Critical Issues in Tech Recruitment and What You Can Do About It

Recruiting IT professionals can prove to be a difficult task for businesses, primarily due to factors that include insufficient skilled personnel and rivalry from well-established industries.

Having spent more than 8 years in the tech recruitment industry, I can assert that the challenge is not always in discovering developers but in identifying the ideal ones who possess the technical proficiency and personality traits necessary for an ideal match with your company’s culture.

The objective of this article is to offer an understanding of the existing hurdles that confront IT recruitment and the ways to tackle them. It is particularly relevant for businesses that are commencing their recruitment endeavours within this sphere.

Why The Tech Industry is Notoriously Difficult to Hire For

As the world becomes more reliant on technology, there has been an escalation in the need for qualified technical workforce. However, even with a pool of 26.7 million software engineers, the reality of the shortage of proficient personnel in this field remains. This is a significant issue that continues to impact the recruitment of new staff in 2023 and is expected to persist into the coming year.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States is expected to encounter a shortage of 1.2 million engineers by 2026. This suggests an intensifying competitive setting, as demands continue to exceed the availability of engineers.

In the past, it was essential to compete with large Silicon Valley companies that had access to the finest software developers. However, this is no longer a necessity as organisations are becoming more open to hiring remote engineers. Regardless of their size, businesses can now discover competent programmers from anywhere in the world, from multinational companies to small startups.

Businesses are being compelled to re-evaluate their approaches and recruitment procedures to conform to the present condition of remote working for IT professionals. Providing the opportunity to work remotely is becoming more advantageous than offering incentives such as gym memberships or relaxation pods to entice developers to the company. The associated risks have motivated many companies to make these modifications.

Overcoming These 5 Major Hurdles in the IT Recruitment Industry

Given the constantly evolving challenges to the recruitment process, what do you regard as the most critical issues facing IT staffing in 2023? How do you intend to overcome these complexities? These are multifaceted questions that should be answered, considering the current trends in IT recruitment.

The expansion of remote and hybrid work structures due to the pandemic has given rise to a distinct set of challenges for recruiting teams, in stark contrast to the obstacles encountered by recruiters five years ago.

Over the previous few months, we have discenred a change in the recruitment process of new workers at Works. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in the number of businesses seeking remote workers. This has magnified the already consistent growth of remote employment in recent times, emphasising the necessity of managing a remote workforce. Furthermore, it has revealed the unpreparedness of many companies in managing a remote team.

In addition, since remote recruitment was not viable for most companies, HR departments needed to re-evaluate and develop new strategies to draw in and retain remote IT personnel.

If you seek to acquire more extensive knowledge regarding the potential obstacles linked to IT recruitment, I have compiled a list of the five most frequent ones along with proposed solutions.

1. Discovering Skilled Individuals

It has come to our attention that a significant number of applicants are not suitably skilled to meet the job’s requirements, which prolongs the recruitment process and aggravates the current shortage of developers.

CyberState reports that in 2023, the United States had 3.9 million vacancies for technology jobs, but only half as many qualified candidates possessing a computer science degree. Regrettably, some applicants tend to overstate their level of experience or lack the requisite skills for more specialised positions.

Recruitment teams may encounter difficulties in finding appropriate candidates with the necessary technical, experiential, educational, and interpersonal abilities when hiring new employees in the IT industry.

HR teams without expertise in evaluating candidates with technological backgrounds may have trouble expanding their recruitment efforts on a global scale. This could lead to obstacles such as handling language and communication barriers as well as dealing with cultural diversity concerns.

Attracting Skilled Tech Workers Remains a Challenging Task.

Firstly, obtaining an IT degree is not crucial.

Despite common misconceptions, IT credentials should not be given utmost priority during recruitment. Many software developers learn while they are on the job, so they may still have the relevant work exposure and skills you need, even if they do not possess a robust educational foundation.

Secondly, Broaden Your Recruitment Methods.

We highly encourage you to reconsider your position on local recruitment for available positions as remote recruitment is gaining traction for locating and retaining highly skilled IT staff. This may prove to be the most efficient method to uphold your organization’s ethos and enhance your team’s output efficiency.

Employers are advised not to restrict themselves to a single recruitment strategy or platform when searching for appropriate candidates, regardless of whether they are a remote employer or not. Various options can be employed to identify the most skilled candidate, including:

  • A recent Stack Overflow survey has disclosed that the most prevalent means of finding work for developers was through friends, family, or past colleagues referring them, with 27% of respondents citing this as the reason for their employment.
  • In the face of intensifying competition for skilled IT personnel, recruiters are recognising the growing significance of harnessing social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit to identify prospective candidates. Recent studies have revealed that more than 94% of recruiters are leveraging social media for this purpose.
  • Hackathons or coding contests are events where the skills and productivity of developers can be evaluated.
  • A study by Challenger.inc revealed that 56% of companies use Indeed to discover technical talent.

Thirdly, Review Your Job Descriptions

When contemplating applying for a role, job descriptions serve as a crucial tool. Even if the rewards and benefits are excellent, having an impressive job description is vital to attract and capture the attention of proficient candidates. While creating a job description, keep in mind the following:

  • Job descriptions should be concise (ideally between 300-600 words).
  • Include as many specifics as possible about the perks and qualifications for candidates (competencies, compensation, prerequisites, and the duties) in the job description.
  • A successful marketing plan for your company should address the query that prospective employees may ask: “Why work for this company?”. Highlighting the benefits of working for your organization in the job post will reinforce why they should opt for you.

2. Distinguishing Yourself from the Competition

The Information Technology (IT) industry is fiercely competitive, and enterprises must make an effort to attract and retain the most competent and capable candidates to prosper. As technology progresses, business models must adapt accordingly; while software engineers were once predominantly hired by IT companies, developers are now indispensable for nearly every sector.

In this modern era, it is crucial for businesses to establish a robust online presence, such as a website and mobile application, to stay ahead of the competition. This has resulted in a surge in demand for IT consulting services among enterprises. Simultaneously, it can be challenging for individuals to differentiate themselves from their peers.

In a survey by CodinGame, the second biggest challenge for 25% of IT recruiters was competing with other companies for talent.

Enterprises may find it challenging to stay ahead when competing with companies that propose higher compensation or more enticing perks. This can be particularly intimidating for start-up firms, which may have limited resources.

Nevertheless, comprehending the requirements of potential candidates is crucial for prosperity.

Tips on Standing Out from the Crowd while Hiring IT Experts.

Technology experts seek more than just a competitive salary as they explore job opportunities. In all sectors, employees aim to continue working remotely as their primary employment method.

According to Dice’s examination of technical job applicants, two elements outshone the others:

  1. Exceptional availability of medical benefits.
  2. The possibility of working remotely.

DigitalOcean recently surveyed more than 4,000 software engineers and found that 43% of respondents deemed the option to work from home as a necessary factor while evaluating a job proposal.

Although salary is a crucial factor for developers when weighing a job proposal, it is not the sole influencer of their decision. Providing workers with the chance to work remotely is becoming an increasingly attractive perk in the present job market as per the data.

3. Providing No Genuine Benefits to the Applicants

The rising demand for remote work has generated a challenge for enterprises in hiring IT personnel. To cut expenses, several employers are hiring remote workers; however, this approach could be ineffective unless businesses provide material motivations that entice skilled tech experts.

Businesses seeking to employ committed remote workers may not comprehend that, regarding benefits, there is no contrast between engaging a remote worker and enlisting someone to work at the organization’s physical offices. As a result, if an employer desires to have a fully remote workforce, they must ponder about offering supplementary incentives beyond remote work.

  • Favorable impacts on well-being
  • Insurance
  • Support in elderly years
  • Compensated leave for vacations
  • Guarantee for a Fee

Studies reveal that the IT sector is progressively cut-throat, resulting in remote developers demanding more competitive perks to complement remote job proposals. Based on my experience, employers frequently disregard this reality and assume that they can motivate candidates solely with the allure of remote work.

Tips for Hiring IT Experts

We can recruit potential candidates from those who are presently employed on behalf of our clients. We present enticing perks and remote work adaptability, which differentiates us from other contenders.

Contemplation over the recruitment of remote staff necessitates thorough investigation to assess whether it is practical and economical, while complying with the appropriate legal mandates of the country in which the enterprise operates. Nonetheless, in the majority of situations, addressing the requirements of candidates and furnishing them with an attractive option to their existing employment would substantially guarantee triumphant recruitment.

Some aspects to keep in mind while making a job proposal to a tech candidate are:

  • The ease of working from home and the autonomy to select your own schedule
  • Perks frequently presented to staff (Insurance, holidays, etc.)
  • Publicize the ethics of your company. (LinkedIn documents that 75 percent of job hunters investigate an enterprise’s reputation before applying.)

4. The Requirement for Experts with Capabilities to Manage Everything Poses a Troublesome Dilemma.

Are you contemplating employing the assistance of an expert with a broad spectrum of proficiencies? If so, it is imperative to keep in mind that such an individual will anticipate remuneration commensurate with their degree of qualification, which may encompass an excellent academic record and extensive work exposure.

It is crucial to recall that this is pertinent to both on-site and remote positions. Enterprises seeking a specialist proficient in various domains may encounter challenges getting the right candidate if they are reluctant to offer the required compensation. Settling for an impractical ideal candidate may adversely affect the recruitment process. The subsequent image aptly depicts this notion:

In Order to Resolve This Issue, It is Vital to Establish the Perfect Candidate Profile.

Hunting for the impeccable candidate can be an unproductive task, therefore, define the exact qualities you are in need of. It seems plausible that you need the assistance of a computer specialist to tackle the difficulties you are facing. If you desire a website with enhanced speed, a more robust database or software that is simpler to handle, finding individuals with requisite competencies is necessary. Consequently, compose a catalogue detailing the essential skills and classify them into two groups.

  1. Capability to:

    It is imperative to ascertain that the candidate possesses the essential skills required for the position. This ought to cover programming languages, framework expertise, and all other requisites required to carry out the role to the highest level.
  2. Skills similar to these are always appreciated:

    Those that are desirable but not entirely essential. These proficiencies should be deemed an added benefit.

Having a well-defined notion of the ideal candidate profile can direct the recruitment process, empowering the HR department to possess a more precise understanding of the requisite qualifications. This can be advantageous for enterprises with regards to their capacity to provide competitive salaries and supplementary perks to those who fulfill the desired specifications.

5. Maladroit Handling of Remote Recruitment

Numerous enterprises are still to master the skill of remote hiring, thus, presenting a new hurdle in the IT recruitment domain. This is commonly attributed to HR departments having inadequate knowledge on how to efficiently look for candidates online. The complete recruitment process, ranging from locating prospective candidates to conducting interviews, can be prolonged, and assessing if the candidate fits the role can be even more challenging without face-to-face interaction in a digital environment.

As the need for remote employees surges throughout numerous industries, it is crucial to devise organized arrangements to uphold this new mode of operation. Per EMEA, 84% of HR recruiters are certain that remote recruitment will continue during the pandemic, with 70% believing it will become the rule.

IT companies are finding it progressively more challenging to lure appropriate candidates if they fail to adjust their recruitment procedures to include remote working. Additionally, I have noticed that a few highly qualified personnel are hesitant to apply for job vacancies due to the apprehension of being scammed. They are disinclined to invest their time or money into an offer that could potentially be fraudulent.

The Issue and its Solution: Crafting an Effective Scheme for Remote Recruitment.

In the IT industry, recruiters are becoming more discerning when it comes to selecting where to apply. They will scrutinize the advantages, workplace ambiance and ethos of the company before submitting an application. Therefore, it is essential that your enterprise’s LinkedIn page is maintained regularly and current employees possess profiles, as probable candidates may question the authenticity of the company otherwise.

As an aspect of the onboarding process for remote staff, it is crucial to maintain the accuracy of their employment status and social media profiles. This portrays to prospective candidates that the enterprise is authentic and that current personnel take satisfaction in their position.

In addition to the aforementioned points, you could enhance your remote recruitment technique by implementing the following measures:

  • Defining the role that is being presented is crucial. It will assist prospective candidates in comprehending the position better and evaluating whether or not it aligns with their abilities.
  • Enterprises must not wait for appropriately qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions; instead, actively seeking out talent through headhunting is a productive approach for remote recruitment. Additionally, even if the prospective candidate is currently employed, they should still be taken into consideration for the role.
  • Acquiring an applicant tracking system enables you and your team to conserve time and resources during the recruitment process.
  • Deploying a systematic interview process is necessary to acquire a deeper insight into a potential candidate’s character and competencies. Numerous interviews should be conducted to appraise the candidate’s technical proficiencies, relational abilities and compatibility with the organizational culture. Convening group interviews is also a viable method to gauge a candidate’s communication skills and ascertaining whether they blend seamlessly with the team.

Partner with Works and Bypass All the Issues Linked to Conventional Tech Recruitment

Amidst the existing cut-throat IT job market, luring appropriate candidates can be an arduous task. If you are grappling with filling positions, Works presents the ultimate answer. We assist in modifying your recruitment tactics to match up with industry requirements.

With more than a decade of experience in furnishing enterprises with remote recruitment services of adept IT specialists, Works is an IT staffing agency. Our extensive pool of candidates has been meticulously screened to satisfy your specifications.

Kindly provide an overview of our process.

  1. In this phase, you specify the prerequisites of an exemplary candidate (including their competencies, aptitudes and understanding)
  2. The recruiters will offer you the best 5 potential candidates who satisfy your specifications.
  3. Congratulations on successfully recruiting a new team member! Nonetheless, this is only the beginning of the process. We manage all the essential documentation (agreements, payments) and put in our utmost efforts to ensure a seamless induction of the new employee into your team.

No need to endure the challenge of finding skilled IT professionals. Reach out to us when you’re poised to progress to the next phase of the recruitment process.

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