The shortage of technical talent is a serious issue. The BLS predicts that computer and information technology jobs will grow annually by 15% from 2021 to 2031. This means that there can be over 682,800 new jobs by 2031. However, the problem is that only a few skilled candidates can fill the jobs.
This gap has led to more companies turning to contract and temporary staffing agencies to bridge the gap between supply and demand in their industry. But it’s not just about hiring contracts or temporary staff. Employers must consider how they can use technology specifically for recruiting purposes if they want to reduce tech staffing shortage over time.
The Demand for Tech Workers Continues to Grow
In the current scenario, almost all companies are laying down their employees. Each day brings new news about some company laying off a huge amount of its employees. For instance, Coinbase announced reducing 18% of its workforce in June 2022. Similarly, Stitch Fix laid off 330 positions, accounting for 15% of its workforce.
But while businesses are laying off employees, tech talent is still in demand. However, with a massive shortage of qualified candidates, companies have few options to fill open positions. This means that if you want to find the right talent, you need to make extra efforts. And one of the best ways is to collaborate with IT recruiters.
How to Reduce Tech Staffing Shortage
While the tech staffing shortage is a global issue, there are multiple ways to overcome it. Here are some tips to help you mitigate the skills gap.
A Change in the Hiring Strategy Is a Must
The hiring strategy is an essential element in reducing the tech staffing shortage. Hiring should be a mix of full-time and contract/temporary staff. Current hiring strategies are ineffective because they don’t address the leading cause of the shortage, which is a lack of qualified candidates.
The right people need to be hired for the right roles to succeed in today’s workplace. This means recruiting managers must find candidates who have both hard skills and soft skills necessary for success in their organization, as well as being able to fit into its culture.
Moreover, you should also stop looking for a 100% perfect fit because that will not happen often. Instead, you should focus on hiring those with the right background and willingness to learn. This will give you candidates you can train to work according to your needs. You can, again, get help from an IT staffing agency for this.
Hiring Contract or Temporary Staff Can Be Helpful
Short-term staffing can be an excellent way to test the waters if you’re unsure whether a full-time hire is right for your organization. Whether you need help for a few months as you ramp up your operations or need to fill in after someone leaves, temporary staffing can help ensure you have all the required resources without committing to long-term contracts. According to Statista, temporary and contract staffing reached 13.6 million in 2020 in the USA.
Temporary staffing also makes sense if there’s only one position that needs filling, and it doesn’t make sense for them to take on another person just yet. It can be difficult for new companies with limited budgets and resources to take on additional staff at once, but a lone contract worker might get them through until they can afford more hires down the line.
Finally, sometimes it isn’t possible or feasible due to a lack of funding or poor employee fit to bring permanent employees into certain roles within an organization. In these instances, temporary staffing may yield better results than trying again further down the road when things have changed.
Regardless of the reason, you can work with an IT recruitment firm that can help you with contract workers. You see, the thing is that if you are working with temporary staff, you can look for talent specializing in particular projects. This means that you will need to hire someone new for each project.
If you collaborate with a tech staffing firm, you can get quick access to a vast pool of candidates without hassle. You can work with an IT staffing agency like https://www.is-t.net/staffing. The firm can help you fill in vacant positions quickly with valuable talent. Moreover, it has experience working with all sizes of businesses and can understand your needs well. You can collaborate with any such firm for temporary, contract, or full-time hiring.
Employer-Sponsored Education Can Help Attract and Retain Technical Talent
Employers can help employees learn new skills and gain certifications by offering them the opportunity to take classes, pursue degrees, or secure internships. Employers can also help their employees get jobs by assisting them in finding the best opportunities for their education and experience level.
Changing technology calls for constant digitalization in the workplace. If you don’t train your employees, they will be unable to adapt to the changes, affecting productivity. With learning and development, your employees can learn new skills effectively and put them to use.
Hence, there is an increasing focus on training and development in the workplace. LinkedIn’s 2022 Workplace Learning Report shows that 41% of in-person training programs will be deployed in 2022, compared to 25% in 2021.
Creating an Appealing Workplace Culture Can Be a Key Recruiting Tool
Creating an appealing workplace culture can be a critical recruiting tool. It also helps you retain talent, which is especially important when there’s a shortage of qualified candidates. Your company’s culture is also crucial to attracting and retaining top tech talent, who typically look for more than the highest salaries and benefits packages. They want to work somewhere they can feel proud to be part of, and they want their work to matter.
Building a strong workplace culture gives your business greater access to technology solutions because your employees will be more motivated to learn new skills and take on new projects. If you can build this kind of environment in-house, you won’t have as much trouble finding or keeping highly skilled IT professionals because they’ll already know why working at your company feels so rewarding.
Conclusion
The tech skills shortage is a real problem that can be solved. The key is to understand what tech workers want so that you can create an appealing work environment and address their needs. In addition, using technology like HR management software can help reduce time spent on administrative tasks and increase efficiency in finding the best candidates for your open positions.
