Hiring top talent in IT

A scarce skill is a qualification or job in which there are too few people qualified in it, in South Africa, IT is one of them. According to one of our specialist IT recruitment consultants, development skills such as C#, PHP, Java, and Front End (JavaScript) are scarce and currently in high demand. With such a war on IT talent, how can local employers secure scarce development skills?

Show them which problems they are going to solve
In a recent whitepaper, '15 ways to Attract and Repel Top Tech Talent' experts said 'the best technologists do not define themselves by programming languages instead as phenomenal problem solvers, who use the right tools for the job. Beyond their titles, these developers love solving complex problems, being part of the solution and bigger picture in an organization.'

Use this as a standpoint and show them which new problems they are going to solve - that may not be in their current scope of work. Coupled with your company's core differentiators, it might be incentives, a great environment, or growth opportunities. Remember that they have nothing to lose if they decide not to join your company, they are highly skilled and in demand. Therefore, your strategy to bring them on board has to be solid and your offer undeniably great. 

Focus on soft skills
In the event you do not find your candidate with the exact requirements, shift your focus to soft skills as hard skills can be taught. Look for someone who can do the job with a bit of training and practice. You want people with soft skills that have a good idea of what they are capable of and how that fits into an organization and how it should be communicated with other colleagues.

IT people without soft skills can alienate their colleagues. Teamtreehouse.com reckons that some 'tech geniuses' do not understand that the rest of 'us' have limitations. Therefore, you want soft skills such as; good communication and patience, someone who can break down complicated powerful technology to the rest of the team and not want to work in isolation because they are great. 

Include 'techies' in the hiring process
Making a hiring decision is one of the most important decisions a hiring manager gets to make, 'it's the closest they get to controlling the company's destiny.' On the other hand, the consequences of a bad hire can haunt the company for years even after the person in question has left the organization. Therefore, the importance of making the right hiring decision cannot be underestimated.

Find one or two people who are technology savvy in your company and ask them to be part of the hiring process. From writing the job description through to the final interviews and selection. This person must understand your company's technological needs and how they are going to evolve.

Top-skilled candidates are the lifeblood of an organization and you want to make sure that when the opportunity to seize them arises you grab them with both hands. They are an investment, especially if they have a rare combination of skills.

Communicate Recruitment's tech-savvy IT recruitment division knows this ever-changing landscape inside out and we are known to perfectly pair candidate and technology. If you are looking for a great candidate in IT, we can help. Register your vacancies with us or visit our website to learn more. ​