To recruit the best talents in information technologies, you have to be ready to untie the purse strings and be creative in the search for candidates. This is what a recent study by Robert Half concludes.
The IT world is tough! A survey by the Robert Half firm in Toronto shows that managers are struggling to recruit data security specialists as well as software development professionals, good data analysts and mobility experts. To attract the best, recruitment channels need to be multiplied, and there should be no hesitation to set up several strategies at the same time.
Out of a sample of 270 senior managers in Canada, 46% indicated that money is often the critical factor and say they are willing to “improve salary and pay conditions”. Within the limits dictated by the local market, salaries offered are therefore increasingly attractive for many IT professionals.
Creative recruitment
Managers nonetheless have to have a certain inventiveness in their recruitment processes. Simply publishing a job offer and waiting to receive resumes is really no longer enough. 42% of respondents say they make use of their network for recommendations, and even join discussion and meeting groups in their area of activity to expand their network. 38’% of them do not hesitate to call on specialized recruiters.
As Deborah Bottineau, district director for Robert Half, says, “The current competitive hiring environment forces leaders in the technology field to have a creative and flexible approach. Hiring strategies with multiple facets are essential.”
Sometimes you have to know how to lower your requirements and then find strategies to move the new employee up to the desired level. 31% of those surveyed say they are prepared to reduce school requirements or be more flexible about the skills sought, even if they subsequently offer quality training and support the new employee in every way possible to acquire new knowledge.
Before reaching this point, most prefer to divide the work within the existing team (35%) or hire a freelancer or consultant for a few months (38%). This is a promising idea. “Consultants are focused on the tasks to be accomplished and motivated by success. This allows you to maintain the pace and achieve your goals,” concludes the survey’s publishers.