9 Tips For Surviving the IT Talent Shortage

The IT talent shortage rages on – which means recruiting processes need to become more creative and proactive, and retaining valuable employees will be more challenging. Here are a few considerations if you’re adding staff this year.

1. Accelerate the Process. Candidates have a short shelf life in the current environment, so hiring decisions need to be quick and decisive. Everyone in your organization needs to be aligned on this, and the number of required interviews and approvals streamlined, so that a senior executive who’s on vacation, for example, doesn’t cause you to lose an attractive candidate. Take a look at your normal hiring process for any possible delays that can be eliminated.
2. Stop Being a Perfectionist. You’re going to be making selections from a smaller pool of talent, so now is not the time to get picky. Focus on the key skills that are required for success and give up on finding the “perfect” candidate. Along these lines, seek out people with flexible attitudes who are enthusiastic about learning new skills. Aptitude and attitude can be as important as experience – and in the long run, they are even more valuable.
3. Check your salary structure. Salaries have gone up and many companies have not kept pace with industry norms. If your human resources (HR) department draws a line in the sand over pay, you’re going to lose talented people.
4. Get cozier with HR. IT recruiting is only as effective as your HR department’s understanding of your needs. Communicate expectations, establish recruiting metrics, discuss timelines and track results just as you would with a third-party recruiter. (Yes, you should be doing this with third-party recruiters, too.)
5. Plan ahead for IT resources. Important projects may go off schedule due to unexpected delays in hiring (or training) the needed resources. Play it safe by doubling the time you’d usually allow for talent acquisition.
6. Eliminate discrimination and unconscious bias. Now is a good time to make sure that recruiters and managers in your organization aren’t screening out any qualified candidates due to personal biases. For example, older tech workers tell us the “hot” job market is passing them by in favor of  younger candidates. Don’t rule out older, more experienced employees who can add valuable wisdom and perspectives to your team. You’ll also want to make sure your firm isn’t just hiring people with similar backgrounds. Unconscious bias in hiring isn’t intentional, but it can cause you to miss out on some top talent.
7. Think like a talent scout. A significant percentage of the talent pool is passive — they’re not actively looking but might be interested in a new role. Tap into your networks (CIO groups, alumni chapters and so on) to locate these hidden gems.
8. Focus on employee engagement and retention. Programs that build employee (and contractor) morale help defend against companies who want to steal your top talent. Give frequent reviews, help employees with career planning, schedule teambuilding events and encourage employees to offer suggestions about how to improve productivity and the work environment.
9. Act like a family. In the fast-paced world of IT and business, the human connection can get lost. Too many companies are so siloed that employees in one department never know those in other areas of the company. Technologies that eliminate the need for face-to-face contact may increase efficiency but can sometimes reduce loyalty and job satisfaction. Now is the time to build a company culture that reaches out to and includes all employees, including remote employees, contractors and part-time workers, so that everyone feels like a part of the your team.