It’s no secret that finding, growing and retaining Drupal talent can be challenging. This session aims to share concrete strategies for attracting, selecting and developing new starters—whether fresh graduates or professionals transitioning from other technologies—so they can swiftly become fully contributing members of your Drupal team. We will discuss how to position Drupal in educational contexts, assess junior talent when technical knowledge may be limited and guide them through hands-on training and mentorship. By focusing on cultural fit, soft skills, and structured onboarding, you can build a sustainable talent pipeline that fuels both your organization and the Drupal community.

Shorter version: Challenging to bring new Drupal talent on board? Learn proven methods to attract and select junior developers, fast-track their growth and strengthen both your organization and the Drupal community.

Prerequisite
A foundational understanding of the Drupal ecosystem and basic familiarity with team or project structures. Some background in HR, talent acquisition or people management is beneficial but not mandatory.

Outline
1. Why new talent matters
The importance of continually adding and cultivating new contributors in Drupal.

2. Positioning Drupal to aspiring developers
Outreach initiatives at schools, career fairs, and through community events.

3. Selecting potential over experience
Identifying soft skills, motivation, and cultural fit when candidates have limited to no Drupal knowledge, using activities like a LEGO assessment or other collaborative tasks.

4. Onboarding & accelerated growth
Structured traineeship: setting milestones, real-world tasks and hands-on learning.

5. Tandem mentorship: pairing juniors with senior developers for guidance and code reviews.

6. Measuring success & retention
Tracking technical competency, community contributions and team engagement.

Learning Objectives
Strategic recruitment: discover outreach tactics and selection methods tailored to attract Drupal newcomers with high growth potential.

Effective onboarding: learn how to create a clear traineeship path, balancing foundational knowledge with hands-on project work.

Mentorship & retention: Understand how senior-junior pairing and regular feedback loops foster faster skill development and long-term commitment.

Community & business Impact: See how nurturing junior talent drives both organizational success and strengthens Drupal’s open-source ecosystem.

Experience level
Beginner