How to Recruit IT Professionals During a Skills Shortage
Aug 23, 2021
How to Recruit IT Professionals During a Skills Shortage
Aug 23, 2021

If you need to recruit IT professionals right now, you’ve probably already heard. There’s a huge skills shortage across the sector. Attracting candidates is harder than ever as the jobs market increases, whilst the talent pool decreases.

There are less people in the market than in over 23 years! This, combined with some uncertainty of the future of covid and what that means to the security of their pay packets. We find ourselves in a skills shortage like never before.

But don’t worry. There are good people out there. You just need to know how to find them. It’s no longer a case of advertising your job as anyone who has done that recently will tell you that the response has been poor. Candidates need to be attracted to your job. They need a reason to leave the security of their current role in these still somewhat uncertain times.

Here’s our top tips to recruit IT professionals during a skills shortage

Don’t delay

If you have been following our IT jobs market reviews, you will see the trajectory of current vacancies shows no signs of slowing down. And as more and more projects come back to life following the end of restrictions, the market is going to be squeezed even tighter. Even IT professionals who have been furloughed (although we admit there shouldn’t be that many now) may not be the answer. A shocking 11% of people still on furlough are looking for work. What’s happening with the rest?

Our advice is to act now. If you have a project coming up, or if you know of any team changes, start the recruitment process now. It can take longer than normal to find the perfect candidate, so it pays to get ahead. If you already work with a trusted IT recruitment partner, then ask them to start building a talent pool for you. And if you don’t have a partner, give us a call.

team at computer

Market insight

Before you start to recruit IT professionals, you need to know what’s happening in the market. As part of our commitment to help all our clients attract the best talent, we share the facts you need to know. On a monthly basis, we produce a report on the UK jobs market. Find out what’s happening with vacancies numbers, salaries, skills availability and much more.

It’s also important to get some salary benchmarking information. A lot has changed in salaries over the last few months, and you need to make sure that you stay competitive to attract the best. Find the latest salary guide for your area and see all the salaries and day rates for the most popular jobs in IT.

Partner with a recruiter – someone who knows how to recruit IT professionals

In times like these, a great recruiter is worth their weight in gold. A great recruiter will know how to find your perfect candidate. They have the skills and the technology to search those on and off the market. They have a solid candidate database of IT professionals who may not only be interested in your role but may also be able to recommend others. We know all recruiters are not the same, so here’s some questions to ask when choosing yours –

  • What experience do you have of recruiting for our industry – ask for testimonials
  • How do you work and what can I expect?
  • How do you engage with top talent?
  • Do you have a talent pool of suitable candidates?
  • What are your terms?

We have helped companies to recruit some truly fantastic IT talent throughout the pandemic and beyond. We’d love to do the same for you. Our fees are just 18% with a 3 month guarantee period to help to give you peace of mind. Get in touch with one of our expert IT recruiters today and find out how we really can help you to recruit someone worth recruiting – 0207 788 6600 / 01244 566442.

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