It’s probably the most asked question by a group of Human Resource practitioners and Hiring Managers when they get together to talk shop: “Where are all the IT professionals?”
In the last few years, the American Information Technology industry has found itself in an interesting position. Opportunities for tech workers have skyrocketed, yet when it comes to acquiring talent to occupy available job positions, several companies are unable to get lift-off.
In a previous article, we explored the unprecedented speed that the IT sector is growing. However, as it stands, there simply isn’t enough domestic talent to fill jobs to go around. As specialists in professional recruitment, we at MSI Recruiting have found that a talent deficit, while serious, is not the primary dilemma that companies face. The key issue is a lack of awareness into the importance of being proactive in securing available candidates, before they get scooped up. The good news is that MSI Recruiting already has a large number of available candidates with exemplary IT skillsets on our database.
Prior to the recruitment process, there are a few action points to consider, and possibly implement into your business, to increase hiring success. Here are the top five things employers must do to hire and retain top IT talent:
1. Be Competitive
This entails offering salaries that align with industry benchmarks, having a bonus structure, offering benefits and any additional perks that will make your company competitive within the market and potentially make your business one that most professionals want to work for. Below is a table from the 2020 MSI Recruiting Salary Guide upon which to benchmark your salary offers for various IT positions.
Request the 2020 Salary Guide Here
2. Have a Hiring Strategy
Whether it’s working with an agency like MSI Recruiting that provides comprehensive talent sourcing services that include targeted identification, screening, selection of the most suited candidates and more; or using internal company resources, a formal plan of action will streamline the process and show candidates that your organization is professional and has structure, long before they even start working.
3. Hire with Speed
This does not mean rushing to a decision, but rather getting the parties involved in your organization aligned ahead of time with respect to what you’re looking for in a candidate. This way, you can move the interview process along and not have endless days of debate as to which candidate should be hired. Remember, most candidates will be interviewing at multiple companies and with the shortage of IT talent, are likely to get hired by someone else if you take too long to make them an offer.
4. Be Transparent
If you’ve partnered with an agency like MSI Recruiting, make sure that you are 100% clear on what it is you’re looking for, what you require from us, and have full transparency on offer details, candidate requirements and what they will be expected to deliver ON in terms of their job specs. In this way, we can manage our expectations, your expectations and the candidate’s expectations to ensure a positive conclusion. Changing your mind or not providing full disclosure into the nature of a job role will hinder the recruitment process, and in some cases, result in a desirable candidate removing themselves from job consideration.
5. Onboard Effectively
Make sure that the new hire feels welcomed and valued. Reach out during the transition period to ensure that you have communication with the candidate and find out what can be done to ensure they start on a positive note. If you’ve partnered with a firm like MSI Recruiting we will also provide assistance during this process to ensure the candidates onboards with your organization effectively.
Thinking ahead and securing talent sooner, rather than later, will allow your business to be prepared for the next wave in IT growth; and as such will mitigate your business from any staffing challenges in the future. Get in touch with MSI Recruiting and our team of dedicated professionals will ensure that you secure the very best talent that the IT sector has to offer, today!