Key Elements of an Effective IT Hiring Strategy

Even during the height of the recession, securing exceptional IT talent was often challenging. And now that unemployment numbers are dropping, the challenge is getting tougher. Good IT talent is hard to find—unless you know what you’re doing. What’s the secret?

Have a Thoughtful Recruiting Strategy

Instead of being reactive, be proactive! In other words, instead of only seeking candidates when you have to, then putting up a job posting and hoping for the best, have a plan—one that positions your company as an employer of choice.

Think about it: finding people is just the first step. Then you have to attract, assess and secure them as employees of your company.  And filling an open job requisition is incredibly labor- and time-intensive.  When a new job opens up, what do you usually do? Probably post the job internally, post it externally to multiple places, ask for employee referrals and sometimes give it to third party recruiting firms.

How often does that process run quickly and smoothly, resulting in the most talented and qualified candidate? Answer: too often, it doesn’t.

When developing your recruiting strategy, take the time to think about who your ideal candidates are and how you can create awareness of your firm. One way to do that is to create a recruiting brand.

What is a recruiting brand?

Before kicking off the recruitment process, ask yourself the following questions:

• Why would someone want to work for your company?
• What is the “word on the street” about what it’s like to work for your company?
• What do your employees say about working at your company?
• What unique benefits and perks do you offer that differentiate you from your competition?
• What do you personally like about working at your company?
• Why would someone who is happily employed at another company leave where they are and come work for you? You can apply this last question to both the job opening and your company.

You’ll also want to have a clear idea of your “audience”

• What types of individuals do you want to target?
• Who are the companies that have these types of people?
• How will you reach these potential candidates?
• What type and how many recruiters should you utilize?

If you could use some assistance putting together your recruiting strategy or brand, contact the IT hiring experts at Triumph! With our years of experience, we know where to find top IT professionals and what kinds of companies they’re seeking.