It is no news that hiring tech employees are challenging because of the skills and experience required to perform roles in tech successfully. Predictions from the likes of Forbes show that hiring tech employees are becoming more difficult due to a shortage in tech skills.
More predictions suggest that the telecommunications, media, and technology industry may witness a shortage of over 1.1 million skilled workers globally in 2020. This figure may rise to a shortage of approximately 4.3 million skilled workers by 2030.
Strategies to improve your tech hiring practice
It is much easier to hire employees in a talent surplus industry than in comparison to a talent scarcity industry, as the technology industry. What makes the hiring process more challenging is that much of the top talent is already engaged elsewhere, and to attract top talent to your company and away from your competitors takes lucrative packages and a strong hiring strategy.
Here are ways you can improve the hiring process at your company.
Hire people who have passion for their jobs
The mistake many tech companies make is that they tend to hire people who they believe can fill a vacant position in their company, and that’s it. But, unfortunately, they fail to find out if such an employee is passionate about the new job, why they leave their old position, and what they are looking to achieve in their new one.
People passionate about what they do tend to be more committed to their jobs than those with little or no passion for their jobs, and passionate individuals tend to be more goal-oriented and focused on solving problems. When employees have a real passion for what they do, they tend to be more committed to finding solutions to problems.
Outline the necessary skills needed to work in a specific position.
Before hiring your tech team, it’s critical to outline an extensive list of skills a prospective employee should possess to qualify for the position. Technology is a dynamic industry where new tools and strategies are constantly created. Finding someone keen to keep up with everchanging technology will stand your business in good stead and go some way to future-proofing the technology you’re developing.
When posting job adverts, ensure that you write a decent job description and use job-specific keywords like “backend developer”, “data analyst”, etc. Using accurate language will help narrow down the potential pool of applicants to ensure time spent interviewing candidates is likely to be productive.
Test the skill proficiency of a prospective employee by asking the right questions during the interview
During interviews, hiring managers should test the applicant’s skill and proficiency to understand if they have the skills stated on their CV and whether they are strong enough for the position and what will be required of them. In addition, interviewers should identify critical questions on a variety of topics related to the specific job role to know the competence level of the applicant.
If it’s part of the role you’re recruiting then including a coding test as part of the interview process is a good idea to judge how proficient candidates are with each language. This also gives you a chance to see how they work and the speed at which they work. if you need skilled developers
Make use of an applicant tracking system.
Good applicant tracking system software helps keep track of where applicants are in the job application process; it’s also a great way to categorize CVs, assess suitability and take notes on candidate interviews. It’s also ideal for storing CVs in case the candidate is a potential match for another role in the future.
Conduct video interviews where a physical interview is not possible
Due to Covid 19 concerns, many companies have had to adjust their interview process. Fewer physical interviews are happening while more and more interviews are taking place online.
Using tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, amongst many other options, is an easy, cost-effective, safe, and COVID-friendly way of conducting interviews. In addition, if the position is remote, it’s likely there’s no need for “in real life” meetings, meaning you can extend the candidate pool to a far wider location.
Ensure that interviewers are experienced and trusted to make decisions when hiring employees.
Interviewers should ideally be more experienced than the candidate they are interviewing to make solid judgments when assessing the competency of applicants. They should possess the necessary human resource management skills needed to make sound employment decisions, and furthermore, they should know the right question to ask at every point during the interview process.
Consider inclusion and diversity during the process of recruiting employees
The principles of inclusion and diversity should always be upheld when recruiting employees. It’s a good idea to have a section for inclusion and diversity included in your hiring strategy and ensure that interviewers and hiring managers are aware of what’s expected of them.
Every applicant should be given a fair chance to present what they can do for your organization, and job descriptions should be inclusive of all. The shortlisting process should be fair and free from bias. Be that racial, sexuality-based, or gender-bias, amongst others, and you should provide room for reasonable adjustments during the interview process if the candidate requires extra support for a disability.
Embrace social media and digital trends
One other way tech companies can improve their hiring process is by embracing digital trends and social media. Advertising jobs via social media and other digital channels will expand your reach and also goes some way to improving diversity and inclusiveness. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and other social media sites offer a great platform to advertise tech openings and find the best talent. It’s worth joining in the conversation rather than just posting adverts, too.
Conclusion
Hiring employees in tech companies can be challenging due to a shortage of skilled professionals in the technology industry. The key to hiring tech employees capable of driving organizational goals in such a complex industry lies in the quality and experience of the recruiters and hiring managers dealing with the position and a robust strategy.
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Originally published at Upstack.co on Nov 19, 2021, by Joanna Blomfield.
