Let’s face it; the employment span from 2009–2012 was nothing short of painful, especially for technology professionals. Supply was plentiful, and salaries were negotiable. Referral and sign-on bonuses quickly became a thing of the past, and companies had the luxury of interviewing 10–15 candidates before they made a decision. Since then, the market has shifted drastically, and it’s time to change your recession way of thinking when it comes to hiring technical talent if you want to stay on top of your game.
Everywhere in the U.S. right now, the supply for IT talent is low, and demand is very high. There’s a virtual race on to find talent for IT positions, such as developers, network administrators, as well as desktop, ERP, VMware, and Cisco engineers. That’s why I’ve put together a list of tips that can help you find the right IT professionals for your staff.
- Rethink your technical salaries: A year ago, you could find a .NET developer to hire in the $70K salary range or a network engineer for $80K. Today, that salary snapshot is quite different. Mid-level developers, on the whole, are asking for a minimum of $85K and network engineers for $90K. You’ll need to readjust your salary offers to meet current market trends. Our Connection staffing experts continuously track salary ranges, and we’ll let you know how to stay competitive.
- Shorten your time to hire: You no longer have the luxury to interview 10 or more candidates for a position before making your decision. Candidates can have multiple job offers within a week’s time. Use your time wisely, and don’t delay. You’re not the only organization looking for that skillset, and someone else could snatch your candidate away if you don’t make a move.
- Don’t discount contract work: Many talented IT professionals could not find permanent positions in the recession period, so they kept busy by working multiple temporary positions. Don’t hold this against them. If the candidate successfully completed each project, then see this as a strength. They gained many new talents, worked in all types of environments, and no doubt have a lot of insights to share. Just because they worked temporary positions during a tough time does not mean that they weren’t seeking a permanent position – it just wasn’t available.
- Get creative: In this market, you can’t afford to be super choosey or try to combine multiple skillset positions into one (I’d like a .NET developer who can also be my Linux Admin). Hiring managers have to be creative – try candidates you wouldn’t normally approach, and be open to less traditional skillsets or different personalities. It now takes a company an average of 12 weeks or more to fill a position – you definitely don’t want to prolong that period.
- Budget beyond salary: We strongly recommend that you consider – and budget for – relocation, referral bonuses, and performance bonuses again. If you want to attract top talent in your organization, this is what you’re up against in the marketplace. A majority of technical positions have year-end performance bonus plans – do you?
- Consult with experts: In today’s market, you might struggle to find the right IT talent if you rely solely on your internal recruiting team. Our staffing experts will expand your networking capabilities and provide the necessary market information to find the right candidate for your position. It’s more important than ever to have a strong IT staffing partner to assist you in any contract, contract-to-hire, or permanent need you may have. At Connection, we do this all day, every day. We’re here to help!
Is your organization ready to shorten the path to hiring the best IT talent? To learn more about our Staffing Services at Connection, give us a call.
