Trends that will shape the IT staffing industry in the next few years
The IT services sector is a dynamic market that requires constant upgradation of skills and technical abilities on the part of the employees. Since the influx of disruptive technologies such as IoT(Internet of Things), AI(Artificial Intelligence), etc, IT staffing companies are looking for talent that is knowledgeable and adaptive. However, in addition to searching for the apt hard skills, there are many staffing trends that are ideal going forward. The following are a few of the most viable ones that should be considered:
AI driven technology
Importance to soft-skills
Flexible workforce
Social media in staffing
Pursuing passive candidates
Reskilling
Diversity
Locating the apt sources and reaching out to them can also be more effective with the help of this technology. In addition to this, AI can be used for enhancing the whole interview process. It can be used in designing the apt tests/questions based on the role a specific candidate has applied for. The development of several tools to help IT staffing industry in spotting the ideal candidate at any given time has made it easier and less time-consuming. These include remote interview processes for talent that is located elsewhere. Instead of spending time and money for getting the talent to the acquisition center, it works well for everyone involved to carry out the process remotely, and be able to do it efficiently. Tasks such as recovering profiles from the existing talent pool is also made simpler with AI and several HR Management companies have adopted this system.
As important it is to spot talent with the perfect hard skills for the opportunity, it is equally significant to find resources with soft-skills, if not more. These include effective communication skills, emotional intelligence, empathy towards others, ability to work within a team and certain personality traits which make the candidate perfect in the long run. It is a fact that most of the hard skills can be taught on the job. However, soft skills are inherent and can take the candidate a long way in the said organization.
Every project is time bound. There are certain employees that become redundant when the project gets completed. In such situations, hiring freelancers or contract based employees makes sense. Most of the western countries have embraced a flexible workforce system. In addition to it being conducive for the said entity, the candidates are also able to enjoy a flexible work schedule and pursue tasks that interest them the most.Though temporary staffing is the need of the hour, several companies convert the contract workers into full-timers should it work for the betterment of both the parties involved
Platforms such as LinkedIn offer hiring companies as well as candidates a chance to connect with each other. There are many people who have found the perfect matches in social media platforms such as this. The sheer number of people who use them makes it easier to form connections and find job seekers as well as recruiters in one place.
There are employees who are happy in their current roles and do not pursue any changes actively. However, given an opportunity that offers them a better compensation structure, they would gladly take it up. Pursuing such passive candidates has helped many IT service providers in getting the perfect fit for their requirements.
Updating the skills of the existing employees so that they are able to meet the changing demands of customers is gaining momentum in IT companies. This is cost-effective and helps in keeping up employee engagement. Those employees who are looking to upskill themselves and get retained in the Company that they are working in, can peruse this option.
Having a diverse workforce is the norm. Including people from varied geographic regions, cultures and ages, for example, is being considered by IT companies from around the world. This will give rise to an inclusive and extensive employee base at any given point in time.
All of the above trends are being conceived as being the future of the IT staffing industry. A few entities have already taken them on successfully. They are meant to bridge the gap between the job seekers and recruiters in the best possible manner.