
Git and SQL fundamentals
Have them describe branching, merging and resolving a conflict, then write a join with aggregation. These are daily tools and weak basics create friction quickly.

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Where we find them

Computer science graduates are the traditional pool, strongest on theory and often with internship exposure. Check practical coding volume, since coursework varies. Internship alumni from nearby programs bring familiarity with real teams and are worth targeting.

Coding bootcamps and apprenticeships provide career changers who learned by building and often bring maturity from previous work. They can be excellent when the program was rigorous and the candidate continued learning afterward. Hackathon participants show initiative and teamwork.

A less obvious pool is people already inside technology: support staff, QA testers or analysts who have taught themselves to code. They arrive with domain knowledge and professional habits, and are often undervalued.

Mistakes we see

Treating a credential as the answer
Do not let github portfolio become a keyword filter. We ask the candidate to explain a design decision and to describe a bug they found and how they fixed it.
Leaving the actual scope out
Put the responsibility for live code exercise in the brief, including who helps the hire and who decides. A short exercise in the candidate's chosen language, done together.
Waiting until the offer to discuss the work
Discuss what the person will own in one language well before the interview loop. Probe data types, collections, error handling and how they would structure a small service in it.

The search in three steps

Agree the brief
We start by asking what support a junior will actually get. If no mentor exists, we say so and suggest a different level, rather than set the hire up poorly.
Find and speak with people
Screening combines portfolio review, a live exercise and a conversation about learning. We pass along concrete observations so your team can continue from there.
Introduce the people who fit
We send a written brief on each person you meet, including why the work fits and the questions still worth asking about git and sql fundamentals. You decide who to interview. We help with the conversations through the offer.

Red flags include portfolios without commit history, projects the candidate cannot modify on request, and inflated claims about frameworks. Good evidence includes small but complete projects, thoughtful tests, evidence of learning from feedback and curiosity about how things work. Internship alumni often have the advantage of seeing a team process, which shortens the adjustment period.

It helps to define what success looks like at six months. Some teams expect a junior to ship small, reviewed changes independently; others expect them to shadow and fix defects. Both are legitimate, but candidates should hear which. Think about the technology too. A junior who learned Python through data work will not become a good enterprise Java developer by osmosis, so match the language to the team's real code. Also consider the tone of code review in your team. Juniors flourish with specific, kind, frequent feedback and wither under silence, regardless of how talented they are.

Questions about this search

When will we see a shortlist?

We agree the search plan after checking your requirements for github portfolio and live code exercise, rather than promising a date before the brief is clear. We read the repositories: commit history, readme quality, tests and structure.

What if a candidate gets a counteroffer?

We ask what would make someone leave work involving github portfolio, and what could make them stay. Before you invest in interviews, we discuss whether your offer changes the problem they want to leave, including the responsibility for git and sql fundamentals.

Should this role be remote or on site?

Experience with github portfolio and live code exercise does not settle the location question. Tell us what access and supervision the work needs, including who owns decisions about git and sql fundamentals, so we approach people who can accept the arrangement.

How will you check fit before we interview?

We read the repositories: commit history, readme quality, tests and structure. We ask the candidate to explain a design decision and to describe a bug they found and how they fixed it. A short exercise in the candidate's chosen language, done together.

How does the fee work?

No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Agree the fee and the responsibilities covering github portfolio and live code exercise in the recruiting agreement before the search proceeds.

What if the hire does not work out?

We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement. Make sure the agreed scope includes what you expect of git and sql fundamentals, rather than leaving that discussion until after the start.

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