Finding the Right Fit in IT: Hard but Not Impossible

You just need to work with the right partner...

As emerging technologies become widely adopted in all industries, the need for knowledgeable IT professionals that possess a portfolio beyond what is often referred to as “technology-savvy skills” becomes crucial. Being aware of the latest flavors of emerging technologies and being capable of making innovation part of an organization’s long-term business strategy for continuous success are two very different competencies. The fact that they often get confused is probably one reason technical recruiting is harder than sourcing resources for other specialties.

In addition to the common misunderstanding between “tech savvy” and “technically sound”, other skills that are crucial to a successful hire in IT often get disregarded. HR professionals call them “soft skills” or “people skills” and they are considered as relevant as a candidate’s technical background. These skills refer to a person’s ability to integrate easily in the company culture and to communicate effectively in cross-functional teams. Unfortunately, soft skills are generally scarce in the tech talent pool of candidates.

This is not a recent phenomenon. For years, the lack of soft skills (communication and adaptability to change) has hindered IT pros from getting hired or being promoted. In a 2018 survey 60% of respondents identified leadership as the weakest soft skill among technology professionals. Effective communication among team members and across teams continues to be a serious challenge in a post-pandemic reality where the hybrid workplace and distributed environments are the norm.

Besides, determining if a candidate with solid technical credentials is the right fit for a given organization is harder than it sounds. We know this from experience: several of our clients turned to us for help for exactly this reason. They had been able to source candidates with the IT skills they were looking for through alternative recruiting platforms. Unfortunately, they had been unsuccessful in integrating them in their organizations. The result was continuous turn-over and time wasted in the onboarding of unsuitable candidates.

When the iShift IT staffing unit stepped in, we were able to bring them the right people with the right skills who fit right in their environment. A win-win for everyone.

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