Every IT manager understands all too well how competitive the industry has become in recent years. Competitive in terms of market share, absolutely – but also increasingly competitive when it comes to recruitment. With so many flourishing and well-connected tech employers out there, it can often become a daily struggle for hiring managers to get in touch with and onboard talented new employees. In order to attract star employees, it’s crucial for employers in the IT industry to retain a dynamic recruitment strategy and to market themselves and their employer brand appropriately.
This post will walk you through four easy tips that will help you to stand out in a tight tech market:
- Define the specific characteristics that define your ideal employee. You won’t be able to find a star candidate without first creating a profile of what a “star candidate” actually looks like. This will require more than merely listing out the technical skills and background experience that you’re looking for. Your ideal candidate will need to be a strong fit for your company’s culture as well, which means it will be necessary to define the personality traits that will be a prerequisite to success within a particular role.
- Look beyond the resume. Too often, employers will discredit a candidate whose resume does not meet certain criteria. While it’s certainly important to look for a candidate who is able to bring certain background experience and skills to the table, it can be counterproductive for managers to focus exclusively on “hard skills.” It’s much better – and it can lead to a successful hire more quickly – if hiring managers look beyond the resume to get a sense of a candidate’s personality; in other words, would they be a strong fit within the company culture as a whole? Social media and in-person interviews are great places to get started in this regard.
- Keep the ball rolling with communication. It’s not enough to get in touch with quality candidates and hope that they follow through with an application. In order to foster a candidate’s interest in a particular role and encourage them to apply, employers must take the initiative with prompt and continuous communication. In most cases, high-quality candidates will receive messages from recruiters and employers from all directions. In order to make your company stand out, you should always strive to be the one that follows up quickly, clearly, and personally. Delayed or automated responses are never good strategies for encouraging a candidate to apply.
- Partner with a professional staffing services company. In many cases, in-house recruiting and human resources departments do not have the time, resources, or connections to be able to locate and establish contact with high-quality IT candidates. Professional staffing services companies, on the other hand – such as those at Transcend Solutions– are specifically trained and equipped with the necessary tools to be able to identify, communicate with, and attract talented employees who might otherwise be overlooked.
At Transcend Solutions, we’re working with employers and candidates to forge meaningful and lasting professional connections. To learn more, contact us here.