Your new technology initiative has been approved and you’re ready to ramp up the project team with new talent. But why are you experiencing delays in hiring additional staff? Very simply, the ready supply of qualified tech professionals has dried up.
At 2.2 percent, the IT unemployment rate is at its lowest point this decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unlike several years ago when there was a large pool of laid off technical workers in the wake of the dot-com collapse, it is now a difficult challenge to source qualified talent, much less the highly sought top level of the skills scale.
Thus, companies are forced to compete again for top technical talent. Although demand versus the supply of talent has not reached the extremely high ratio of the late 1990s, salaries and pay rates are rising and, no less important, time to hire is slowing. What then can hiring managers do to bring on new workers without delaying projects or exceeding budgets?
Speed is Essential
A proven strategy is to streamline the hiring process for speed, but without sacrificing key steps necessary to ensure quality hires.
Don’t assume that you’re the only employer a candidate may be considering. Talented professionals always have a choice. A delay of even a day or two can open the door for competitors to move in with competing offers. Hiring managers must be prepared to act quickly upon project or budget approval to avoid potential delays at the hiring end and then move fast once they have finalized their hiring choices.
Staffing firms or outside recruiters can expedite the process through their extensive databases of current candidates. A top staffing firm will present you with qualified resumes of pre-screened candidates within 24 to 48 hours. Their services should include preliminary interviews to gauge candidate qualifications, interest level, and fit for your organization’s business culture.
Compelling Job Description
Although speed has become essential, you should still take measures to ensure quality hiring decisions.
Start by developing an accurate and compelling description of the open position. The purpose is two-fold: 1) to describe the position to potential candidates and 2) to get them excited about your organization.
The better you describe the position and its benefits, the better your ultimate hire. A well put together job description also serves as a tool during the interview process because it will help you to compare each candidate on an equal basis.
Rather than comparing candidates to each other, compare the candidates you are most interested in to your specific job opening and the skills and experience you’ve already identified that are needed to be successful. It’s a more direct approach and will result in the best decision.
Realistic Skills Requirements
Be reasonable with your requirements. Core skills are certainly required for the position, but don’t make the mistake of hiring the wrong person just because they have the right skills. Your focus should be to hire the right person. Technical skills can be acquired through training and additional experience. Your best hire may be a candidate who has a great attitude, strong work ethic, excellent communication skills, or other intangibles, even if they don’t have all the exact skills you need.
For example, you’ve found someone that has the core Java skills you need but they lack experience with specific development tools that you feel are important. Putting this one exception aside, this is your top candidate. Obviously, if you can find somebody with exactly what you want in the same timeframe, that’s the ideal situation. But the world isn’t always perfect.
Be creative. Can you train the candidate on this missing piece? Can you shift project assignments within your team to give this person time to master new technical skills? If you’re using a recruiting firm, they also may be able to provide some assistance with training to expedite the ramp-up time. Bottom line, get the right person first.
Impressions Count
Why would someone want to work at your company? Ask yourself this question because you can bet your candidates will be asking themselves the same thing.
Start with the reasons that were important in your own employment decision. Are there special perks or benefits unique to your company? Is your company’s culture something you can sell? Do you like to work there because of the people, the team, the technology, the professional growth opportunities?
Articulate what you have to offer and don’t assume the applicant knows. Even if they have already reviewed this information on your Web site, it becomes more real if you talk about it in your own words.
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