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A senior systems engineer in your IT team suddenly quits and you need to hire IT talent in a hurry to drive an important project forward, but you simply can’t find the right profile – or any suitable candidate for that matter – to fill the gap.
Finding a replacement with the right expertise to start as soon as possible who can hit the ground running is vital, but this is easier said than done in a candidate-scarce technology market.
If you’re struggling to attract technology talent for IT leadership, management, and other crucial technology roles, you’re not alone. Competition for talented IT professionals is high and candidates now call the shots. This is far from ideal for hiring managers, but the good news is there are a few things you can do to make your company more attractive for high quality IT talent without exhausting the payroll.
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Throwing money at the problem is no longer the only, and not necessarily the best solution.
COVID and flexible working have made workers realize they can have their cake and eat it. Remote IT Directors, for example, can combine challenging and interesting roles with the quality of life they desire, so very few will settle for less in this market.
Mustapha Bokhizzou
Michael Page Senior Executive Manager
Insisting on full-time roles in the office in this job climate of remote work is not always realistic and could lead to companies being ghosted or dumped by potential candidates. Many talented technology experts prefer to work on shorter-term contracts, to enable them to grow and diversify, so offering development opportunities could attract certain candidates.
COVID-inspired reflections have prompted many IT candidates to think carefully about the type of company they want to work for – so, employer branding has become much more important, and the purpose of a company is a huge draw.
For example, if a company is adamant about sustainability, or if a company is focused on renewable energies, a candidate might be more inclined to take an offer if they share the same values.
Traditional recruiting processes simply won’t cut it in a candidate-driven market, and companies need to adapt to be more attractive for IT talent, says Bokhizzou.
One possible solution in a market where perm technology talent is hard to find, is to consider interim IT positions and interim management roles to get your company through tough times.
Even if this is not your normal hiring process, there are many advantages to using IT contractors, he adds.
Many contractors are highly experienced and specialized, so they don’t need to be trained before being productive. Provided they have the required social skills, they can often transfer skills to the in-house team while they’re there.
Fears of an imminent recession means that using interim IT talent could become even more attractive as companies look for ways to cut costs such as reducing the head count.
Increasingly companies are looking for highly specialized candidates, which simply isn’t possible in a competitive market, says Bokhizzou.
For example, insisting on a Dutch-speaking specialist with highly specialized technology skills in a job description, when you’re more likely to find those skills in an English-speaking remote candidate or freelance IT candidates.
One of the most frustrating things for recruiters is to finally find a suitable Information Technology talent, only to lose him or her because another company responded quicker with a better offer.
You simply can’t afford to have a drawn-out interview process or take weeks to decide about a technology job offer, because by the time you get there, the candidate will be long gone.
This is another reason why interim IT talent is one of the best staffing solutions in the current market, says Ricardo van Dijk, Michael Page Senior Executive Manager Technology.
“You don’t need to think so long about this, because you’re not appointing someone for life, but only at first for a few months or one specific project. If you make a mistake, it’s not that difficult to reverse,” says van Dijk.
If you’re worried that hiring a freelance talent will deplete the HR (Human Resources) budget, consider that it is potentially more expensive NOT to hire anyone than to hire a contractor because the impact is potentially bigger if there is no-one in the position.
Also consider that even if short-term hourly rates and recruitment fees may be higher than appointing a permanent staff member, you won’t have to pay bonuses, sick leave, pension, and other employee benefits overall. Over time, this may even be more cost effective.
So, if you´re struggling to find the right technology skills to help your business move forward, think creatively by considering interim IT staff as one solution to your IT staffing pains.
At Michael Page we have a wide pool of interim contractors instantly available, and we understand what motivates them and how to hire remote technology talent contractors.
We have helped many clients like you to find immediate solutions to their IT staffing problems.
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