Recruiting IT staff has become tough after the pandemic due to the change in the work culture by the employer and the employees. The recruiters are facing multiple challenges in recruiting IT staff in 2023. The hiring managers on average spend about 13 hours to source candidates for a single role according to the hiring statistics 2022 report. For some recruiters hiring IT staff for projects related to rare technology can be a nightmare.
The report says that the best candidates can turn down the offer in less than 10 days due to multiple reasons like better opportunities, higher roles, higher packages, the flexibility of work, attraction towards joining bonuses, equity, location, and reputation of the company. In 2023 recruiting and retaining have both become tough for IT managers.
What are the core challenges faced by HR in recruiting IT staff?
In 2023, IT recruiters are using multiple challenges to hunt for the right candidate for the role. They are active not only active on job portal sites but also on social media and even rely on employee referrals. The latter has a high success rate in recruiting the candidate. Almost 60% of interested candidates give up online job applications due to the lengthy application process.
- Advertisement -
Below are the core challenges faced by the recruiters along with the possible solutions;
1. Shortage of talented candidates
There are thousands of IT professionals looking for a job, but finding the right candidate at the right place within a specific time makes a shortage of talented candidates. 63% of IT recruiters say that the shortage of talented candidates is their biggest challenge, they receive desired applications but only a few of them tend to be suitable for the role. The factors like experience, and relevant skills matter a lot.
Solution: A recruiter should post job vacancies on multiple channels with clear technical and skill requirements.
2. Attracting right candidate
One of the most common challenges faced by the IT recruiter is attracting the right candidate with appropriate skills. New technologies and skill sets are gaining pace with the project requirement so recruiters cannot expect these in all the candidates. Most of the candidates possess the skill gaps required for the role. As per the 2022 statistics report, 76% of hiring managers faced the challenge of attracting the right candidate.
Solution: If the experienced candidate with decent skills seems to be fit for the role but doesn’t possess knowledge of the newer technologies and skill sets. He/she can be upskilled in the company.
3. A competitive job market
A competitive job market has created a tussle for IT recruiters. Even the right candidate confirmed with an employment letter can turn down the offer before joining due to attractive benefits from the other companies. This is more common in the technology domain where there is a constant demand for skilled candidates.
Solution: Offer competitive perks and benefits on a long-term basis.
4. Pre-screening and post-screening
Screening of the applicants is tedious work the recruiters feel. Examining hundreds of applications and sorting them with the technical requirement and skill sets requires a lot of attention and is time-consuming.
Solution: Take the assistance of software tools to collect job applications. Ex – Workable, Expertia AI, BambooHR, Hireology, Recruit, etc
5. Flexible work schedule
After the COVID pandemic, the way of IT work has changed, the same work can be done from the home itself. This cuts traveling time and helps balance personal and professional life for the employees. If not fully remote, employees expect a hybrid work model who are located far from the workplace. In fact, there has been a 135% surge in the remote work model post-pandemic.
Solution: If the work can be done securely and efficiently from any device hybrid model can be allowed either to recruit or retain IT staff. Flexibility allows employees to work in their own style.
Conclusion:
Recruiting IT staff in 2023 is challenging and time-consuming. The recruitment team puts a lot of effort into the entire process from screening to sorting to communicating to follow-ups to negotiating to the final appointment. The entire process is complex and requires a lot of patience. Even the confirmed candidates can give up the offer on the last day before joining. This makes the recruiters go frustrated.
Content Author – Shashikant Chaurasia
