What the IT and Tech Sector’s growth means for hiring.
Companies in the tech industry, or those that require top-notch IT Departments, need employees with exceptional tech and IT skills in order to keep ahead of the competition and in line with the advancements.Although the unemployment rate is high, the fact is there is a massive shortage of skills in the IT and Technology sectors where candidates are lacking critical skills. There are also more candidates than there are jobs available in the market, so companies need to really stand out when it comes to their recruitment processes.Companies in the sector are competing against each other for the best talent with the right digital and tech skills. Out of the top 10 jobs in demand in SA at the moment, 6 of them are in IT and Tech, yet over 65% o the rarest skills in SA still fall under the Tech industry.This means that companies need to put a lot more emphasis on employing the right Recruitment processes when it comes to hiring the top IT and Tech talent there is.The recruitment strategyTo attract the top caliber of candidate, companies need to focus on creating a business environment that is a combination of informal, collaborative, more casual than strict, and allow for remote working options. Candidates in the market now are driven by global trends, such as upskilling staff and new hires, and using innovative learning practices that ensure that they grow in their skills set too.Candidates want to be part of a ‘bigger picture’ to achieve something substantial, and be part of company culture that reflects flexibility, adaptability, growth and purpose.This means that companies can attract top talent from highly innovative and market-leading companies as well as being able to retain their current staff and give them a sense of common purpose.Focus on the company brandShowcasing the brand is vital in attracting top IT and Tech talent, and this means that companies need to build their brands on visible platforms that include the likes of LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and their own Websites.When the company’s brand is visible, intriguing, bold and appealing, it allows the Recruitment Specialist a company partners with, the best opportunity to market the company’s brand to a potential new hire far more effectively and confidently too.The cost of the hiring right tech talentThe cost for the right skills has increased substantially over the years. Roles also need to appeal to employees’ need for constant growth and goals. Companies need to put a lot of focus into their training and development plans that are offered to new hires, as well as to existing staff as part of their staff retention efforts. Upskilling the junior to mid- level candidates will see them develop into Senior resources as they grow.Companies who want the top talent with the full basket of skills must be willing to pay top money for these candidates or invest in the more mid-level and junior candidates who have the potential to grow and take on new skills, adding value to their careers.The value of experienceWhen it comes to Tech and IT Qualifications, sometimes companies need to overlook the “necessity of a Degree” in favour of experience. Candidates are often rejected on face value on their CV’s because they don’t “tick the boxes” of the formal qualifications on the job specifications and this is one of the easiest ways that the top talent is missed by companies and snatched up by the competition. With the skills shortage, the full range of technical expertise is hard to find in one candidate and if hiring managers are hard set on the outlines of a generic job description, it is very common that the candidates who are potentially a good fit for the company, are missed out on.From our experience in successful IT and Tech Recruitment, many of the Developers and Software Engineers have been self-taught in their development skills. With access to online courses from many top reputable institutions, this is a very common trend in the global market and it’s increasing in South Africa.Make use of thorough screening and checks for IT and Tech candidates, and consider using Recruitment Specialists that are there to screen and thoroughly check credentials and the validity of their qualifications.Often, companies will hire a candidate purely on their CV on paper and their personality put forward in an interview, without ensuring that what they say they can do, is true. This leads to a costly error, a new hiring process and a lot of unhappy management teams.As the Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to impact change around the world, it’s imperative that companies adopt recruitment strategies that allow for partnering with Recruitment Specialists to aid them in attracting and retaining the best IT and Tech Talent around in order to remain both relevant and ahead of the competition where Technology is one of the main drivers of essential and necessary change.
Written by Chantelle Smith
Read more on – https://bizmag.co.za/february-march-2020-edition/#febmar202054