[Nate75Sanders]

Go to various tech meetups/meetings that seem relevant and then try to identify smart people by what they say in meetings. Then approach them.

Maybe sponsor a relevant meeting by buying the pizza/beer for it. This buys you the opportunity to give a company introduction and let people know you're hiring. Very cheap advertising.

meetup.com is probably the generic place to look for these types of meetings, but every city probably has its own, better site. In Seattle, among others, we have http://www.seattletechcalendar.com/ and http://www.seattle20.com/ among probably others.

Sitting in your office waiting for resumes/cover letters is the absolute worst way to try to get people. It also leaves you with only an interview to get to know the potential hire, while at the meeting you may find out all sorts of desirable or undesirable characteristics about them. Additionally you may get input from that person's peers.

[gujk]

Yes.

An onsite interview is 4-hour sell meeting: sell your coworkers on the candidate, and sell the candidate on the coworkers and office and etc.

If you aren't pretty confident in a hire before the onsite, the onsite won't help.