Onboarding IT Staff in 2022 – What You Need To Know

Onboarding IT Staff in 2022 – What You Need To Know

Onboarding IT staff correctly is one of the foundation building blocks in ensuring success when it comes to hiring. Often an area that is daily overlooked, it’s time that things changed! With the IT staff shortage reaching all areas of IT, businesses are starting to invest more in recruitment and retention. So don’t let your hiring process fall at the final hurdle. Our team share their top tips for onboarding IT staff in 2022.

But first, let’s share 2 key stats so that you can see why this is so important.

Here’s our Top 3 Tips for Onboarding IT Staff

Don’t wait until day 1

We’ve all been there. Working your notice period can be a lonely place to be. Plus, with the market being flooded with jobs as it is at the moment, it’s a vulnerable time for all. If you’ve secured a strong candidate, don’t then lose them for the sake of a few emails or calls. Keeping in touch with your new starter during their notice period is vital. Why not use this time to start to introduce them to their team? An email to make an introduction is enough, but you can take it further too. Arranging a virtual lunch with their teammates over Zoom or Team is a great way to make them feel involved before joining. Failing that, reach out to them on LinkedIn and ask their colleagues to do the same.

At Langley James, we pride ourselves on our exceptional levels of customer service. To both our clients and our candidates. That’s why, if you recruit with us, we will be in touch with your new hire each week during their notice period. This helps to alleviate any fears, answer any questions and to generally support them through their notice.

The art of storytelling when onboarding IT staff

It’s another hot topic in the employment market – employees like to join companies with shared values. And whilst their values will have felt aligned during the interview process, it’s important to share the story again when onboarding IT staff. You want your new hire to be professionally invested in your company. You want them to feel a sense of belonging and a sense of achievement. What purpose do you have as a company? Keep this at the forefront when designing your onboarding process. What exciting projects have you already been involved in, or, what do you have in the pipeline. Engaging your new hires with captivating stories about your company will make their first week an exciting one.

new staff member

Set them up for success

Thinking that spending 10 minutes with your new hire on forms and formalities is enough is a mistake. It always takes time for a new hire to settle in. However, this has, in some cases, been further exacerbated by hybrid working. it can take longer for them to get into the team culture, establish a routine and understand new processes. Your role is to make their first few weeks as easy as possible. With lots of people spending so much time alone over the last couple of years, some may not have the confidence they used to. Make sure that they know where to turn if they have a problem. Let them know about lunch arrangements and even arrange for them to have a lunch buddy for the first week. Whilst this may not be necessary for more senior hires, it will certainly make a difference for more junior and mid-level roles.

About Langley James

We live and breathe everything IT. We know that market and know what it takes to attract the very best IT talent. Why not work with us on your next IT vacancy and experience the difference of working with a specialist who really does know the market. Get in touch with our expert recruiters today and let’s help you to recruit someone worth recruiting.

3 Tips to Attract IT Talent in 2022

3 Tips to Attract IT Talent in 2022

To attract IT talent is becoming harder. With current vacancies in the UK at record levels – 62.5% higher than pre-pandemic – the power is firmly in the hands of the candidates. Coupled with a general supply of candidates, it’s the perfect storm! However, there is some great IT talent out there, it’s just a case of attracting them to your role.

Our team share their top tips to help you to attract IT talent in 2022.

What’s your elevator pitch to attract IT talent?

People are no longer looking for a job. They are looking for a sense of purpose and something that resonates with their own personal values. Therefore, simply writing a job spec that’s a list of requirements simply won’t cut it in today’s jobs market. It’s a medically proven fact that our happiness depends on many things in life, but one in particular is alignment. What we do has to align with our values to make us truly happy in our work. Now, you don’t have to be saving the world, one mouse click at a time! But what values does your company represent? It’s critical to understand what your ‘target market’ are looking for and what appeals to them. With candidates still feeling some trepidation when it comes to moving jobs, you need to give them a reason to move.

Know your market

Are you going to market with the same job, same salary, same location as you were 2 years ago? Times have changed and if you haven’t kept up, then it’s likely you’ll be disappointed when it comes to hiring. Unless you are really able to offer something truly attractive; like the latest technology, flexible working, career development etc. it’s unlikely that you’ll attract IT talent at the level you need to. So, unless your IT role isn’t urgent, we strongly advice that you research the market, or ask an experienced recruiter for their insight. We understand that it’s not always possible to simply offer a higher salary. Although, you always need to know how far off the mark you are. So instead, you may have to drop some of the requirements from the essential list. Speak to our team today to get all the insight you need.

attract IT Talent

Is your recruitment process right to attract IT talent?

A drawn-out recruitment process is a problem. It’s as simple as that! In a market that is saturated with jobs, time is of the essence if you want to attract the best. There’s a popular phrase in the sales world – ‘time kills all deals’ and the same is true when it comes to recruitment. If your process is longer than 2 weeks, then it’s too long! Candidates will go elsewhere, and it will take you a lot longer to complete the process – sometimes over 3 months! So take a look at your process and decide if it’s still fit for purpose. Work with a recruiter that can work within your timescales, and you’ll soon have that IT role filled.

How we can help

We live and breathe everything IT. We know that market and know what it takes to attract the very best IT talent. Why not work with us on your next IT vacancy and experience the difference of working with a specialist who really does know the market. Get in touch with our expert recruiters today and let’s help you to recruit someone worth recruiting.

The Contest for IT Talent Continues

The Contest for IT Talent Continues

IT talent has always been in high demand, but no more so than right now! We are now at the point where many companies are chasing the same scarce talent. Therefore, we are seeing double-digit pay increases in some areas of IT. But where does it end? And what about the companies that are unable to pay inflated salaries? What happens to them?

We’ve researched the current IT jobs market to find ways to enable you to recruit someone worth recruiting, without having to pay 6 figures salaries.

IT Talent Most in Demand

According to data from CIO.com, the 10 most in-demand tech jobs for this year are –

  • Database Administrator / Architect
  • Information Security Analyst
  • Software Developer
  • Network & Computer Systems Administrator
  • Computer Programmer
  • Web Developer
  • Information Systems Manager
  • Systems Analyst
  • Helpdesk / Desktop Support
  • Network / Cloud Architects

And we are hearing the same reports from the job boards too. Of the hardest job titles to fill, 8 out of 20 are in the IT sector and are remaining vacant no the job boards for 3 months+.  Again, not terribly helpful if you have an urgent IT job to fill.

But this could be a double-edged sword for many companies. Not only are you trying to secure the best candidates (and paying more for them!), but your own teams are also asking for pay rises due to inflation, or even worse, they are offered a considerable increase to move to another company. You then have a decision to make. Is it cheaper to agree a higher salary to keep hold of them? Whilst this does work in some cases, over 80% of people still move on within 6 months of accepting a counter offer. So, think carefully before you react to any resignations.

IT talent

Shorten Your Time to Hire IT Talent

Is your recruitment process preventing you from securing the best talent? Candidate expectations are changing and to secure the best IT talent, you need to shorten your interview process to just 1 or 2 stages. These stages also ideally need to be remote so that the candidates can fit them into their day. You can always invite the candidate in to receive the job offer at the end of the process. But don’t let a 2- or 3-week interview process stop you from achieving your business goals. Here’s our advice on timescales –

  • CV Feedback – 24 hours maximum. Ideally same day.
  • 1st interview – within 2 days of receiving CV. Ideally remote
  • 2nd interview – if absolutely necessary within 1-2 days of 1st interview
  • Offer – within 24 hours of final interview

Whilst sticking to these timescales doesn’t guarantee that you’ll secure your first-choice candidate, it does give you a better chance. However, it also means that you are less likely to be wasting your time on interviews that candidates are quickly going to withdraw from.

Purpose Before Profit

Do you have a company mission? What is it that your business does that helps others? IT talent, especially younger candidates are very selective about who they work for. If an in-demand candidate receives 3 equal job offers, there decision is likely to be based on your purpose. Gone are the days of wanting to work for a ‘growth-at-all-costs’ company. For some companies there is a clear mission. One that can easily be communicated to candidates at interview. However, there are companies that need to be a little more creative when it comes to communicating their mission. Take a look at yours and make sure it’s fit for purpose before interviewing.

How Langley James can help you to secure the best IT talent

Not all recruiters are the same! It’s important to choose carefully who you work with, especially in times of a skills shortage. You don’t want a recruiter who just posts your roles on a jobs board. We’ve shown above that this is no longer the answer! The superstar IT candidates are not to be found in advert response. They are the candidates on databases, in recruiters’ networks, and recommendations. So be sure to ask the right questions of your recruiter next time you are hiring IT talent. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have, show you testimonials and even put you in touch with our clients. Just ask – we are here to help.

Recruiting Facts and Stats for 2022

Recruiting Facts and Stats for 2022

Recruiting over the last 12 months has been an interesting ride. Remote working, skills shortages and record numbers of vacancies has all had an impact. But as we creep ever closer to the end of 2021, what will next year bring?  We’ve scoured the market to find the most important recruiting facts and stats you need to know for 2022.

More than 76% of UK professionals intend to look for a new job in 2022 (CV Library)

The great resignation is set to continue into 2022, so it really is time to be prepared! Looking after your current team must be high on your priorities or you may spend most of the first half of 2022 interviewing replacements. The top 5 reasons that candidates want to move from their current job are –

  • 42.1% want or need a career change
  • 41.3% are looking for a higher salary
  • 40.7% have delayed changing jobs due to the pandemic – they are now ready to move
  • 38.9% are looking for more flexible work options
  • 33.2% are experiencing burnout in their current job

working from home

Flexible working has changed the face of recruiting

To be able to attract and retain some of the best IT talent, most companies are now offering flexible working, but that’s not all. How we work how we interview, how we hire and how we onboard have changed. So, here’s what to expect for 2022

  • 86% of workers want to continue to work remotely at least part time (Glassdoor)
  • Candidates are willing to sacrifice up to 12% of salary for flexible or hybrid working
  • 61% of candidates expect video interviews to become the norm for 1st stage interviews
  • 73% of companies plan to increase freelance or contract hires in 2022. However, except to pay more! Nearly 90% of businesses have been forced to increase contractor rates since April 2021.

Candidate expectations

The power is most definitely with the candidate now. The skills shortage has made sure of that. But when it comes to recruiting the best candidates, there are some things that you need to be aware of –

  • 49% of candidates have declined a job offer due to a poor recruitment experience (be sure to partner with a reputable recruitment agency like Langley James instead!)
  • Company diversity is important to over 75% of candidates
  • If you have a reputable brand, you are likely to receive as many as 50% more qualified applications
  • 84% of job seekers use social media for their job search

How to make sure your recruiting plans for 2022 are right

According to LinkedIn, the average time to hire in IT is 44 days. So even if you start to recruit the minute you return from your no doubt well-deserved Christmas break, you’re looking to March for your new starter to join. And if the predictions are right, this process could be set to take even longer next year. This where you need a recruitment partner that you can trust. Someone who can research the market for you and make recommendations to ensure you attract the very best IT professionals. We have been helping companies to recruit IT staff for over 20 years. We’d love to do the same for you. Get in touch with our experienced team today and find out why so many people choose Langley James as their IT recruitment partner.

Top 3 Chief Technology Officer Interview Questions

Top 3 Chief Technology Officer Interview Questions

Top 3 Chief Technology Officer Interview Questions

What is the Chief Technology Officer? 

A Chief Technology Officer (CTO), sometimes known as a chief technical officer or chief technologist, is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupation is focused on the scientific and technological issues within an organisation. 

Salary research specialist PayScale says popular skills for Chief technical officers, include expertise in software architecture, leadership, IT management, product development, and project management. However, Chief technical officers are increasingly praised for their knowledge of pioneering areas of technology, such as digital products, technical vision, and research and development (R&D).

Indeed, most hiring managers know they have to look beyond a job candidate’s technical qualifications when staffing for a Chief technical officer role. To get this kind of insight, businesses need to come up with a set of thoughtful interview questions to ask top candidates. Likewise, candidates need to understand what types of questions will be expected of them when they apply for a Chief Technical officer job role. 

In order to help provide insight into the types of questions which will determine whether a candidate has the appropriate skills and knowledge for your business, here is a list of the top 3 must ask Chief Technology interview questions. 

1) What experience do you  have working with developers?

When Contrary to popular beliefs, not all Chief technology officer candidates have a working knowledge of managing software development projects, and those that do will have their own personal styles and approaches to overseeing team operations – whether it be from a distance or having a hands-on approach. 

Answers to this question will provide the company with insights into your management styles and how this accordingly fits with their expectations. As for the company hiring, this interview question is extremely important to render whether this candidate’s style of management fits in with the existing practices and norms in place within the business. 

For the Employer: 

Analyse their previous work managing development teams and the specific examples of leading successful development projects. 

For the Candidate:

In order to answer this common interview question accordingly, it is advantageous to cite your previous role and experience managing development teams. Provide specific examples and the overall outcome of these projects in order for them to gauge your approach. You should consider what skills you have brought to the table and how effectively you managed the team to stay on task and get the job complete. Do you have a developing background, if so, did you actively participate in the developing process?

Example: “I come from a web-developing background, so I like to take a hands-on approach with my development team managers to stay in the loop with the ongoings of the project and provide assistance when required”. 

2) What experience do you have with software development or programming languages? 

The role of a Chief Technical officer differs from company to company. There are several types of Chief Technical officers and typically, the software development companies choose the one that perfectly aligns with their business needs and objectives. The most dominant Chief Technical officers in the field are technical and operational. 

  • Technical Chief Technical officers are considered to be programmers. They will have a vast knowledge of software development and experience knowledge in programming, software architecture design and cloud-based infrastructure configuration. 
  • Operational Chief Technical officers are those who do not have any coding background knowledge or experience. Their skills revolve around finance, mentoring,  project management and so forth.  

Consequently,  candidates who are from a technical Chief technical offices background will most likely have had experience managing their IT departments and take a more hands-on approach. A Chief technical officer from management or operational background will often leave details to their managers. Thus, asking this interview question enables you to gauge these issues. 

For the Employer:

 Look for their interests in the technical details of information technology and the candidate’s ability to articulate and confidently respond to the question. Personal side projects with appropriate examples are also important responses to suss whether their skills and experience is admirable for your business practices. 

For the Candidate: 

If you have taken a technical leadership type of approach in your previous job role, discuss your appreciation of utilising tools and technologies. Usually a software development company requires the CTO to have appropriate knowledge of creating an MVP which is expected to roll out in the target market. Discuss your ability to coach, mentor, train and support your staff in previous projects, sharing your experience knowledge to help those novices in the team easily adopt company culture. 

Answering from an operational perspective, mention distinct examples of when you have worked with teams using software development or programming languages, establishing a strategy and managing the development process in the best possible way. 

Example: ‘I come from an operational background, so I’m not an expert in programming. Although, I have first-hand experience in understanding how good managers leader developer teams by working closely with them to achieve a common goal”. 

3) How will you keep up to date with current trends in technology?

Technology is an ever-changing industry. It is therefore vital for companies to employee someone who recognises the need to stay up to date on the technical developments within the industry. Thus, this interview question investigates whether the candidate is a suitable fit with an organisation. They should choose examples that relate to managing a business, especially an IT department. 

For the employer:

 Analyse their interest in continuing education in addition to their knowledge of current technology trends. Explore their management philosophy and whether they are a “cultural fit” to the organisation. 

For the Candidate: 

One of the responsibilities as a technical CTO is selecting the appropriate mobile or web development stack. They should easily identify the best technologies that have a great influence on project stability, scalability, and maintainability. Consequently, researching trends and products within the IT sphere is vital for this job role to ensure the company is adapting to the newest innovations – a landscape that is dramatically changing on a continuous basis.    

Even if you do not maintain the necessary skills to put these technological innovations into practice, it is still extremely vital that you are aware of the current technological flow. A CTO needs to follow all critical trends that bombard the IT sphere and you will have to consider what the competitors do in order not to miss out on something essential. Having knowledge of existing and current trends and confidently articulating this will demonstrate to a company your ability to research as well as your genuine interest in this field of work.  

Example: “This year I enjoyed reading ABC Technology Trends. It opened my eyes to the need to adopt proven technologies and the risks of buying into the leading edge too soon.”

12 + 7 =

Outplacement Support For Vulnerable Employees

Outplacement Support For Vulnerable Employees

How can you help support employees leaving your business

Possibly looking to downsize your workforce. So, what can you do as an employer to support those leaving your business?

Making people redundant is never easy, and when you have loyal individuals who have been with you for a long time, you probably want to give them as much help as you can.  

One way to do this is to provide them with outplacement support – help in the form of CV writing, job hunting, interview guidance, self-employment, or even retirement planning.  You may be experienced in these areas and want to provide this help yourself, but the uneasiness of the situation means few employees will take up your offer as they feel uncomfortable over the situation. 

Kubler-Ross Change Curve in Business

Employees feel a range of emotions, plotted out by Kubler-Ross – an American psychologist.  She highlighted the changes in emotions and the rollercoaster of feelings they may be experiencing, with at the very worst apathy and depression creeping in.

Self-doubt is often the route cause of this most extreme feeling.  When an employee sends out a CV to over 50 companies and they do not even get a reply from any, they lose self-confidence and feel as if they have no future. But the reality is that their CV is not highlighting what an employer is looking for or they are not up to speed on modern job-hunting techniques. Consequently, they need professional guidance.

Kubler-Ross's Transition Curve For Busienss

Outplacement Providers To Support Employees

Modern job hunters often do not realise that recruiters in 2020 spend as little as 15 seconds reading a CV.  A survey conducted by ‘The Times’ highlighted for school leavers is even less: 8.8 seconds.  

Also, candidates found on CV databases (including LinkedIn) fill over 60% of the vacancies with only 20% of jobs these days being commercially advertised.

Going back 15 years we talked about the ‘hidden job market’. 25% of jobs were being filled by speculative approaches, 25% of vacancies through networking.  There is a new hidden job market that modern-day job hunters need to guide through.  

To really help employees who are exiting your business, it is often best to bring in independent but qualified individuals to; work with your existing staff, listen to their fears, be non-judgemental, and above all, be supportive and practical.

Langley James has recently teamed up with an established outplacement provider who has supported several thousand job hunters back into work and can now provide your staff with the support they need to move forward. Their practical and straight forward approach quickly focuses on job hunt activity, with their consultants taking a very ‘hands-on’ approach, rewriting or even writing from scratch a CV, optimising CV for CV sifting software used on CV databases.  

In a recent CIPD survey, it highlighted that over 60% of employers now use interview competency (behavioural) based questions.  Their consultants are all highly experienced interviewers and able to help individuals build up scenario-based answers prior to interviews, feeding back on both content and structure of S.T.A.R. based answers.  

Operating both the UK and the Republic of Ireland, they are currently providing their support online using screen-sharing technology.  The level of online support they are giving is as good as their consultant sitting beside an individual, but a lot safer for both concerned. If you would like more information please get in contact by filling in your personal details in our form below and our team will be happy to help… 

1 + 12 =

North West IT Salary & Contractor Rate Guide

North West IT Salary & Contractor Rate Guide

Sometimes you just need to know how your salary compares to the competition – whether that be for yourself or your next hire.

Below is a selection of the positions we have recently filled and the average salary accepted.

Management – Permanent & Contracts

Permanent Salary % Rate Change  Contract Rate % Rate Change
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) £110,000 -1% £1100 0%
Chief Information Officer (CIO) £100,000 +3% £914 +2%
IT Director £100,000 +1%  £826 0%
Head of IT £67,500 +1%  £531 +2%
IT Manager £51,250 +2%  £460 0%
Infrastructure Manager £57,500 -1%  £470 +6%
Senior Network Manager £50,000 -1%  £500 0%
Security Manager £58,000 +2% £634 +2%
Service Desk Manager £38,000 -3%  £400 +7%
Database Manager £60,000 -1%  £620 0%
Development Manager £57,000 +2%  £591 +4%

Team – Permanent & Contracts

 
Permanent Salary
% Rate Change
Contract Rate
% Rate Change
1st Line Support
£22,500
+1%
£160
-2%
2nd Line Support
£28,000
+0%
£190
-6%
3rd Line Support
£38,000
+2%
£330
-3%
Mac Engineer
£35,000
0%
£240
-6%
Applications Support
£40,000
-8%
£420
-1%
Business Analyst
£48,000
-1%
£470
+5%
Database Administrator
£46,000
0%
£500
+6%
Network Engineer
£43,000
+2%
£450
+1%
Project Manager
£50,000
0%
£500
-4%
Network Security Engineer
£49,000
-3%
£460
+2%

 

 *Contract Rate includes Langley James mark up fee. Which is an 18% mark up with a minimum £50.

As specialist recruiters in the IT market place, we network extensively with people to ensure we can find the top talent when companies are considering recruiting or have particular business issues they may need to address.

We have worked with a wealth of companies across the UK having saved them both time and money when recruiting for key positions in their teams.

If there is anything you would like assistance with, even just advice, or insight on anything recruitment related, please get in touch.