Despite the setbacks and uncertainty many organizations continue to face during the COVID-19 pandemic, technology jobs remain in high demand particularly in areas of cybersecurity, architecture and software development.

As companies continue to adjust to the rapid shifts in technology brought on by the pandemic, employers must also adjust their recruiting habits to quickly find qualified IT professionals to complete their projects.

Here are four solutions that can help your organization fill your open IT positions faster.

1. Set realistic expectations

A trap that many employers fall into is setting their sights on finding that perfect candidate. I have some bad news for you: They don’t exist. While it would be amazing to find—and hire—someone who can do everything under the sun and more, that’s just simply not realistic. If you choose to hold out for that elusive “purple squirrel” candidate, you could end up overlooking highly qualified professionals who have the required technical skills and desired soft skills to help your organization complete its critical IT projects.

So how can you ensure you’re keeping your expectations grounded?

Talk to the hiring manager.

Find out which skills are absolute must-haves to perform the job effectively and which skills would be nice to have but not essential. For example, if you’re constrained to a tight budget, you may only be able to realistically ask for five requirements instead of your original ten. Maybe you’re wanting to hire a senior-level professional, but a mid- or junior-level would actually do the job well.

Keep in mind, lowering expectations doesn’t mean you’re lowering quality.

2. Update job descriptions

Job descriptions are often overlooked in most workplaces because they’re viewed as another to-do item by busy HR departments. However, a well-written job description should be viewed as one of the most essential recruiting tools used to attract the right talent.

The main purpose of a job description is to attract the most qualified individuals for your open position. Poorly written descriptions could bring in dozens or hundreds of unqualified resumes, which will dramatically slow down your hiring process.

3. Be flexible with remote work

Even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, 86% of organizations indicate their employees will continue to work from home through some form of hybrid approach.

Technology is one sector of the workforce that has benefitted tremendously from the rise in remote work. Employers can use the new IT landscape to their advantage by widening their search area. You no longer have to feel confined to recruit in only one area of the country. Companies that are open to continuing remote work post pandemic could attract qualified candidates who are on the fence of relocation.

Even if your company wants to implement a hybrid approach, you could negotiate a deal that allows new hires to work from home full-time for a certain period if they agree to relocate in the future.

4. Partner with an IT recruitment firm

Finding qualified IT candidates is a time-consuming process. The costs of a prolonged search (vacant positions, stalled projects, overtime for other staff members) can be significant for most organizations. Working with a dedicated IT recruitment firm like Odyssey Information Services can help your organization quickly fill your critical technology positions.

Extension of your team

Contrary to popular misconceptions—good and honest IT recruitment firms are not seeking to replace HR departments. Instead, their goal is help relieve some of the pressure built up from high demands and an increase in responsibilities. They can provide insights into the tech industry that your team may not have. Recruitment firms will take the time to understand your organization’s culture and values to ensure candidates will be a good fit.

Free up resources

When understaffed HR departments are tasked with too many projects, talent acquisition tends to get pushed to the side. Did I mention it’s time-consuming? Professional IT recruiters will use their time and resources to provide research, advertising, job postings, sourcing, responses/feedback, screening, qualifying, reference checking, scheduling/coordination of interviews, skills testing, credit checks, background investigations, educational verification, drug testing, EEOC compliance and immigration/naturalization related issues. With all those nitty, gritty details out of the way, you and your team can focus on completing other important tasks.

Trusted advisors

IT recruitment firms know the market well by keeping up with the latest technology trends. If you’re having trouble filling a particular position, they can review your expectations (required skills, salary range, job responsibilities, etc.) to make sure they’re realistic and offer recommendations that will help attract the right candidates.

Vast resources

Professional IT recruiters source candidates from a proprietary database built around years of gathered information, as well as job boards, social media postings, industry trade shows and referral pipelines.

IT recruiters are specialized in finding IT professionals. That’s all they do.

Recruiting the right IT professionals requires a higher level of training and knowledge compared to finding talent in other industries. When you work with an IT recruitment firm, you’ll receive an entire team of team of recruiters specialized in finding tech professionals.

About the Author

Shelley Casino
Shelley CasinoDirector of Recruiting
Shelley Casino is a director of recruiting at Odyssey Information Services where she focuses on training, delivery and development. With more than 20 years of technical recruiting experience, Shelley credits her success to understanding the recruiting process and ever-changing IT market and valuing relationships to ensure each candidate is a good fit for the client’s culture and goals.