Insights to Help You Develop a Successful Hiring Strategy
IT staffing strategies must adapt to a continuing skills shortage and evolving market in wake of COVID-19. According to McKinsey & Company, IT businesses are in second-greatest need to address skills gaps (after data analytics). Here’s the damning evidence:
- 69% of employers struggled to fill positions in 2020, with tech roles in the top 10 hardest to fill (Manpower Group)
- 92% of organizations are increasing their cloud workloads, therefore increasing demand for IT staffing (IDG)
- The shortage of engineers is forecast to exceed 2 million by 2026 (BLS)
It’s crucial for your IT organization to stay ahead of competition with innovative IT staffing that ensures you benefit from the most talented. Here we look at the IT staffing trends that may guide your talent needs through 2021.
Trends Bring Hope for IT Staffing
Despite the grim state of IT talent shortages, there is a promising future on the horizon. Already, many organizations are fighting their way back to pre-Covid hiring levels. IT businesses had to slow and adjust to the negative impacts of the pandemic, but now hiring is picking up pace again.
Developing trends in IT staffing encompass who you hire and how you hire.
Remote Hiring Is Here to Stay
One in four Americans currently work remotely, and it’s unlikely to change. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, businesses were forced to take the leap to remote working. Most are reaping the newfound benefits of remote IT staffing.
IT roles are particularly well matched for remote work. Most importantly, remote work is extending an organization’s hiring reach much farther for the most skilled tech talents – location and commute are no longer an issue.
Hiring Companies Will Look for Candidates Who Can Continue to Learn
The world of tech involves continuous developments in skillsets, platforms, and languages. It makes sense, then, for hiring companies to search for IT candidates who are adaptable and willing to upskill.
Companies who want to maintain forward momentum should ensure they are using digital tools that keep their people engaged, upskilled, and monitored in their progress. A company culture that supports personal development and reward is something highly attractive to top talent, and hugely beneficial to staff retention and profits.
Quality Candidates Will Be Key
Hiring quality candidates will be a key strategy as the economy continues to bounce back.
Tech companies spend big money on hiring – approximately 20-25% of an annual salary. With IT staffing roles raking in some of the highest salaries due to talent shortage, that equates to quite a hefty bill for a low-quality hire.
Tech companies must:
- Attract the highest-quality candidates with an attractive employer brand
- Rigorously screen the most promising candidates
- Thoroughly test candidate ability prior to contract
- Expand reach through remote vacancies
- Dedicate time and resources to nurture potential future candidates
Commitment to a robust hiring strategy is crucial. It’s the best way to avoid costly poor hires and improve collaboration and performance within your teams.
Tech companies are using virtual hiring methods more than ever since the pandemic began. The advantages include:
- Faster recruitment process (for both employer and candidate)
- Convenience for both parties
- Insight into a candidate’s onscreen collaboration ability
- Insight into a candidate’s general technical ability, efficiency, and organization from home
- Ability to set up test modules there and then to assess candidates
- Reduced costs to execute
A good experience of your hiring process will help you to attract better-quality candidates and attain positive outcomes in your drive to hire the highest-quality IT personnel.
Using Specialist Staffing Agencies
Using a specialist staffing agency provides tech companies help in aligning with these trends. They have the best resources, the best connections, and the best knowledge to source to highly skilled tech candidates in the industry.
A staffing agency takes away a lot of the legwork that quality hiring demands. Companies who want to be ahead of their competitors with a nurtured talent pipeline and accelerated recruitment process will take advantage of a powerful hiring powerhouse – a tech specialist staffing agency.
Tech companies should ramp up the skillsets of their teams with the support of a flexible workforce. Such staff augmentation may include:
- Contract – short term or long term, to complement internal expertise without long-term obligation
- Contract-to-hire – A great way to see if a candidate is a good fit, without permanent employment, particularly when business needs are fluctuating
Both can be achieved particularly well through specialized staffing agencies.
Take Advantage of IT Staffing Trends
With a skills shortage and increase for the most highly skilled IT professionals, you must align your hiring strategies with IT staffing trends.
The talent amongst your IT staffing starts with the hiring process. To move ahead of your competitors and attract the best tech candidates in the industry, or to benefit from flexible hiring of tech talent when you need it, contact TECHEAD today.