Do you need a new IT manager, software developer or programmer? Are you finding that CVs are thin on the ground or completely non-existent? Getting nowhere fast and pulling chunks of your hair out in frustration…?!
Although we can’t offer support with hair transplants, what we can do is reassure you.
You are not alone.
So why is it so notoriously difficult to recruit, develop and keep quality tech talent and, crucially, what steps can you take to ensure your organisation doesn’t have these problems moving forwards?
1. Accept you may need to negotiate salary
IT professionals, including developers, programmers, database administrators and technical support, are amongst the top ten most in-demand workers on a global scale.* With competition this fierce, the best candidates will expect to be remunerated well. In fact, more than half of businesses in a recent survey said they have increased their salary offers to candidates in the past year.
If budgets are tight, you’ll need to offer a comprehensive package of benefits and plenty of incentives if you want to seal the deal with the top tech talent.
*ManPowerGroup 2018 Talent Shortage Survey
2. Highlight career progression and opportunities to specialise
IT professionals are typically ambitious individuals. After all, those attracted to an ever-changing, fast-paced sector like IT aren’t going to be prepared to sit in the same role for long.
Recent research from Stack Overflow reveals that many developers hope to work in a different or more specialised technical role within 5 years.* As a recruiter, you can tackle these desires head on by using job descriptions and interview conversations as a chance to highlight the growth potential of a role or the personal development opportunities available.
*2018 Stack Overflow Developer Survey
3. Reconsider education and experience requirements
Many skilled IT workers are self-taught, particularly in new computer languages and frameworks, and can lack formal professional qualifications. All too often, this can mean they don’t make it through the initial screening phase or are themselves put off by rigid job criteria.
Don’t close your doors to these candidates. After all, who wouldn’t want to hire a self-starter with the intelligence to recognise the skills they need and the patience and commitment to learn them?
Although education is a significant benefit, technology changes dramatically in a short space of time. Make sure you also recognise a candidate’s ability to adapt, willingness to learn and potential for growth.
4. Remember that tech talent may not be looking for you
It sounds obvious, but the vast majority of tech talent is already employed. That’s the bad news. The good news is that by some accounts, only a third actually love their job. That leaves a minority actively looking for something new, with a significant group not actively looking but open to new opportunities.*
Where does that leave recruiters? Well, instead of solely targeting active candidates who will be looking for your job advertisements, hiring strategies must also target these more passive candidates.
To do this, you need to focus on building and promoting your employer brand name in the sector and network early on and regularly (both online and in person) to develop a thorough understanding of the job market. You’ll also need to be able to develop attractive compensation packages and benefits.
This way you might convince these individuals that the grass really could be greener elsewhere.
*2018 Stack Overflow Developer Survey
5. Use a range of recruitment strategies
Most people want to work with people they already know, so it should come as no surprise that job referrals often come from friends, family members and former colleagues. Despite this, it is a tactic that is frequently overlooked.
Take advantage of employee networks. Encourage and promote referrals in your company, perhaps with the help of an incentive.
But don’t forget the specialists. Recruitment consultants, headhunters and sector-focussed agencies can help you find those hard-to-reach candidates. Hiring Hub’s online recruitment marketplace helps employers like yourself connect to a whole network of industry specialist agencies, giving you access to a huge quality pool of candidates and saving you the time and hassle of having to brief each agency on exactly what you’re looking for.
Follow these strategies and before you know it, you’ll be on your way to securing top tech talent for your business.
