Investigating the Online Recruitment and Selection Journey of Novice Software Engineers: Anti-patterns and Recommendations

[Context] The growing software development market has increased the demand for qualified professionals in Software Engineering (SE). To this end, companies must enhance their Recruitment and Selection (R&S) processes to maintain high quality teams, including opening opportunities for beginners, such as trainees and interns. However, given the various judgments and sociotechnical factors involved, this complex process of R&S poses a challenge for recent graduates seeking to enter the market. [Objective] This paper aims to identify a set of anti-patterns and recommendations for early career SE professionals concerning R&S processes. [Method] Under an exploratory and qualitative methodological approach, we conducted six online Focus Groups with 18 recruiters with experience in R&S in the software industry. [Results] After completing our qualitative analysis, we identified 12 anti-patterns and 31 actionable recommendations regarding the hiring process focused on entry level SE professionals. The identified anti-patterns encompass behavioral and technical dimensions innate to R&S processes. [Conclusion] These findings provide a rich opportunity for reflection in the SE industry and offer valuable guidance for early-career candidates and organizations. From an academic perspective, this work also raises awareness of the intersection of Human Resources and SE, an area with considerable potential to be expanded in the context of cooperative and human aspects of SE.