How to hire qualified IT personnel

Today, technology is directly linked to the strategy of companies, being essential for their viability and raison d’être. The difficulty in incorporating qualified personnel in IT (Information and Communication Technologies) areas is common to all companies, but why do some have more success in this aspect? Why is it so complicated to find the right profiles? What are those profiles and what are their most common demands? What can we do to solve it and improve our staff search?

In this article we want to answer many of these questions. Below we collect some key points if you want to hire qualified talent effectively, as well as a list of the most common challenges that companies face today, and advice on how to face them when the time comes.

Definitive guide for hiring qualified personnel in the IT sector

Develop a detailed description

It is important to carefully define the beginning of any recruitment process, and for that we recommend having a previous document in which all the skills and competences required for the position in question are collected.

The desirable thing would be to carry out this description from the technical department itself, and under the supervision of the person in charge of IT selection, so in the end it is going to be the one who takes care of finding the candidate at all times. This ensures that candidates perfectly understand their function to perform and, at the same time, allows filtering those who do not meet the demanded criteria.

Use Tech Recruitment platforms

Regardless of the fact that we have more and more online platforms capable of helping us find the most efficient possible candidacies, publishing our vacancies on generalist job boards is no longer enough. It is better to opt for platforms and forums specialized in the technology sector, such as GitHub, Stack Overlow, etc., as well as tech community events, with the aim of reaching all those passive candidates who, although they are not actively looking for a job, could be open to new opportunities that may arise.

Invest in employee recommendation programs

Implementing a recommendation program can be an option to consider if you want to take advantage of your employees’ networks. It is more than likely that members of your work team are in close contact with other IT professionals, hence it is important to urge them to recommend you people who would fit well in the company. You can use incentives or rewards to encourage them to do so.

In the end, this strategy not only serves to expand the innate talent of your company, but also increases the commitment and loyalty of all employees.

Adapt to the demands of the candidate market

One of the most interesting aspects if we stop to analyze the reasons why some companies take longer than others to recruit qualified IT personnel, is precisely their ability to adapt to change and to demands within the candidate market.

Therefore, it is appropriate to take into account what variables are beneficial to us when finding technological talent: interesting projects, great conciliation policies, career plans, etc. With all these factors on the table, the next step would be to carefully assess what else we can offer as a company compared to what we demand and require from the market.

Why is it so difficult to find IT personnel?

The aforementioned digital transition that the entire planet is undergoing, has generated a great evolution in the demand for technological profiles. And many companies now find themselves unable to satisfy their own needs, nor to compete with the most powerful multinationals in the sector (as they are the ones who cover most of the demand for IT profiles).

In 2019, the ISDI Digital Employment Observatory already warned us, at a national level, about the increase in demand for IT profiles, which grew by 56% compared to the previous year. In relation to this last point, the situation changed considerably when it was found that job offers aimed at such profiles were not only in digitally native companies, but quite the opposite.

According to the same data provided by ISDI, in 2015 these digital companies accounted for 52% of the offers for technological profiles. However, in 2020 that figure dropped to 24%, which shows that companies that did not operate exclusively on the internet already controlled 76% of the demand. In other words, technological expansion has become more real than ever over time, something that, while reflected in demand, does not reap its fruits in the hiring of employees.

Thus, this problem in the search and recruitment of IT talent in Spain, originates in some of the most common mistakes made in the selection processes of the technological sector We proceed to indicate them below:

Exclusive search for keywords in resumes.

It is never recommended to discard a candidate based entirely on their CV. This is because it cannot be guaranteed that they do not really possess the necessary knowledge of the technologies to be handled.

Not providing rigorous feedback.

Every selection process must always be accompanied by feedback that helps candidates improve their professional level. This also has a positive impact on companies, as developers exchange experiences and advice among themselves, including when looking for work.

Not explaining projects and salaries in detail.

We must consider that IT profiles receive approximately an average of 24 job offers per month. Therefore, if we are unable to include technical information about the work modality, salary or required professional profile in them, they will be discarded at first.

Lack of diversity in the interview panel.

In an increasingly plural world, if IT professionals do not strive to ensure diversification, not only in their work teams, but also during their interview panels, they will give an inadequate impression to their candidates.

Omitting or overlooking the differential element of your company.

This is a more common (and serious) mistake than it seems, as many companies do not give enough value to the differentiation factor. If we are not able to highlight the corporate culture or the competitive benefits of the company, we will not be generating the desirable attractiveness in our search for talent.

Taking too long.

During the selection processes, time is of the essence, and taking too long to respond can cause candidates to lose interest. It is very important to simplify the process whenever possible (no more than 3 steps), especially if we contact senior profiles, which are usually the most in demand.

What are the solutions when hiring IT professional profiles?

To solve these problems, we have now prepared a small list with some basic keys if you want to recruit technological talent efficiently (and consequently promote the growth and success of both developers and our company in general).

Transparency: It is essential to promote clarity in all phases of the process and thus generate trust with the candidate.
Immediacy: To reduce selection times and thus save the candidate unnecessary waits.
Innovation: It is necessary to favor and promote the creation of innovative products and services.
Diversity and labor inclusion: It is crucial to invest on diversity when forming development teams, in order to mix talents and new perspectives.
Optimism: Positivity in any selection process reduces stress for both candidates and recruiters.
Productivity: With a view to reducing staff turnover and increasing benefits.

In summary, success in IT selection lies in the effective identification of the candidate’s qualities, accompanied of course by a methodology based on the IT sector experience. The specialization of professionals dedicated to selection in this area is vital in order to obtain the best results, and thus cover our corresponding job vacancies.

Therefore, we remind you that at New Tandem we are specialists in this sector, and we have extensive experience of more than 20 years that endorses us in the search and selection of IT talent. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.