How to miss out on the best IT talent
The last 12 months has seen a shift in the dynamic of the IT skills market in Ireland.It is a job rich environment where talented candidates have a choice of companies and they are getting snapped up very quickly. However, I am observing the same hiring approach by companies as if it were a candidate rich market. This is resulting in disappointed companies, annoyed candidates and frustrated recruiters.Some of the key challenges companies and candidates face include:
•Arduous recruitment processes that are either too long or have too many stages.
•Companies having unrealistic expectations about skill availability.
•Companies fishing for CVs without actually having approval to hire or being involved in internal or external bid processes.
I have discussed each of these in more detail with my observations and advice, in the hope that this will inform companies and lead to a more fruitful and satisfying process for everyone.
Recruitment that takes too long or too many stages
Whilst I understand it is crucial for a company to choose the right person for the job, it can be very frustrating for both the candidate and the company if the process takes too long or the candidate has to go through many stages. The consequence can include potential employers missing out on their desired candidate as a competitor moves more quickly or the candidate feeling like the company is not engaged as they are taking too long to “turnaround” the vacancy.
I would make the following recommendations to any company that faces the above challenges. Review your current process - are all the steps necessary? If they are, is there a way of condensing down the steps so that they can take place over a one or two day period? The reality is if you’re hiring a Java Developer for example, you may be one of five potential employers. The most successful organisations in hiring IT talent are asking candidates to clear a half day to complete all stages of the interview process and meeting all shortlisted candidates at the same time. This works for the candidate as it doesn’t arouse suspicion with their current employer by taking lots of time off. Also, it’s easier for you to make an informed decision having benchmarked several candidates in one go.
Finally, if the whole recruitment process is out of your control, make sure that you inform your recruiter that the candidate will have to be committed to a lengthy process. Otherwise you’ll find it very frustrating when you call a candidate you are excited about for a second interview and find out they have already accepted another job!
Unrealistic expectations
For the person appointed to carry out the recruitment sourcing, it can be a real challenge to hear the appointing manager ask for a combination of skills that are not compatible or don’t make business sense. A SharePoint Developer may be able to do some Oracle DBA work by the accident of a previous job’s experience, but this does mean there will be anyone else in Ireland with this skill set. Listen to your internal recruitment department and your external recruitment consultants. Investigate what they have done to find a certain skill. If they have taken exhaustive steps and can’t find someone then the likelihood is that the combination doesn’t exist. Ask the recruiter what they can find and make sure the hiring manager knows what options are available.
I have met with numerous internal recruiters and HR Managers over the last 3 months whose hiring managers don’t understand why they can’t find a specific skill set considering we have an unemployment rate of 14.3%. The reality is that very few of these are IT professionals. In fact, many of the unemployed are looking to retrain in IT, but it takes time to convert these skills.
Companies not having approval to hire
As a candidate there is nothing more despairing than going through a recruitment process, only to be told at the end that the hiring manager doesn’t have approval to hire. Of course this can happen due to a globally mandated recruitment freeze. However, if the request for new recruits is purely speculative, it will be beneficial for all parties if the recruiting personnel and candidate are made aware.
It’s becoming increasingly common for multinational companies to compete internally against other countries when bidding for business. Subsequently, it is normal for those companies to put out exploratory resource requests, especially for contractors. This is understandable as the workforce is required to deliver the project if the bid is successful. Nonetheless, you will get more value out of your recruitment agency relationship if you are open about your ambitions.
Believe it or not, any good recruitment consultant will have a multitude of vacancies and clients to service. A full understanding of your needs will allow them to deliver the best candidates that will stay the course. Then should your unfortunately lose the contract bid, those talented candidates will continue their interest and faith in your company.
The company, the candidate and the recruiter are all after the same outcome – a job that can transform someone’s life and a person that can transform a company. In the IT industry you’ll continually miss out on the best candidates if there isn’t a trust between all parties and open and honest dialogue. Considering the amount of energy and effort the hiring manager has to put into the process, it would be a real shame for it all to be for nothing.
James is Regional IT Director with Hays Recruitment, based in Dublin, Ireland. He is responsible for 2 business units - Corporate Accounts and IT. Corporate Accounts is responsible for delivering managed recruitment solutions to blue chip customers. These solutions include managed PSL, Master Vendor, Neutral Vendor and full Outsource Solutions.
Labels: C# Java, IT jobs, IT Recruitment, skills shortage, unemployment
posted by James Milligan
Home