How to Fill Your Talent Gap Faster with Technology Staffing

8 Tips and One Golden Secret to Discovering the Skills You Need Fast

Technology staffing is a continuous requirement for your tech business to survive, create, innovate, and thrive. But it’s no mean feat, and particularly challenging to achieve at speed.

According to research by PwC, a decade ago in 2012, 53% of CEOs had concerns over the availability of tech skills. That percentage has since increased to 79%.

Then came the pandemic – an avalanche of business change blanketed the globe. 40% of tech companies required and hired more staff to meet demand, and 66% have plans to continue adding to their staffing.

A combination of skills shortage and the need to grow your business means you must act swiftly in technology staffing. Here’s how.

1.    Develop Your Talent Pipeline

A talent pipeline is an organized system that helps companies locate and develop potential employees from within the company and externally. Its purpose is to identify, hire, nurture, and retain high-potential employees by providing them with opportunities, resources, and training. This reduces staff attrition, develops skills faster, and helps prepare businesses for future vacancies.

2.    Nurture Connections

If you discover talented candidates, always invest in nurturing that connection. For example, if you have two final candidates, continue to show an interest for the candidate you did not onboard this time, for future need. Some skilled candidates may also turn down your opportunity, or even leave your organization. Staying in touch is time-consuming and requires commitment, but may provide you with the skills you need in the future.

3.    Have a Referral Program

Your employees are your company’s most valuable asset. They know your company inside and out, and have strong relationships with both colleagues and customers.

An employee referral scheme can help gain a competitive advantage over other companies by attracting talented employees through word of mouth, and they come vouched for.

4.    Establish a Slick Hiring Process

Hiring can be a lengthy and time-consuming process – but it mustn’t be, or you risk losing your best candidates to fast-acting competitors. You must outline strict deadlines, actions, and timelines for each stage of the process, including scheduling, interviewing, and communicating. Doing so will ensure you waste less time hiring, and reduce the risk of losing the talent you need.

5.    Improve Your Job Description

Ensure your job description is up to date and reflects your current requirements to successfully fulfil the post. Be concise and strict with the criteria to ensure less qualified candidates self-eliminate, while giving an inviting and appealing reason for the best candidates to apply.

6.    Hire for Project-Based Skills

Certain tech skillsets come at a cost because they’re in demand (and therefore hard to source). Strongly consider hiring on a temporary contract to maximize your team’s skillset to reach deadlines with quality, without the burden of employing someone permanently during project work.

(You may discover you want to keep hold of them after the project close, which is an option with NexTech Solutions.)

7.    Test Ability Before Interviewing

While soft skills are crucial to ensure you hire the right individual for your culture, technical ability is a priority for many technology jobs. Test this with virtual assessments that candidates can do without impacting your time, so that technical ability is assessed prior to interview. Test days in person are costly, but certainly worth doing to avoid a poor hire.

8.    Treat Candidates Like Customers

If your hiring process is slick as we’ve already recommended, you’re on the right track. Additionally, don’t be off guard with your candidates, instilling fear and unwelcomeness into the relationship.

Instead, invite them into your organization and show them why they should join you. Introduce them to their potential new team. Communicate throughout the process, and give them a reason to want to be a part of an exciting partnership and ‘work family’.

9.    Your Top Tip: Partner with the Experts and Let Us Bring You the Solution

Your final game-changing tip in hiring top skills faster is to partner with a specialist staffing agency. Many of the above tips will help you hire faster in the future, to prepare for your technology staffing needs – but it’s a tough and costly method that requires commitment and time today for success some time in the future.

Here at NexTech Solutions, we have spent many years expertly mining the most skilled talent in technology today, and keeping those connections sparking.

We take time to understand your unique business technology staffing requirements and fill the voids, providing rigorous effort in a strategic approach to ensure your business is quick to respond to its need for talent. Contact NexTech Solutions now and discover the talent your team needs.