Optimising technology and IT sector recruitment

The importance of IT sector recruitment is growing in line with companies’ increasing use of technology.

There is a definite skills shortage in technology, but it’s possible to find talented applicants with the right approach.

In this article, we’ll explore the latest IT sector recruitment trends, and the key traits to look for in candidates. We’ll also look at strategies to improve your process for hiring IT staff.

Technology and IT sector recruitment trends

Let’s make sure you’re aware of what’s happening in technology and IT today:

• IT was among the six fastest-growing UK industries in 2018
• UK IT sector job vacancies rose 19% month-on-month during October 2018
• 32% of European companies plan to increase IT staff numbers this year
• 89% of UK companies expect their IT budget to be maintained or grow during 2019 (Spiceworks)
• Improving outdated IT infrastructure is the biggest driver of budget increases, with larger businesses focusing on Cloud computing while smaller businesses focus on hardware (Spiceworks)
• 43% of IT professionals plan to leave their current employer in 2019, while 38% of UK IT staff want to find a new job (Computer World UK)
• 40% believe they’re due a raise from their employer, suggesting they feel undervalued (Computer World UK)
• The median salary for IT staff in 2018 was £33,000 – just over the national average for men (Instant Offices)
• Underserved IT sectors include tech development, telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing, public sector, retail, app development, the Internet of Things and AI

Key traits to look for in technology and IT staff

Next, you need to decide on the type of candidate you want to look for. Important traits for IT and technology staff include:

• Attention to detail (one erroneous connection or piece of coding could spell disaster)
• Patience to deal with complex tasks and non-tech-savvy individuals
• Willingness to learn about company systems and new technologies
• Ability to multitask and work within unusual time constraints (e.g. early mornings or after hours)
• Communication skills needed to translate complex tasks into accessible ideas
• Strong mathematical and analytical skills

Many other skills may be required for particular roles, but this list should be a good starting point.

Strategies for securing top technology and IT talent

Now you understand who you’re targeting, you need to develop a strategy to reach them. These are some of the IT sector recruitment techniques we recommend:

• Find them where they live – online – and, ensure all your digital recruitment resources are bug-free and intuitively laid out
• Involve your current IT staff in developing your recruitment strategy, and invite them to attend interviews to ask important technological questions as and when needed
• Embrace gamification by setting an interactive challenge
• Promote any advanced or unique technological systems they’ll get to work with
• Discuss the degree of autonomy they’re likely to have
• Work with universities to promote careers in IT and technology
• Offer entry-level internships

By pursuing some of these strategies, you can put your company on the map. This should help you secure the talent you need.

Gain the insight you need to hire technology and IT staff by contacting our expert team.