The tech sector has undergone significant changes in hiring practices due to the impact of the pandemic. The job market for technology is projected to experience a substantial growth rate of 13% between 2020 and 2030, surpassing the combined growth rate of other occupations, which is expected to be 8%.
To drive innovation in the healthcare sector, there is a growing demand for skilled tech talent. However, hiring for technical roles in this highly competitive labor market has become a significant challenge for organizations.
A survey conducted by Indeed, which involved approximately 1,000 tech recruiting managers and recruiters, revealed that up to 90% of the respondents faced difficulties in finding and hiring technical talent. Furthermore, more than a third of the participants described the process as “extremely” difficult.
3 Strategies to Hire for Competitive Tech Roles
Given the immense competition for skilled tech professionals, companies need effective strategies to expedite the hiring process and secure top talent. By implementing the following strategies, organizations can excel at hiring for technical roles within no time:
1. Collaborate with Existing Employees to Find Top Tech Talent
HR leaders often struggle to find the ideal candidates for their organizations. To overcome this challenge, it is crucial to leverage the expertise and networks of your existing technical team.
Encourage your technical team to actively participate in conferences, forums, hackathons, and open-source campaigns where they can connect with experienced professionals and expand your talent pool. Collaborating with industry experts provides opportunities to network and acquire potential candidates through their referrals.
Additionally, fostering a “like-minded people” culture within your IT team can attract talented individuals from their network who align with your company’s values and goals.
Another effective strategy is hosting gamification webinars wherein participants are presented with technically challenging problems to solve. This approach allows you to assess their problem-solving skills and technical expertise.
Ricky Sahu, CEO of 1upHealth, suggests giving your team the freedom to use cutting-edge technologies to tackle problems, which not only helps recruit suitable technical experts but also demonstrates your commitment to innovation.
To identify applicants with essential technical skills and competencies, consider creating a technological environment on your online testing platform. This modern technology enables you to assess candidates effectively and immerse them in a challenging atmosphere. By subjecting applicants to tests tailored to your company’s requirements, you can evaluate their abilities and determine the best fit for your organization.
2. Utilize Tools to Streamline Processes When Hiring for Technical Roles
Over half (53%) of respondents in a recent Indeed survey admit to hiring tech talent that doesn’t meet job description requirements due to a sense of urgency, indicating a lack of skills among hiring managers in identifying competent candidates.
Furthermore, 75% of respondents state that the time required to fill tech positions has increased over the past three years.
To address these challenges, recruiters can leverage code challenges as a valuable tool to assess the technical aptitude and expertise of non-traditional applicants. According to 92% of U.S. companies, performance on programming tasks holds significant importance in evaluating technical talent.
By administering skills tests, hiring managers can gain empirical insights into how applicants would perform on the job.
Investing in advanced hiring technology can significantly enhance the speed, reliability, and impartiality of your recruitment process while identifying talent that may be overlooked by less sophisticated tools. Consider adopting a unique platform that connects companies, regardless of size, with the best technical talent nationwide.
For instance, an AI-powered coding interview tool can assess an applicant’s coding aptitude based on overall code quality and logical correctness, rather than focusing solely on completion. This approach adds a human touch to the evaluation process while ensuring fair assessment.
By embracing the right hiring technology, recruiters can streamline their processes, increase efficiency, and effectively identify top tech talent.
Implementing these strategies and leveraging appropriate tools will help healthcare industry leaders recruit and retain the finest tech candidates, mitigating recruiting shortages and fostering a culture of innovation within their organizations.
3. Focus on Work Experience and Skills, Not just Education
The narrow definition of a “high-quality candidate” based solely on educational background poses a significant barrier to employment in the technology sector. Currently, it is common practice in the computer industry to prioritize candidates from prestigious colleges and universities when evaluating technical abilities.
A recent study revealed that 24% of respondents highly valued education from an Ivy League school.
However, this approach overlooks talented individuals from technical colleges that emphasize coding and software engineering. These candidates may lack a comprehensive understanding of the sector but possess valuable skills.
In fact, in the past year, the number of resumes mentioning experience from “code boot camps” has nearly doubled.
Relying solely on educational credentials presents a limited perspective on what a tech expert is capable of achieving, as it disregards significant soft skills. This recruitment strategy narrows your pool of potential hires and diminishes the chances of discovering a qualified candidate who may already be exploring other opportunities. Many experienced computer experts may lack famous degrees but possess extensive work experience in the field, gained through hands-on, real-world interactions with past employers.
By solely focusing on a candidate’s academic history, you risk overlooking excellent hires who possess a strong combination of soft skills and subject-matter knowledge. To overcome these challenges and find suitable tech candidates, a more comprehensive approach is necessary.
Start by evaluating non-educational factors, such as soft skills and credentials that may not frequently appear on a résumé. Assess qualities like communication skills, temperament, and teamwork, which are crucial to a candidate’s success.
According to a majority of businesses (58%), soft skills are deemed important when evaluating technical talent. Additionally, almost four out of five businesses (77%) consider prior work experience as the most important factor in determining technical competency.
To optimize your hiring process and attract top tech talent, consider partnering with BenchPoint, a health tech recruitment agency.
We specialize in finding qualified candidates and can help expedite your hiring process. With our expertise, you can overcome the challenges of locating skilled tech professionals and entice them to join your company.
By focusing on work experience, skill sets, and soft skills alongside educational qualifications, you will broaden your candidate pool and increase the likelihood of finding exceptional hires.
Embracing a comprehensive approach to recruitment will allow you to identify tech talent that possesses a well-rounded blend of qualifications and contribute to the success of your organization.