How to Mind the (Tech Employment) Gap
With 42% of the total workforce being 1099 workers, independent contractors or freelancers, and 90% of companies moving to a blend of full-time and freelance employees, contracting work has continually increased in recent years. These contract positions allow both companies and candidates the freedom, flexibility and production both sides are looking for in a work arrangement.
Note: This is a partial section of Motion Recruitment’s 2022 State of Tech Employment, an in-depth guide focusing exclusively on the Enterprise tech hiring market. With expert insights and compensation data for IT Job titles across North America, this guide is free to download. Click here to get your copy today.
How to Leverage Contracting for Efficient Hiring
Rethink your Requirements: Companies that spend their time looking for the perfect candidate without flexibility end up wasting time, not filling vital roles, and missing out on potential matches. As the saying goes, don’t let perfect get in the way of good. 50% of organizations will still hire a developer even with a mismatch between role and candidate. Don't use traditional notions of what it means to be qualified for a role and instead hone in on the most necessary elements.
Hire for Exactly What You Need: For specific one-time projects, hire for a specialized contract role for a short period of time instead of hiring someone whose skills might not be needed long-term once the task is completed. Instead of looking for a unicorn, consider a specialist who can get it done – now.
Read More: Why More Tech Workers and Companies are Choosing Contracting
Start Your Project Fast: As a tech professional or hiring manager, take advantage of shorter interview processes and faster ramp-up times to get a project off the ground. Plan accordingly, particularly with a recruiting partner, on how to seamlessly achieve quicker onboarding and any training needed.
Save Time, Improve Candidate Experience: Leverage long-term contracts or extensions for a better candidate experience. With an agency footing the bill for health benefits, candidates have similar benefits to a full-time role without costing a company overhead expense. With many contract roles being filled by staffing agencies vs in-house, save time by avoiding combing through resumes and a drawn-out interview process for someone who will not be full-time and focus on other important tasks inside the company.
Beyond Contracting: How to Stand Out to Talent in a Crowded IT Marketplace
Out of the Box Recruiting: Diversify your team and sourcing process at the same time: leverage AI technology or diversity recruiting partners, consider a neurodiversity program, or connect with historically black or Hispanic-serving institutions to expand your candidate pool. In fact, contract workers offer an opportunity to diversify: 60% of contractors are female and over half are from communities of color. Additionally, look beyond a degree. Many HR professionals are no longer requiring 4-year degrees, looking instead for hands-on experience, apprenticeships and alternative trainings like LaunchCode or advanced certifications.
Read More: IT Workers Expect Major Salary Bumps, Flexibility and Growth in 2022
Cultivate a Culture of Learning: 91% of tech workers are looking for skills improvement opportunities. Take the time to learn and build up the necessary skillsets going into 2022. Invest in specialty skills with an in-house training and certification program or find an external option, and then hire capable developers or candidates without every single desired skill on contract as a trial. By investing in robust training programs, companies can help both temporary and perm employees expand their skillset and give them support in their career development, letting them grow into a more senior or specialized role.
Focus on specific areas: While there is an overall talent gap, some sectors have been hit harder than others. Companies continue to struggle to fill DevOps and Cybersecurity roles, with specific programming languages like Python in high demand as well. Finding contractors with abilities in specific fields that you need, rather than every skill, will be that much more valuable to your project by easing technical gaps on your team.
To gain more insights into the tech enterprise world and see salary trends for job titles across all IT specialties, download your free 2022 Enterprise State of Tech Employment today.