Manage the IT Skills Shortage by Utilizing an IT Recruitment Firm

The IT skills shortage is not a new phenomenon; it is merely an exacerbated one. Hiring quality and talented coders and their ilk is complex because of three dynamics. Constant technology changes demand professionals armed with the latest IT knowledge in a world where education is expensive and sometimes inadequate. Sub-par assessment tools and recruitment processes fail to discern the best from the average, and there is increasing industry competition for the best employees.

Rich Hein, CIO and contributor to IT News, offers a solution – IT skills and people architecture – which boils down to a recruitment strategy for IT skills.

Here is the framework behind the strategy that recognizes a good team can successfully realize a company vision.

  • Future planning is key to hiring sufficient talent. Analyze current and future needs and align them with growth plans. Determine areas where you may be lacking, such as network engineers or analysts who understand big data.
  • Develop transparent and consistent HR policies. These should include revised job titles, separating management roles that demand people skills from IT specialized roles that require tech-specific skills. Ensure that compensation for each job type is competitive with industry standards for that skill. Design ways to engage, retain, and attract talent.
  • Define IT roles not job titles and design career paths around them. For example, an IT architect path for system builders, project manager paths for those who oversee projects, an analyst path for those who have knowledge and assets that can be applied to specific cases, and an engineers and specialist path for those who team with the architects and find approaches and solutions.
  • Consider college recruitment to hire individuals with key core skills. Skills can be taught but the ability to learn quickly is a core trait that IT professionals must have.

Looking to hire in 2014? Contact our experienced team of recruiters today for more information on how a partnership with our team can positively impact yours!