In the present labor market, recruitment is one of the top challenges organizations are facing. With candidate expectations going beyond traditional considerations like compensation, organizations need to change their recruitment strategy to attract top talent. To improve talent attraction, selection, and the overall applicant experience, IT must work with HR by becoming involved at crucial stages. To assist organizations in their efforts to encourage and support IT departments’ participation in the recruitment process, global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has released its timely, research-backed blueprint Improve Your IT Recruitment Process.
According to Info-Tech’s research, 37% of IT departments are outsourcing roles to fill internal skill shortages. Although social media is an exceptional platform for talent recruitment, its proliferation and use by most organizations have made it overcrowded. As a result, organizations are directly competing for talent with industry competitors. Info-Tech advises that organizations must focus on key programs and tactics to improve the effectiveness of their approach to sourcing talent.
The firm’s blueprint indicates that the way an organization is positioned impacts who is likely to apply to posted job opportunities. Therefore, creating an intentional employee value proposition (EVP) is vital to showcase an organization’s unique benefits and opportunities. A purposeful EVP allows organizations to attract a wider pool of candidates and can lead to many internal and external benefits, as well.
In addition to a clear EVP, creating engaging job ads to attract talent is crucial in the recruitment process. With most candidates using mobile platforms for the job hunt, ads must be clear, concise, and easily viewed on a mobile device. Job postings need to paint an accurate picture of key aspects of the role while avoiding the granular details, as this may overwhelm applicants.
Offering employee referral programs, in which employees get some form of reward if their referral candidate is hired, is another effective tactic to hire talent. However, it is important to keep in mind that referrals can hinder diversity because employees tend to recommend people like themselves.
Info-Tech’s latest blueprint outlines how IT leaders can work alongside HR to build an effective and efficient IT recruitment process and a great candidate experience:
- Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and Employer Brand – Define and communicate the unique benefits of working for the organization to potential candidates through a strong employer brand.
- Job Postings and a Strong Sourcing Program – Use best practices to create attractive job postings to attract the right candidates and build a strong sourcing program.
- Effective Interviewing – Create a high-quality interview process to improve candidate interview, assessment, and offer processes.
- Onboarding New Hires for Success – Drive employee engagement and retention with a robust program that acclimates, guides, and develops new hires.
To meet growing candidate expectations, Info-Tech recommends that organizations change how they source talent. While the focus on the candidate experience is important throughout the talent acquisition process, social media, technology, and candidate values have made it a critical component of sourcing.
To learn more, download Info-Tech’s Improve Your IT Recruitment Process blueprint.
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