IT recruitment trends in USA
The lack of skilled IT workers is hurting the deployment of emerging technology, according to a new survey from Gartner. In areas from cloud to cybersecurity, this crisis is expected to last for years to come.
According to Modis, an IT staffing firm, there will be a 12% increase in
tech employment, by the year 2024. The firm foresees an addition of 488,500
jobs by 2024.
With companies actively hiring
IT professionals for the past two years, the talent war for skilled
professionals has now raged again. Significant trends have been evolving across
the IT recruitment landscape, especially pertaining to roles available and
recruitment practices to hire for them.
Niche roles take center stage
As digital technologies are getting more and more integrated with our
lives, businesses are transforming and evolving to adapt them and take
advantage of the opportunities they provide. This has led to emergence of
specialised roles, within the gamut of IT and demand for professionals who can
assume these roles is on rise. Roles
like Web Developer, System Analyst, Data Scientist, Digital Strategist and
Information Security Administrator are now at the forefront of IT recruitment.
CareerCast, a job-hunting site scrutinised its database to identify the
top 6 jobs that would be in demand through 2024. The site projects the demand
for Web developers increased by 27%. Computer systems analysts and Information
security analysts are next with 21% and 18% hike in demand. Job openings for
Software engineers, Data scientists and Network administrators are expected to
grow by 17%, 16% and 8%. An interesting fact to note here is that these roles
mean different depending on the sector they are in. So, recruiters need to pay
additional attention while translating client needs into skill requirements and
selecting the most suitable candidates.
At senior levels, companies are seeing a need for Chief Digital Officers
and Chief Security Officers.
Business communication skills are necessary
Till recently, a technical expert was expected to have strong technical
skills and reasonable communication skills. Today, the equation between a
technical expert and his clients has changed. With the pressure mounting on
businesses to explore and tap opportunities provided by digital channels, the
IT expert is expected to lead the client through the technology adoption. This is a continuous process. Given the
changed equation, technology experts are expected to possess effective
communication skills, to be able to factor into how the clients can interact
with the digital channels and tap them to full potential.
Communication is also about channels used to communicate. ‘Digital
natives’, born in an era where digital communication is the norm, can
effortlessly manoeuvre through and use the digital channels. When they have to
interact with Gen X or Y over traditional channels, issues may crop up. There
is no reason why these digital natives cannot adapt traditional channels as
well.
Be a Cyber Security expert or a Digital expert, translating and
communication technology requirements to the client is in his bucket. So in 2017, communication skills would
feature heavily on requirements for a technical expert.
Companies realign their recruitment strategies
IT recruitment strategies that yielded good results are now obsolete. If
companies are keen on hiring graduates from a particular university or degree,
they will lose the right talent to competition.
It is time to realign IT recruitment strategies and hire candidates
based on competence than academic background. Technical testing can be of great
help in this direction. Also, gone are the days when IT experts would sell
themselves to the company. In 2017, it is the companies that have to sell their
job to competent IT experts.
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