Has Your Company Developed a Long-Term Game Plan in IT Hiring and Retention?

Creating hiring goals is often a short-term game; companies have vacancies today, and they need skilled IT employees filling those positions as soon as possible. But there is more to hiring than just getting the candidate that will work well right now. There also needs to be consideration given to how valuable that individual will ultimately be over the next five, 10, or more years. How do businesses create a long-term game plan for IT hiring? By eliminating workforce planning gaps, creating larger organizational hiring and retention goals, and focusing on long-term strategy.

Current Challenges in IT Hiring

Many companies focus on the needs of today based on the challenges associated with finding suitable tech candidates to fill vacancies. Unemployment within the IT field is significantly lower than the national average. Couple that with a shrinking workforce, especially when looking for candidates that possess advanced skills, and it’s no wonder businesses act quickly when they think they find the right person to meet their immediate need.  But this is where a lack of long-term planning can do the most damage.

While a business may offer a strong compensation package to attract the right candidate for today, they don’t always have a plan to retain the employee over the long-term or to help that employee grow to meet the continuously shifting needs of the business as the company grows and develops. And shortcomings in these areas have organizations returning to the job market to meet the needs that could have been managed by current employees if the right plans were in place.

Big Picture Hiring

Instead of hiring reactively, consider hiring proactively. Think beyond immediate need and choose candidates who will have potential to grow with the position, department or business as a whole instead. Often, this involves examining applicants based on the skills they bring to the table today as well as their ability to continuously learn and develop on a professional level.

These efforts need to be coupled with concrete plans for motivating and retaining top employees. Typically, providing opportunities to obtain training and education, including through the use of mentoring programs, has been shown to increase employee engagement. And engaged workers are more likely to be satisfied with their work and stay with an employer over the long-term.

Maintaining a Pipeline

It is also valuable to keep the candidate pipeline open indefinitely instead of only seeking talented individuals based on current vacancies. By remaining vigilant you have the opportunity to secure the right employees as soon as they become available, even if there isn’t a specific vacancy at the time.

Often, this can be managed by keeping referral programs active and having recruiters constantly looking for job seekers who can provide significant value to the company. This can be accomplished using internal resources as well as by associating with a professional recruitment firm.

Partner with a Top IT Recruiter

If you are actively looking for new IT employees to fill current vacancies or just want to keep the pipeline open, the recruitment professionals at Validity Solutions have the expertise required to get the job done right. Contact us and see how we can ease the strain of hiring tech employees in today’s market.