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By Katherine Spencer Lee
Question from CIOs: We're finding it ever more difficult to locate quality candidates to fill IT positions, be they developers, network administrators or systems administrators. We've tried everything, from job boards to college recruiting to promoting from within. It still seems like it takes too long to fill openings. In some cases, positions stay open for months as we wait to find suitable candidates to interview. What do you recommend to ease our recruitment woes?
You're not alone in finding the current hiring environment a challenging one. In a recent survey by Robert Half Technology, CIOs said it takes an average of 56 days to fill staff-level positions and 87 days to bring new managers on board. That's a long time to wait while projects pile up and backlogs grow. The strong demand for IT professionals, particularly those with hard-to-find skill sets and industry knowledge, is prompting many companies to devote greater resources and ingenuity to their recruitment efforts.
To meet the challenge, IT executives need to take a fresh look at their recruiting processes. Here are some approaches you should consider to help ensure your firm maintains a healthy pipeline of candidates:
Anticipate Future Needs: Waiting until you have a job opening to hire may be too late to secure the best candidates. Plan ahead for positions in which you foresee vacancies due to turnover, large workloads or upcoming expansion plans. Though it requires forethought, this approach also ensures you have the right talent on board if a large or unexpected project hits.
Think of Everyone as a Recruiter: Recruiting is not just a human resources function. Every member of your team who meets with a client, attends an industry event or socializes with other IT practitioners after work interacts with individuals who have the potential to be a future asset to your organization. You don't necessarily need to wave a "we're hiring" sign every time you're near potential candidates to attract them. Often, simply talking about your company and sharing your expertise at industry functions can build interest from prospective applicants.
Encourage employees to cultivate these contacts and keep them in the back of their minds as prospective recruits. If your company already offers a referral bonus, consider increasing the amount you give for candidates with the most in-demand skill sets.
Consider Recruiting a Public Relations Function: Building buzz or a positive reputation for your company is an effective way of increasing interest in your firm and ensuring job seekers view your organization as an employer of choice. Start by increasing your company's visibility. For example, you might request to deliver a presentation about careers in IT to a local student association or talk about the challenges your firm has faced with a particular application at a user group meeting. Writing articles for local technology publications or organizations, or making yourself available for interviews with members of the trade media, also can generate inquiries from IT professionals.
At the same time, you shouldn't neglect more traditional public relations avenues. If your IT team is doing something noteworthy—sponsoring the upgrade of a nonprofit organization's computer network and managing the implementation, for instance—let the media know. The more people hear of your company, the more interest you stand to gain from job seekers.
And don't forget the little things that can help your firm stand out from the crowd. For example, job seekers prefer a transparent hiring process where they are kept informed of their progress. Responding with an e-mail or postcard to those who submitted resumes, and following up with applicants who you interviewed but did not hire, leaves candidates with a good feeling about your company. This kind of positive association can generate beneficial word-of-mouth—one of the best kinds of PR.
Focus on entry-level employees: IT professionals with extensive experience are in particularly short supply. They can be difficult to recruit, especially for organizations with tight budgets. One solution is to focus on retaining promising entry-level employees—who are easier to hire—and offering them the potential to advance their careers and make substantial contributions to your company over the long term.
Once you've identified promising employees, make sure they understand you have a career path in mind for them. Emphasize that your firm intends to invest in their future and give them the opportunity to build their skills and experience by allowing them to work on rewarding projects.
There's no getting around the fact that hiring skilled IT talent can be a significant challenge. But by incorporating new approaches into your recruitment mix, you'll be better positioned to attract capable staff.
Katherine Spencer Lee is executive director of Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis. Robert Half Technology has more than 100 locations in North America, South America, Asia and Europe, and offers online job search services at www.rht.com.
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