Information technology professionals are in high demand in Canada.
The recruitment market is very competitive, and the labour market outlook isn’t getting any better for employers. By 2019, it’s projected that there won’t be enough homegrown IT talent to fill available jobs. Since IT professionals are in such high demand, they can choose between many job opportunities.
This is good news for people working in IT. However, it can make life difficult for managers who need to recruit IT employees. How can you recruit IT workers for your projects when the market is so competitive?
You need an essential guide to hiring engineers. Here are some tips for recruiting IT talent in this competitive market.
Use Your Company Culture
Company culture is essentially the personality of a company. Every company has a culture, even though it can sometimes be hard to identify. Company culture includes things like the company’s mission, work environment, values, and expectations. IT professionals can afford to be picky about company culture since they’re in such high demand.
As an IT manager, you don’t have much control over the overall culture of the company. However, you can make your team’s culture more attractive. Today’s employees value things like a collaborative work culture, a flexible work schedule, and a mentor-like relationship with their bosses. Highlight your strengths in these areas in your job ads to attract candidates.
Offer Interesting Challenges
Since IT professionals are in demand, they get the opportunity to choose the jobs that sound the most interesting to them. In this competitive market, there’s no reason for talented employees to be bored at work. They want to be challenged. They want to do work that’s important and that can grow their skills.
During interviews with candidates, emphasize the interesting challenges they’ll get to solve. You can also discuss some of the interesting work your team has done in the past. The opportunity to solve complicated problems and do exciting work makes your company more attractive.
Prioritize Continuous Learning
Talented IT professionals don’t want their skills to become stagnant. They want to continue learning and improving. This keeps them at the top of their field. If one job offers opportunities for continuous learning, but another doesn’t, they may choose the former. To recruit IT employees, prioritize continuous learning and professional development on your team.
Continuous learning doesn’t have to be a complicated or expensive process. It can be as simple as providing work-related reading material for employees to read during office hours. It can also include individually coaching employees to help them maximize their potential. Training programs or classes, as well as conferences and seminars, if you have the budget for them, can also be very attractive to candidates.
Make Offers Quickly
Have you ever made offers to IT candidates, only for them to say they’d already accepted other offers? As the old saying goes, “if you snooze, you lose.” Your favourite candidates could be interviewing with a few other companies at the same time. If you’re not fast enough, another company could hire them first.
When you’re sure a candidate is perfect for your team, don’t wait. Make a strong offer right away. Of course, this only applies to candidates you’re sure you want to hire. Don’t rush to make offers to mediocre candidates.
Get Help from a Recruitment Agency
If you’re struggling to recruit IT employees for your team, consider working with a technical recruitment agency. Recruitment agencies can source IT professionals for your team. Since they already have networks of professionals, they can find talented employees for your team quickly.
Recruiters can even find candidates who aren’t actively looking for new positions. These people are already employed, but they can be lured away for the right opportunity. It’s hard for managers to find these people without help.
For more information read our other blogs around this topic:
Why Leadership Is a Key IT Skill
The Invisible Industry Looking for 1.4 Million New Workers
4 Simple Tips to Take Your Project Staffing to the Next Level
