There’s no doubt that the IT industry is on the fast track for growth. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), computer and information technology occupations have a projected growth of 11% from 2019 to 2029. It’s a vast industry and continues to add over half a million jobs in the U.S. alone.
With this in mind, it’s absolutely vital that you improve your hiring practices constantly, or else you risk getting left in the dust. Worry not; this article has what you need. Keep reading for some helpful advice on how to attract and hire top IT candidates.
TRY NOT TO PRIORITIZE CREDENTIALS OVER EXPERIENCE
A 2020 survey revealed that over 35% of developers consider themselves self-taught. Working in the IT industry requires skill, and there are plenty of self-taught IT candidates that are highly skilled and have excellent potential. However, some companies miss these skilled workers because they constantly look for candidates with tons of education or a bachelor’s degree.
Hands-on experience can often surpass skills learned in a traditional classroom. Reassess the educational requirements for your IT roles to avoid missing out on this top-notch workforce sector.
MAKE SURE THEIR SKILLS ALIGN WITH WHAT YOU NEED
Do not just skim a resume. Study each one multiple times if needed. Keep in mind that you’re reviewing a comprehensive summary of a candidate’s skills and credentials.
With IT being more of a skill-based industry, carefully note the portions in which a candidate details this information. You can also look at some modern resume tips to help you identify what to look for in a quality resume.
EXPAND YOUR SEARCH
One of the main factors affecting most no-hire scenarios is a lack of sufficient technical abilities. If you genuinely want to avoid these scenarios, the best thing to do is widen and expand your search.
Aside from posting to popular career sites, you can also tap into social media and occupation-specific online communities. For instance, an online community of developers and tech experts can be a massive help in attracting passive candidates.
TEST THEIR TECHNICAL ABILITIES
With applicants to any job, it can be challenging to measure a person’s actual capabilities. Looking at previous work, side projects, and portfolio lends insight into a candidate’s skills; however, trial work and sample tasks are most effective for evaluating IT professionals.
Trial periods and assigning sample tasks allow you to assess their ability to handle everyday duties and gauge their potential work performance. To choose the best candidate for the job, you must get a realistic assessment of their technical skills.
HIRE SOMEONE TO HELP SCREEN JOB APPLICATIONS
A lot of hiring managers often overlook this point, but it’s essential. Sometimes, recruiters and hiring managers unintentionally or unknowingly allow personal biases to affect the recruitment and hiring process. To avoid this, you can employ someone to sort resumes and select candidates objectively. An extra set of eyes is one of the best ways to eliminate unintentional influence and ensure the process is impartial.
HIRE WITH A LONG-TERM MINDSET
The success of your company heavily depends on a long-term outlook. Visualizing and striving to reach future milestones is vital.
First, look at what you hope to accomplish over the next quarter or next few years. Then, see how each candidate fits into that long-term picture. Recruiting and hiring with this practice will save you a lot of time and effort. Keep in mind that long-term employees are valuable assets of every company.
CREATE A CUSTOMIZED JOB POSTING
Do not simply recycle your old job post. Those who work in computer and technology-related fields fill specific roles and perform particular duties. You must ensure that each posting is accurate, concise, and appealing to potential applicants.
Your job description should clearly outline the required skills for the job. This will save you time and effort by reducing the number of irrelevant resumes.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Here are a few general tips for improving your hiring practices:
Make job descriptions gender-neutral
“Blind hiring” or gender-equal requirements in your recruitment practices goes a long way. It ensures no qualified candidates get excluded from the search. In fact, according to Zip Recruiter, by using gender-neutral wording, a job listing gets 42% more responses.
Include a salary range for the role.
Save your and your candidate’s time by including an expected salary range upfront. Job seekers can easily filter postings, and you’ll attract serious applicants.
Consider hiring internally first
Since long-term employees are your company’s best asset, it’s a good practice to advertise open roles from within before opening to external candidates. After all, your current employees already know how your system works and are familiar with your products and services.
Standardize interview questions
When you don’t have a standard flow to each interview, you are more likely to be biased. Having a standardized set of interview questions for all candidates will help you be more objective.
Don’t neglect references
Checking references should always be considered a critical part of your hiring process. References serve as the verification of your candidate’s performance in previous jobs and their character and integrity. Remember to consult them before making a job offer to prevent later regret or revoking the offer.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Don’t risk falling behind in the ever-changing IT world by neglecting to update and improve your hiring practices. A thorough and fair process benefits applicants and companies alike. Consider these tips to upgrade your methods, hire the best IT employees, and boost your overall success.
