Article Contributed by Sia Hasan
Every entrepreneur understands that IT is a core part of any business given the world’s consumers live in today. It is for the same reason that IT courses have become wildly sought after. There is no shortage of talent in the IT industry, but the issue is finding the right ones for your company. For entrepreneurs lacking tech skills, deciding who is worthy and who is not can make recruitment more than a bit challenging. There is also the fierce competition for other recruiters who are looking to create great teams to foster growth. What should you remember when on the hunt for IT talent?
Get Your Profiles Right
The type of IT talent needed for your organization will depend on what you do. Before you start sifting through applications, build a profile of the kind of professionals you require on your tech team. For example, if you manage an ecommerce business, you will have to establish an IT support team to ensure the site is always up. If it’s a tech startup, then you may have to get a blend of IT experts from developers to designers. Evaluate your operations carefully and pinpoint every expertise necessary to carry out the different functions. With your team a profile in hand, you will have a less complicated time narrowing down applicants.
Learn Salary Trends
If you are to beat the competition by recruiting the best people for your IT department, be aware of salary patterns. Educating yourself on what other companies are paying their IT talent gives you a ballpark figure to work with. You can avoid offering lower than average compensations to candidates. Factor in other elements like where an applicant resides and the living standards in that region. Such information will also prevent you from tying yourself to an inflated salary package that you may not be capable of sustaining.
Availability
Another aspect of strategic IT staffing is finding a team that will not have a problem providing their services at odd hours. Some IT complications arise unexpectedly, and you have to be certain that your company has at least one worker who is ready to provide solutions. Depending on the type of work you handle, you may need to provide IT support around the clock. When hiring, inform candidates of this aspect so that they know what to expect.
Expand Your Horizons
Your search for IT talent does not have to be restricted geographically. Skilled IT experts have become a rare commodity across the globe and companies are not beyond sourcing workers from other areas. You can easily find the right people to build your team as you grow their skills within the company. Some entrepreneurs invest in campus recruitment programs to tap IT talent before the competition. If your organization can afford it, you can entice foreign students to move locally and work for you.
Vetting
When you don’t have the technical know-how, keep someone who does around to help with the vetting process. Don’t spend time interviewing and recruiting the wrong candidates for your enterprise. A professional with relevant experience can assist in weeding out the unsuitable choices, thus saving you resources. Such an expert is also useful in identifying the required skills to fill the available positions.
Retaining Your IT Staff
Strategic staffing is not just about getting the appropriate people to work for you but keeping them in the company. Millennials have the highest employee turnover of any generation. For every ten millennials, six are open to new job opportunities. It means that if your staff consists of a high number of fresh graduates and professionals under 35, then you must find ways to keep them engaged at the workplace. Focus on motivating your younger employees so that they can develop a passion for their jobs.
IT improves efficiency when conducting business operations, hence the need to have the best people working on providing it. Find ways to recruit talent that aligns with your company’s bottom-line. Additionally, be an employer that attracts the right kind of IT professionals by building an enterprise that provides growth opportunities.