Effective actions to hire tech talent
Currently, technology is inevitably linked to the strategy of companies and is fundamental to their viability and existence. The
difficulty in incorporating qualified profiles in IT areas is common to all companies, but why are some companies more successful
in this regard? Are they hiring and developing talent, while others are going through high levels of turnover and difficulties in
finding new profiles? Are committed professionals willing to join your projects?
This article sets out below the main actions to take into account when applying effective hiring policies. Each company is unique,
and so is each technological environment; therefore, we will have to adapt the strategies and actions that best suit us as a company.
Prepare a good job description in detail
Having a document prior to the beginning of the process that includes the skills required for the position may seem obvious, but on
many occasions, a search for a profile is started without taking into account something so essential and valuable.
What skills are necessary? What technologies will you work with in the position? What path will this position take over time? These are
questions that must be asked before undertaking any search. The more detailed the analysis, the better the results obtained.
The ideal is to prepare this description from the technical department itself together with the IT selection specialist who will be in
charge of searching for the profile in question.
Being able to clearly communicate the professional profile we are looking for not only facilitates and optimizes the research work, as
is logical, but also positions the company positively in the candidate market.
It is important to only include as essential technical requirements those that really are and, above all, value the general background
of the IT professional, since in technology no two projects are the same, and you have to look beyond everything that a talent can offer.
Specialized search: find your trusted partner
It is nothing new that the IT sector is one of the most complex in terms of recruiting tasks. The disparity between the job market and
the candidate market in terms of their availability makes specialization, truly understanding what profile is being sought, and
accompanying the client as a strategic supplier the keys. As a consequence of the evolution of the IT sector, it is increasingly
difficult to find professionals specializing in IT selection who really understand what we are looking for and find the profile we
need. Here, like choosing any supplier, it is best to try until you find the one that best suits your needs. Ask other companies
in the sector or request quotes from different specialized consultants.
In this sense, it is important to have a trusted partner who advises us both when preparing the job description and when establishing
a salary range and carrying out the search.
Transparency
In relation to the above, it is important to be clear about what budget we have as a company in terms of remuneration for that specific
IT vacancy. We are hiring in a very competitive sector where the complexity is the lack of candidates, and many times a range is not
established to be able to offer these professionals. Why does this happen? It is not because of an issue of trying to hide information
or lack of transparency, as many candidates indicate; it is simply that the company does not have a reference in this aspect, as it is
a sector with salary bands that are tremendously polarized and changing depending on the market moment.
For this reason, it is important to be advised by a specialized selection consultancy that can guide you regarding market salaries for
a specific profile in the IT field.
Offering a position with a specific salary range will help us optimize the selection process and generate better results, in addition
to positioning ourselves positively as an employer brand.
The key points that candidates demand are very simple and are three main aspects: what are the functions and technologies
of the position, what salary range the vacancy has, and what general conditions regarding teleworking and in-person presence have
been established. There are many more important details to discuss, of course; however, being clear about these three points will
help us find the best technological talent in the candidate market.
Adaptation to the demands of the candidate market
One of the most interesting aspects of analyzing why some companies take longer than others to fill their IT vacancies is the
adaptation to change and the demands of the candidate market.
In this sense, it is advisable to take into account which variables work in our favor when it comes to finding technological talent.
Do we have an interesting project? Do we have a good conciliation policy? Do we offer a career path or plan in the company? And from here,
try to assess in detail what more we can offer vs. what we are demanding as a company.
It took us months to fill an IT vacancy and unblock the situation.
First of all, it is advisable to analyze in detail the results of those months of work in searches and interviews with candidates.
Paying close attention to the reasons why they have rejected our offer will give us very valuable information when it comes to
unblocking the situation. What point can we make more flexible? Is there the possibility of offering 100% teleworking? Are we
requesting a profile for a lower salary than the market? Are we not transferring the details of the position to the candidates?
Does the selection process have too many tests or phases and is it poorly optimized? If we do the same thing for months without
getting results, let's not wait for them to arrive on their own at some point. Let's take a look and see what is in our power
and what we can adjust to expand the number of candidates interested in the position.
In these cases of blockage, when it comes to finding a specific professional for a technical department, many companies hire
several specialized selection consultancies to carry out the search, which, far from being a remedy, makes the matter worse.
We are talking about a small candidate market that is in itself a passive market in terms of job search, so carrying out these
practices will not be a good move—quite the opposite. It is much more effective, from an employer brand point of view, to entrust
the search to our strategic partner or trusted IT selection consultancy.
Use the tools that we have available and can implement, such as referral plans for company workers with associated recommendation
commissions, the promotion of internship agreement programs with universities and vocational training centers focused on certifications
and real training of specialists, and the internal recycling of the company's own internal staff through internal training and
certification plans, including listening to the workers themselves as a fundamental value of the company.
Conclusions
We are in a market that constantly evolves and changes; we cannot continue applying the same old hiring policies; we must optimize the
selection processes, and more so in specialized IT profiles.
Positioning ourselves as an employer brand, betting on technology, and investing in strategic partners are the basic keys to facing
moments of uncertainty.
Offering attractive selection processes, observing what actions are leading to hiring in competing companies, learning from the candidate
market, and listening to the data it gives us are important points that make the difference.
There are many tips for hiring personnel that we can list; however, each company will have to value its strengths and communicate to the
candidate everything it can offer. We are in a situation in which everything is communicated “without communicating," that is, our
actions speak for us. Let's put this into practice in the selection processes when we are hiring through actions that position
us in a highly complex market.
Optimization, data collection and analysis, flexibility of available variables, and adaptation are the keys.
Many aspects come into play when designing and implementing these actions, but experience has shown us that sowing (investment)
in this type of policy expands the possibilities of a harvest (results) of future quality in terms of contracting of IT personnel
already refers to the evolution of this in the company.
In your companies, what actions or policies do you carry out in your companies and teams to hire IT personnel?