This will come as no surprise—it’s getting harder and harder to find qualified IT talent. The unemployment rate in the tech sector has reached an historic low at 1.3%1. And the situation is projected to get worse, creating a perfect storm for staffing in the IT industry. LinkedIn predicts that, by 2020, the technology, media and communications industry will be short 1.1 million workers globally. By 2030, that deficit might reach 4.3 million2.
One solution organizations are using to combat this growing talent crisis is Agile Staffing—leveraging a blend of full-time hires, part-time staff, contractors, consultants, and freelancers to fill in the gaps. And the key way to find these resources is in partnership with specialized IT talent acquisition firms who have an ongoing cache of candidates ready to fill positions quickly.
It’s critically important to find the right partner for your IT talent needs. Here are four key questions to ask as you source the right fit for your business.
1. Will you match candidates to our culture and requirements (not just the job description)?
Savvy recruiters who understand the technical needs of your company are great, but are performing only half the job. Make sure your provider is finding the right fit for your culture, environment, functional requirements, and business style.
2. Are consultants given excellent benefits, including healthcare and field support?
Make sure your provider is offering good health care and wellness benefits, not only to retain great talent, but also to furnish the support necessary for employees to stay focused on the mission at hand. Adding an extra layer of field support in the form of a Consultant Care Specialist/Resource Manager helps to keep on-site consultants satisfied and connected to their firm.
3. Can you adapt to our business needs with flexible contractor and contract-to-hire structures?
Your IT talent provider should deliver flexibility and various options around contractor and contract-to-hire (permanent placement) services. This way you can “try before you buy” and pre-screen candidates on the job before making a long-term commitment and employment offer.
4. Will you partner with us to achieve our business objectives and pipeline talent in advance of our project needs?
Your talent provider should understand your business, culture, initiatives, and talent needs. They need the proper foresight to proactively build a pipeline based on your forecasted projects, business initiatives, timing, and hiring needs. Talent augmentation is supposed to improve results and increase value. But if talent is not properly aligned to your strategic business objectives, it’s often difficult to derive the full value and demonstrate business results.
While it’s true the forecast for IT talent looks daunting, all is not lost. Those who pursue creative and diverse methods for finding talent and partner with a strong IT talent provider like Celerity will have a stronger foothold moving forward. For further information, contact us or download our report, A Perfect Storm: Navigating The IT Talent Crisis in 2020 and Beyond.