The more technology is incorporated into our daily lives, the higher the demand for quality tech talents and tech jobs in the market. However, this increasing demand has also impacted the ability of the workforce to meet the skills and experience that is required, which is a large reason why the tech talent shortage happens. The lack of interested applicants is also a major diver for this phenomenon. A survey conducted by the ManpowerGroup shows that, globally, an average of 45% of employers are unable to find the skills that they require. IT skills also rank amongst the top 10 in-demand roles all over the world.
There are ways to address this issue, methods that companies can implement effectively and no longer worry about their sustainability. With these methods it staffing and developer recruitment will be a breeze, even managing a PHP developer remotely or a distributed team for a web development project will help bolster the tech talent pool of your company.
How Do We Boost our Numbers?
There are a number of ways to address, if not prevent, tech talent shortage.
Improving Recruitment Practices
In response to the rising demand for tech talents, companies that recruit for IT staffing often lean on credentials with solid expertise in tech practices or disciplines. They often expect tech talents to come in with a full package of skills, experience, and understanding of their company development needs. This tends to be detrimental in the long run.
To improve IT staffing recruitment, hiring developers should not only focus on the fullness of credentials but lean more towards mastery of core skills for tech jobs. With mastery of core skills, there is a potential for transferable skills to other kinds of similar practices and shows that the IT staff is capable of adapting to changes in technological progress and needs of the company. In this case, the best recruits – whether new graduates or established professionals – are those that show:
- Strong background and understanding of core tech or IT principles – development processes and paradigms.
- Inclination towards learning or adapting to new technology or practices.
To illustrate, in hiring PHP developers, companies should look for strong web development skills. They may not necessarily be PHP-trained, but has a strong understanding of core paradigms of MVC and web development to be able to translate their skills to using PHP.
Regular Financial Reviews
As the demand for tech talent increase, corresponding costs have also become more competitive. With the number of companies and individuals providing tech services all over the world, software development costs have also become competitive. Within a company, it is good practice to regularly review operational and development costs, as well as tech staff salaries. Reviewing costs against current market standards and benchmarks presents a company that is aware of the competitive market and is able to compensate their people and invest in the tools necessary for the sustainability of their company.
Providing Continuous Learning Opportunities
With technology Aside from strong expertise in core tech skills, tech recruits should also exhibit willingness, even eagerness, to learn. This will give you the opportunity to hire developers with the core skills needed for your project but are capable of learning future skills necessary for your development needs. Your tech staff will show that they have the capacity and drive to learn and build skills as they grow with the company.
In this technological age, continuous learning has become a cornerstone in skills and capacity development not only for tech graduates but also for established experts that are invested in growing with the demands of the times. Companies implementing such mechanisms show that, whether they are established in their field or not, they are not afraid to meet the needs of society in this growing age. This shows a growth mindset not only on the company as an institution but also in the people that keep it strong. With continuous learning, new tech graduates are able to build on their skills, experience, and professional portfolio. While established or high-level professionals are able to move to a better professional level or laterally to another practice or division in the workforce. Continuously learning and developing skills in the workforce also prevent knowledge stagnation in the organization.
Explore Staff Augmentation Methods
The most common approach to addressing the tech talent shortage is to hire more people. This can be an immediate solution to the tech talent shortage of a company.
Local Recruitment
The most common approach that companies apply in order to bolster their IT staffing is to open recruitment locally. This way, recruitment is more manageable for the company since they are focused on how to hire a developer within their immediate location. Companies have the advantage of focusing resources on hiring locally. With this method, the company is able to hire developers that are already familiar with their company. Local recruitment is made easier by posting through various local job portals, as well as spreading advertisements and call for applicants in the area. Interested candidates can immediately send their application and be screened by the company, which reduces the recruitment processing time.
Remote Team Collaboration
Globalization and the internet have provided opportunities for companies to hire dedicated developers from all over the world and invest in remote team collaboration. Being able to recruit and work with remote developers – such as nearshore teams and distributed teams – expands the talent pool that companies have. This also brings in diversity in skills and experience.
Although this approach is great, there are factors that may impact the overall team productivity and efficiency. How to manage a remote team is one such factor. Remote team collaboration calls for companies to apply alternative project management tools and practices. Tools like remote team management software and the wide variety of remote team communication tools that are available in the market help. With such tools, communication and collaboration is improved, which then enhances team efficiency.
Why Do We Need To Address Tech Talent Shortage?
Tech talent shortage greatly impacts a company. This can impede a company’s growth or progress in the ever-growing technological age. Companies and professionals can no longer stay as they are; growth and the ability to adapt to change is necessary to survive and prosper in this age. New graduates need to build and acquire skills and experience to establish themselves in their choose fields, while established or high-level professionals need to learn to adapt to the changing demands. To address the tech talent shortage in a company is to strengthen its foundation. With tech talent becoming the bread and butter of companies, the stronger the tech skills and capacity of a company the strong they are.
