How IT Talent is Leveraging a Tight Market: Part 1

Jeff AplinMay 19, 2020

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And what it means for your hiring opportunities.

In the world of IT hiring, the market has shifted in recent years. Where once programmers and developers, engineers and analysts were plentiful, there are now far fewer qualified workers in specific segments of the industry.

That’s good for the workers who have the right skills, but if you’re a hiring manager in this market, you’re going to need to up your game to attract the top talent. And the market could get even tighter, with the addition of a new reality for everyone around the world: COVID-19.

IS THERE AN UPSIDE TO CORONAVIRUS, FOR TECHNOLOGY WORKERS AND COMPANIES?

As more companies move people to WFH (working from home), the need for the right technology to facilitate this is ever more pressing. WFH could in fact become the new normal, rather than the exception, even when this pandemic is over.Small firms and startups in their early stages of growth may cut back their hiring but if their ultimate product or service is something that will see a demand uptick in these unprecedented times, there could be a need to increase hiring in certain segments of the IT industry.

The surge in demand for online services, for the millions of people who are isolating for example, creates opportunities for software/app developers and engineers. Shifts in what manufacturers are creating could bring about a need for more AI development, as well as machine learning, to automate the production of many goods, starting with personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers.

SHIFTING NEEDS AND DEMANDS

In a bid to be ever more attractive to hiring managers, the top IT talent are taking this new reality in stride and shifting their attention to industry verticals that will likely experience growth. They can read the market as well as anyone and they know that they will, at some point, be in demand.

So what’s a hiring manager to do, to attract the talent your company needs?

 

  • Polish your image — if your company’s brand image isn’t polished to perfection, you’ll have a harder time attracting top talent.

Companies like Google, for example, have a great image as being innovators; that’s why they receive millions of applications per year. You might not be Google, but you can make sure that there are aspects to your company’s brand that are enticing:

 

  • Make sure your company values and vision are front and center in everything you do. It will give candidates a stronger sense of what you stand for and if their values are aligned with yours.
  • What are your unique selling propositions? Just like attracting new clients, attracting top talent means clarifying why you are a better choice than your competition.
Keep in mind that an in-demand candidate is very often not just looking at the money when choosing where to work. Location, work/life integration and other factors are also valuable to candidates. Ultimately, most people want to know that they are going to be engaged in interesting work that matters, that their contribution will be welcomed and valued, and that they are offered opportunities to grow.
This blog is part 1 in a 2-part series on Building your Tech Workforce: Attracting Top IT Talent.

Photo by You X Ventures on Unsplash

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