Month: February 2023

The Benefits of Building a Diverse IT Team

Posted on by devore

Diversity is a core value for many organizations, and the IT team is no exception. A diverse IT team brings a variety of perspectives and experiences to the table, which can help you better meet the needs of your customers and create more innovative solutions.  Not only does having a diverse team bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to the table, but it can also be beneficial for the long-term success of any organization. But what are some of the specific benefits of building a diverse IT team? Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which diversity can improve your team’s performance.

A Wider Range of Experience and Skillsets

Having a diverse IT team means that you have access to a wider range of experience and skillsets. Whether it’s programming languages, hardware components, or software architecture, having employees from different backgrounds can help your whole team become more competent in their work. This allows for more efficient problem solving and quicker implementation of new technologies as well as strategies.

By diversifying your team members’ backgrounds, you can leverage different perspectives when facing a challenge

Harnessing Different Perspectives

IT teams are tasked with solving complex problems, often relying on creative solutions to get the job done. By diversifying your team members’ backgrounds, you can leverage different perspectives when facing a challenge. Each person will bring their own unique set of skills and experiences to the table, which can open up new ways of thinking about how to solve an issue. This kind of creative problem-solving can lead to more successful outcomes than if everyone on the team had the same background or experience level.

More Creative Solutions

Having people from varied backgrounds working together often leads to more creative solutions. Diversity encourages different perspectives on a problem, which can lead to better brainstorming sessions and innovative solutions that might not have been considered by an all-homogeneous group. Encouraging open dialogue between members with different backgrounds allows them to understand each other’s points of view and come up with creative solutions faster than if they were all coming from the same background.

Increased Innovation

In today’s technology-driven world, innovation is key for staying competitive in the market. By having employees from various backgrounds working together on projects, you increase your chances of success when it comes to developing new ideas or products that will appeal to a wider audience. People from different cultures often have unique insights into what might work well in certain markets due to their firsthand knowledge and understanding of those regions or communities—so having them involved in product creation could prove invaluable for any organization looking to stay ahead of the curve and innovate faster than its competitors.

Better Customer Service

When it comes to customer service, diversity plays an important role in creating a better experience for your customers. It’s natural for people to feel more comfortable talking to someone who they can relate to or has similar cultural or lifestyle experiences as them. Having a diverse team allows you to provide more tailored customer service that caters to each individual’s needs and preferences. Additionally, having employees from different cultures on board helps build trust with customers from other countries or regions—something that could be beneficial for businesses looking to expand internationally.

Having a diverse team allows you to provide more tailored customer service that caters to each individual’s needs and preferences

Conclusion:

Building a diverse IT team has many benefits including harnessing different perspectives when facing complex challenges, providing better customer service tailored specifically towards each individual customer’s needs, as well as increasing innovation through leveraging insights gained from employees with firsthand knowledge or experience with certain markets or communities around the world. All these benefits combine to create an environment where innovation flourishes and teams become more productive in their daily tasks. Investing in diversity is crucial for any organization looking for long-term success, so make sure you’re taking advantage of it!

How IT Managers Recruit and Retain the Best Team

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Remember when fax machines, file cabinets, and switchboards were the backbone of business communication? It wasn’t too long ago that most technology departments were comprised of a small team of techies responsible for troubleshooting and repairs. But IT departments today are undergoing tremendous growth and rapid change, presenting IT managers with a challenge. In fact, for many companies, IT is now less of an individual department, and more of an agile force driving every facet of business. Keeping your IT team as expansive and up-to-date as necessary requires constant oversight and is met with considerable competition. Here’s what IT project managers and development managers need to know when building an effective IT team

IT Staffing: The What, Who & Why

So, what does the IT staffing process look like in the current business climate? IT skills are now desirable in many industries and across all departmental lines. That means hiring is tough- there is a huge demand and a short supply of qualified tech professionals. More and more businesses are turning to IT staffing firms to help them. Take a look at how it works.

  • What is IT staffing? IT staffing companies are professional recruiters that source the best tech talent for a variety of industries, including short-term, long-term, or individual hires. They also compile entire teams, if needed, and have access to the brightest job seekers. They employ a rigorous screening process that produces candidates who best meet your requirements.
  • Who uses IT staffing? Virtually every company could use a little help acquiring the best IT talent, since demand currently exceeds supply. IT managers and project managers don’t have time to heavily recruit, or even keep up with the changing trends. IT staffing agencies bring you the best web developers, network engineers, cloud architects, and database administrators, just to name a few.
  • Why use an IT staffing company? IT recruiters have access to candidates proficient in all types of technology to customize your hire. They can also assemble entire teams in the time it might take you to hire a single employee. They perform all the legwork on aligning applicant experience, personality, and skills to your job listing, to weed out unqualified candidates.
It’s important to hire a team that aligns with your company’s schedule, workload, and budget

The Difference Between Full-Time Employees and Contractors

When it comes to staffing your IT team, you’ll need to decide whether to hire full-time employees or independent contractors, or even a combination of the two. It’s a great time to work in the IT industry, since applicants have multiple opportunities. So, it’s important to hire a team that aligns with your company’s schedule, workload, and budget.

Full-Time IT Employees- Full-time employees are hired to work a set schedule of hours per week and may be entitled to medical or government benefits. They often require on-the-job training and paid vacation, sick days, maternity, or medical leave. Some full-time employees have opportunity for promotion or retirement funds.

  • Risks- The changing industry means their jobs aren’t entirely safe, and they lack the versatile experience that comes with contracting at different job sites. Opportunities to advance may be limited, and time off may be hard to come by. It’s also difficult to keep current with emerging technology while holding a full-time position. They aren’t able to work seasonal hours or periods of growth without being paid overtime.
  • Benefits- FTEs are able to form more lengthy relationships with coworkers and become experts in their particular field. Some enjoy a sense of stability and value and may receive perks like health insurance and networking opportunities.

IT Contractors- IT Contractors are hired on an as-needed basis, to fulfill a specific job. Some jobs may last a day, while others go on for months, or even turn into long-term hires. Contractors typically set their own rates and hours and have a more flexible schedule, with a wider breadth of experience. They often work with a staffing agency to secure frequent employment and enjoy selecting the jobs that appeal to them.

  • Risks- Contractors must cover health costs on their own, and can lack a connection with your team. They have to be looking for the next job at all times, which can be daunting without a staffing firm. They often charge a higher rate than FTEs, but it usually comes with broader experience, as well.
  • Benefits- IT Contractors can fill in necessary gaps whenever and wherever you need them. They aren’t subject to a 9:00-5:00 schedule and don’t require costly extras like benefits, overtime, or paid time off. They help insure that there is no downtime in your company, even when staff members are away. With the ever-changing nature of technology, your growth may be hard to control. Hiring trained contractors to work on projects as needed is more efficient and cost-effective than bringing your whole staff up to speed. Contractors also work with a sense of urgency and a desire to please, since they rely on referrals and repeat customers.

It is an applicant’s market in the IT industry, making it tough to attract and obtain the top talent.

Solutions to the Top 5 IT Manager Pain Points

Whether you’re staffing a permanent team or heading up a short-term project, IT hiring presents several challenges for managers. It is an applicant’s market in the IT industry, making it tough to attract and obtain the top talent. Here are five of the challenges managers face, and ways to overcome them with the help of IT staffing firms.

  1. Recruiting top talent- IT help is in high demand across every industry. It’s challenging to not only locate but acquire the best of the best, with so many others vying for their attention. The solution is to let an IT staffing firm seek them out and attract them using their industry insight and reputation to boost the candidate’s interest. With multiple platforms of communication and countless connections, IT staffing groups reach the broadest audience.
  2. Finding a fit- It’s important that your employees have compelling resumes, but it’s also essential that they fit your specific needs. Applicants might know how to sail through an interview with you- providing stock answers of what they think you expect. But staffing firms are experienced in selecting an actual match for your team. They sort through the pile of applicants and present you with only the people you’d be interested in hiring.
  3. Employee retention- With so much to choose from in IT job listings, it’s easy for employees to jump ship. If you hire someone who’s not passionate about your company’s goals or is itching to advance too quickly, it might cause unnecessary turnover. IT staffing companies know how to select employees that are in sync with your purpose and mission. They are also experts at placing contractors in positions for exactly as long as you need them. Turnover is costly for companies, so contracting is a safer bet for IT hires.
  4. Managing growth- Technology is a burgeoning field, growing by unpredictable leaps and bounds. By the time IT managers hire and train a full-time employee, their skill set is practically outdated. In order to keep up with IT needs, managers need to partner with a firm who supplies them a steady stream of contractors to fill in the gaps. An employee who arrives on day one trained and ready prevents downtime and loss of revenue.
  5. Lack of time- Whether it’s time to train, time to interview, or time to lose, managers are constantly short on time. When you need an employee immediately, there’s no time to be picky. This leads to eventual firing or quitting if an employee is improperly screened. Let a professional staffing firm save you time and reduce that risk by taking the job off your hands.

Your IT team might be the most important component of your company today. Everything from marketing, to data storage, to communication is now fueled by IT skillsets. The needs are evolving and demand is high, but you want to hire quality candidates who will promote your brand, not just fill the spots. The best way to attract, obtain, and retain the strongest team is to partner with an IT staffing firm who knows how to get the job done.

Onboarding: The Forgotten Step

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In this day and age when finding the right talent is so difficult, particularly in technical fields, the onboarding process is a component of hiring that many organizations completely overlook. We spend a significant amount of time, energy and resources in identifying, recruiting and hiring just the perfect individuals. As most experienced managers have heard over and over; the most important and potentially costly decisions that we make are directly related to hiring. If you hire the right resources it can pay significant dividends for years to come, but if you swing and miss…that mistake can have just as significant of a negative effect on your organization and possibly your career. Onboarding new employees may seem like a less important step compared to the hiring process, but ensuring that the employee onboarding process is prioritized ensures that your new hires are well acquainted with the company culture, increases employee satisfaction and employee retention, and sets off your new hires on the right path.

We spend a significant amount of time, energy and resources in identifying, recruiting and hiring just the perfect individuals.

The Onboarding Process and Why It’s More Important Than You Think

For the purposes of this discussion, let’s assume that you have found the exact right person to add to your team. He or she has the perfect skill set to complement your team and is a strong cultural fit. You’ve interviewed no less than 10 people over the course of 2 months, complete with phone screens, in-person interviews and personality testing. You make a competitive offer and the new employee accepts. They now transition into your background screening process which may include criminal, drug and credit screens among potentially others. After all of this is completed, you schedule a start date and finally your hiring process is complete!

Deep sigh, it’s been a very long arduous process, but your sense of accomplishment is quite high.  Unfortunately, this is the point where many organizations drop the ball as hiring begins to transition to the onboarding process. While it is tempting to give your new employee their hire paperwork, employee handbook, and their badge and call it a day, it’s critical that your new hire is introduced to your company structure through a employee onboarding process flow. Otherwise, your efforts in finding the right new hire could yield less employee retention, employee satisfaction, and result in having to find another new employee all over again.

After all of this is completed, you schedule a start date and finally your hiring process is complete!

An Onboarding Program Is a First Impression

Just like in any new relationship, you only get one attempt to make a great first impression with your new employees. I contend that while the candidate is certainly gathering an impression of your organization during the interview process, the true first impression happens when your new hire walk in the front door. What does that first day, or even first week, look like for the new hire? Are they armed with knowledge for jumping into their new role prepared? Or is no onboarding process established, and are they handed their new hire paperwork, employee handbook, and thrown to the wolves?

What NOT to Do When Onboarding your New Hires

We’ve all experienced first days of work in our careers, and how many of us can think of a company whose employee onboarding process truly met our expectations? Most have had employee onboarding experiences similar to these examples:

  • General orientation for new employee onboarding to the company was not prepared or offered.
  • Workstation, cube or office for new hires was either undefined, unprepared or uninhabitable.
  • Hardware for new employees such as computers, phones or printers were not ready.
  • No communication to new hires of ground rules, basic expectations or initial assignments from your supervisor.
  • No training plan for new employees or training resources identified to help with your transition.
  • No specific welcome to new hires had been prepared such as introductions or team lunch.

These are just a few examples of a bad employee onboarding process, and I am quite sure there are many other examples of employee onboarding horror stories. The emotional change that situations like this can have on a new hire is significant. Their thought process can very quickly change from being excited and eager to join a great new organization and company culture, to having an oh-sh*t moment of wondering about what a huge career mistake they’ve made.

In a period of less than 1 week, your company’s bad employee onboarding process destroyed the good will that you obtained during the hiring process and may have turned a potential long-time employee into a short timer. Obviously, you hope your culture, your work environment and the career opportunities that your organization offers will ultimately win back the sentiments of your new hire over time, but in the competitive environment of today, can we really afford to wait?

The emotional change that situations like this can have on a new hire is significant.

How to Make Your New Employee Feel Right at Home

Creating a set of standards for an effective onboarding process for new employees is easier than you think and is the final piece in ensuring your new hire is here for the long haul and will perform at their best capacity. While every new hire is different and has their own preferences, these steps ensure that they are well prepared for their new role throughout the entire process.

Pre-Board as Much As Possible

Provide as much general information as possible before their first day. This can include brief introductions to who they will be meeting with during their onboarding process their first week, a schedule, a list of subjects that will be covered, a new employee checklist, or any other light reading material they can scan before their first day at your company. This establishes a trusting relationship before they even walk through the door and gives them a sense of structure so they’re not worried about being unprepared. Remember, they want to make a good first impression too, so provide any general info they would want in order to give them the tools to do so.

Provide Paperwork Before Your New Hire’s First Day

The First Day for any new employee will be a flurry of important information that they will need focus and time to process. Allowing your new employee the time before this to fill out any paperwork will allow them to focus on the job duties, feel prepared, and know that they are a part of an effective onboarding process.

Introduce Your New Hire to the Team, and Give Your New Hire a Go-To For Questions

Giving your new employee an overall scope of the Team and who does what is a quick and easy way to integrate them into the organization. If they know how everything works, and how existing team members contribute, they will immediately envision themselves as a part of the bigger picture. The onboarding process can be confusing at first, so letting your new employee know who they will be working with and who they can ask if they have questions provides security and agency into their role.

Give Your New Employee Something to Look Forward To

Who says that a new employee’s first day has to be boring? Put yourself in their shoes: when your new company gives you a warm welcome, wouldn’t you be significantly more invested and excited about your new role? Whether it’s catered lunch, or icebreaking activities, it’s good to give your new employee an introduction not just to the role, but to the team and the company’s culture. Think about your new employee onboarding process not as adding another cog to a machine, but instead as welcoming another thinker to a collective.

Final Thoughts

The onboarding process is the critical final piece of the hiring process. Most companies do not have standard onboarding processes and rely on individual managers to design and perform the process. The problem with that approach is those same managers have their normal day to day duties to attend to, and it is very difficult to carve out time to focus on planning for employee onboarding. While some managers likely do this quite well, it is an afterthought with most.

Could it be time for organizations to take ownership of the onboarding process and standardize it in the manner that they would prefer to represent themselves? While investing time and effort into creating a good employee onboarding process may seem like extra work, it sets your company, and your new hire, up for success. Considering the costs and challenges associated with hiring good people, I believe taking the time to flesh out a good onboarding process for new employees would pay off ten times over. Remember, the first impression has lasting impact, and you only get one shot at it. Why not make it a good one?

Four Best Practices for Hiring Remote Workers

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The last few years have redefined what companies are willing to offer in terms of remote work arrangements. And for good reason – it’s growing in popularity among employees. According to Flex Jobs, one survey found that 97% of respondents favored either to fully work remotely or hybrid work model. Other research shows that 70% of companies are looking to move to hiring remote workers, or at least a hybrid environment.

From both an employer and employee perspective, embracing remote workers is both an optimal and beneficial move. When a company makes the decision to hire remote employees when appropriate, it majorly increases employee retention, as you are giving them agency as a remote worker. You’re saying that their time and energy is valuable. With all of this in mind, the question for employers then becomes: “How do we improve our hiring process to better attract remote workers?”

Let’s take a closer look at some best practices you can use when recruiting and hiring remote workers. Keep these in mind and you’ll be sure to bolster your workforce with remote candidates who aren’t just highly skilled but also offer a fit for your corporate culture.

From both an employer and employee perspective, embracing remote workers is both an optimal and beneficial move.

Pre-Interview: Distinguish Between Your Needs and Wants in a Remote Worker

While there are many aspects of hiring remote workers that differ from hiring someone for an in-person role, some elements remain the same. Prior to interviewing the candidate, build your checklist of skills, qualities, and experiences you’d like your ideal candidate to have. Sort these qualities into two lists: “must-have” and “nice to have.” The must-have list is all things your candidate needs to perform the job functions, while the nice-to-have list will be valuable but not necessary.

You’d do this with a more traditional candidate, but the fact that you’re hiring remote workers might influence what falls into each bucket. For example, in either scenario, you’d want someone who’s a strong communicator. That means something different for a remote worker who isn’t within view of the team daily. It’s more important for them to have a mastery of videoconferencing or other communication software like Zoom or Google Meet. Digital communication is a vital component to remote work, and it will be crucial to ensure that your remote employees are familiar with these modes of digital communication and conferencing.

Sort these qualities into two lists: “must-have” and “nice to have.”

Emphasize Candidate Centricity During the Process

The concept of candidate centricity means you’re placing the emphasis on the candidate throughout the process, centering them as someone you’re actively recruiting. You’re certainly giving them opportunities to show they’re right for the role, but ultimately, centricity is about focusing on the benefits to them. You’ll communicate that you are trying to prove yourself to them as well.

For a remote worker, this means creating the right experience for them. For one, you need to overcommunicate during the process. Keep them updated on where they stand regarding what kind of skilled talent your organization is looking for, where they are in the talent pool and interview process, and what open positions you are considering them for. Both hiring remotely and working remotely require more communication, as face-to-face conversation is not as frequent. To hire remote workers, it is important to show them that remote work will not mean disconnectedness, and further, show them that your remote workforce is an efficient one. Failure to do so could result in them pursuing another opportunity.

For hiring remote employees, it is also important to consider having multiple interviews via zoom or teams. Hiring remotely means every conversation is via email or scheduled video chat, so it may be easier to stay focused on specific conversations or tasks at hand if calls or conversations are increased. If you have multiple interviews with a remote candidate, explain who they’ll be speaking with each time and why you’re doing more than one. With hiring remote workers, you won’t have the benefit of a face-to-face interview. Helping them understand why you want to have multiple rounds remotely will allow them to feel like they’re being recruited rather than vetted or qualified. You’re less likely to turn them off and frustrate them, and additionally, you’re introducing them to your company’s remote workplace.

Focus on creating a seamless experience for your remote candidate. Provide them with a clear job description and salary range. At each step of the process, be transparent about where they stand and what the next steps look like. It’s often said that a company will never treat a better candidate than they do during the recruitment process. While this may not always be the case, they’re certainly evaluating how you’re treating them here. It’s best to make your remote candidates feel wanted.

Focus on creating a seamless experience for your remote candidate.

Be Flexible and Interview Remotely

This one should go without saying, but you should obviously be prepared to interview your remote workers remotely. Ask them if they are comfortable with a videoconference over a standard phone call. This allows you to observe more of their mannerisms and body language, which can be helpful in assessing a candidate. You’ll be able to better gauge how confident they are in their responses.

If they decline a video interview and opt for a phone call, don’t hold this against them.  Communicating remotely isn’t the same as doing so in the office, so you’ll want to be flexible with how comfortable employees are showing their home to an employer they haven’t agreed to join yet.

You’ll also want to be flexible in when you can interview them. If your remote candidate has a job, you may have to interview them in the early morning, late afternoon, or early evening. You can’t expect a candidate with a 9-5 to be able to meet whenever is most convenient for you. Show some leniency when scheduling and accommodate a time that works with their calendar.

If your remote candidate has a job, you may have to interview them in the early morning, late afternoon, or early evening.

Be Open About Your Expectations for the Role

When considering hiring remote employees, determine the following: Is the job 100% remote? Are you offering a remote position for now until an eventual return to the office? Will it be a hybrid role?

Your answer to this question may vary. But whatever your expectations for your remote candidate, you need to make them 100% crystal clear as early as possible. If it is a fully remote role, say that. If it is not, say that as well. While it is beneficial for your company to offer a fully remote position to attract top candidates who may be located outside your metropolitan area, you may not be ready to do so. Or if the role will undoubtedly mean coming to the office every month, ask if the job seekers you are interviewing are open to monthly travel. Whatever your posture, the role should be well-defined for the candidate upfront, so the remote work is clear and the candidate knows exactly how flexible work arrangements are at your company.

If you don’t agree on where the candidate will be working in the short-term and long-term, it can lead to frustration and confusion later. The employee may feel as if they’re getting a job they didn’t sign up for. This can lead to the company losing out on a great employee due to a communication breakdown.

If the assumption is that the position is fully remote, state that during the screening process. If the remote candidate moves to the hiring stage, make sure to put in writing what their work arrangement will be.

The bottom line is that hiring remote workers is much like hiring someone who would sit in your office with a few important distinctions. By tailoring your staffing process to the remote worker’s unique situation, you’ll be able to identify the right people for your company and create a winning experience for the candidate that leads to more hires.

Employee Engagement and the Role Leadership Plays

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Employee engagement is a familiar topic to most anyone involved in leadership, whether you manage a small team or run a large corporation.  Engagement is hugely important for any type of organization because it is ultimately your people that comprise who you are as a company.  If your team is not adequately engaged, it becomes very difficult to represent your brand or your business in the manner that you prefer. As an example, you can represent yourself as the most customer-focused company on the planet, but if your customer service rep who answers the phone is not feeling particularly “customer- focused” when the phone rings, the person on the other side of the call probably isn’t going to be experiencing your brand in the manner that you intended.

Now, many people much smarter than me have spent significant time and energy defining employee engagement, developing tools to measure it and building action plans to help improve it. There are also very large consulting organizations built around helping other large corporations manage their employee engagement efforts. However, in my simple view, employee engagement really comes down to how much passion each individual employee embodies in representing the company they work for, every day.

Communication is Important, but is it Enough?

One of the most important factors in any relationship, business or personal, is communication. As leaders, it is hugely important that we communicate our vision, our mission, our values and even our policies to our employees so that they know exactly who we are as a company, and what we expect.  Unfortunately, defining and communicating all of these is not nearly enough to drive employee engagement. No, engagement is driven more by actions than words.

Ultimately, I believe the things leaders typically never hear about within their organizations impact employee engagement more than the high-level vision and cultural statements they espouse. What do I mean by “things they never hear about”? As a leader of an organization, the larger the entity, the more layers that it has and the higher you sit within the structure will directly impact how much you actually know about the details of what is really going on within that organization.  In other words, the further you are from the people who actually do the work, the less likely you are to know what things are truly affecting those people and their engagement.

Frequently, it is the seemingly small, under the radar frustrations that people experience every day that have the most impact on their engagement.  The cumulative effect over time can have lasting impact if not resolved.

As leaders, it is hugely important that we communicate our vision, our mission, our values and even our policies to our employees.

Real Life Engagement Crushing Examples

  • The mid-level manager who micro-manages their team and never acknowledges anyone’s work, but is quick to take credit for team success
  • Valueless inefficient processes that do not support the greater good, but suck up time and energy simply because “it’s the way we’ve always done it” or “this is what the Director wants”
  • The people on “in-house retirement” who never appear to do, produce or respond to anything, but have been around for years
  • The workaholic leader who expects everyone to be workaholics like them, even though they will tell you they do not.  Actions speak louder than words…stop sending emails on Sunday morning
  • The “ladder climber” who manages up very well, but leaves a wake of bodies behind them
  • Politics that get in the way of doing what most everyone knows is right
  • The “pain in the butt” team member who no one wants to work with because everyone wants to avoid the misery…including their boss who will not manage them
  • The internal departments that are known by everyone to be roadblocks to productivity. They vary within organizations, but most have them
  • The peer who sucks at their job and the manager’s method of dealing with them is to pass their work on to someone else to pick up the slack

I could go on and on, but you understand what I am talking about, and I guarantee you have all had similar experiences at one stop or another.  Many of these are items that would likely never garner the attention of senior leadership because they have neither the focus nor desire to manage down to these levels, but that does not make them unreal or less impactful.  Unfortunately, allowing these types of issues to persist over time can send a message that leadership does not care or is simply out of touch.

A Potential Solution

This brings me to my main point: I believe the only way to truly build a strong level of employee engagement is through a culture founded in empathy. A company culture that cares about employees nearly as much as they care about profits, and demonstrates it through actions, not just words. We have all heard leaders say something like “our strength is our people,” or “our people are our most important asset,” but rarely does the work experience actually feel that way.

Leaders are responsible for the well-being of the organization and sometimes that requires difficult decisions.

Culture Change Starts at the Top

I recognize that it is not easy to change culture, and there will always be conflicting opinions, but a focus of self-interest will never move the needle on employee engagement. It is never too late to change, but it all starts and ends at the top, as our actions speak the loudest. Updating our value or vision statement is not going to get it done. If our employees are truly our greatest asset, maybe we should stop talking about it and start demonstrating it in the way that we manage and run our organizations.

How to Write Job Ads that Attract Top Performers

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For IT companies in the recruitment process, it can be challenging to attract the most talented candidates with a job ad. You have to identify an effective strategy to help consistently replenish your recruiting pipeline. On top of that, you have to be sure that you market the position in your job advertisement correctly so that you attract the right candidates with the necessary skills and experience needed to thrive in your IT staffing roles.

How do recruiters accomplish this? By posting a great job ad for each position. This is a critical component in the recruiting process, and it all comes down to the information you capture within the ad itself. What makes an effective job posting? A job posting that is as specific and descriptive as possible.

The information you include within your job ad is going to be the difference between identifying the right candidates and the wrong ones. By providing a detailed overview for job seekers, you increase the likelihood you end up with a group of qualified candidates in terms of skills, certifications, and knowledge during the hiring process.

Here are a few best practices on how to write IT job ads that get the best results, and attract top performers.

By providing a detailed overview for job seekers, you increase the likelihood you end up with a group of qualified candidates.

Be as Specific as Possible With Your Job Description

IT is a diverse and varied field. There are numerous roles with highly variant roles and responsibilities, all of which often share the same job title. The best method for finding the right people for each role is to create a list of all the job responsibilities and include them in your job ad.

Before you’ve even hired the candidate, you’re showing them that your company places a premium on crystal clear communication. You’re outlining the scope of the position prior to it starting. Remember that job seekers are also interviewing you, so being transparent establishes trust from the job posting.

For your potential candidates, this helps them know exactly what they’ll be doing. From the job title, job description, outline of their job responsibilities, they can then gauge whether they possess the recquired skills or if there are skill gaps. Once you’ve identified the right candidate and are looking to move forward, the job description serves as your candidate’s roadmap for success in the role.

Don’t forget other critical aspects of the job such as where the work is performed. Is this an on-site or a remote position? What is the salary range? Are there multiple spots or is there only one open position? Does it require a bachelor’s degree? The more information that you can provide in your job postings to give potential candidates a general idea of whether or not it is a good fit, the better.

Include the Necessary Skills

Beyond just describing the responsibilities of the role in the job description, you’ll also want to be clear on what skills are needed. For example, if you’re looking to hire a programmer with the job title “Full Stack Developer”, you’ll list the coding languages the candidate will need to know if they will be able to provide the solution your company is looking for. This sets the appropriate expectations in the job description and immediately transforms your job ad into a great job ad.

It also allows candidates with the needed skills to find your job when searching job postings and search engines. You’re more likely to identify a skill fit if you’ve got a comprehensive list of the IT skills needed to function in the role.

What happens if there are skills that would be great for your candidate to have, but aren’t required from day one? There is a strategy for addressing this: compile a list of skills you envision a high performer having in this role. Break these bullet points into two separate lists: “Must Have” and “Nice to Have.” If there are skills the candidate absolutely must possess to function within the role, include those on your “Must Have” list. If there are skills the candidate doesn’t necessarily require but would help separate them from the other job seekers, include those in that second list. Then identify the candidates who have all the “Must Haves” and as many of the “Nice to Haves” as possible, right in the job ad. You’re making a list of clear expectations, and also giving them an idea of what skills would boost their chances in landing the job.

The advantage of separating your IT skills this way is that you can attract candidates who are high performers and intelligent and have all of the required skills, but who may not have all the skills you’d love to see in an ideal candidate. By considering other elements (like attitude, background, other experience, and coachability), you can allow the individual to upskill in the role. Remember, you’re hiring a person, not a list of skills.

You’re making a list of clear expectations, and also giving them an idea of what skills would boost their chances in landing the job.

Include the Necessary Certifications

For many IT positions, certifications are an absolute requirement. Let’s take a cybersecurity analyst, for example. They have specific certifications that showcase their ability to detect and respond to various cyber threats.

If these are needed for the role, include them in the job ad. That increases the likelihood you’ll get candidates with the certifications they need to perform the role.

Some example certifications for various IT roles include:

  • Certified information security manager (CISM)
  • Certified information systems security professional (CISSP)
  • CompTIA
  • Certified ethical hacker (CEH)

Additionally, there are other certifications that aren’t limited to the IT sector but can often prove useful in an IT-focused role. For example, if you’re hiring a project manager for an IT helpdesk support team, you may want to hire a candidate with a Project Management Professional certification (PMP).

For many IT positions, certifications are an absolute requirement.

Include the Systems and Tools They’ll Need to Know

What kinds of software will the candidate use in this role? What is your company’s tool stack? Make sure to include them in the listing as well.

Remember your “Must Have” and “Nice to Have” list? Map your tool stack in your job ad over these lists as well. If you have a software platform that requires proficiency from day one, include this as a must-have. If you have software tools that can be more easily learned (i.e. project management or communication tools like Asana or Slack), then consider including them in the “Nice to Have” portion. Job seekers have different career paths and experiences, so giving them an idea of what relevant qualifications are needed vs desired is a good way to target top talent.

By identifying the tools you use in your job ad, you’ll attract the candidates you have experience with them. This decreases the amount of time it will take you to ramp up new hires after they join your organization.

By identifying the tools you use in your job ad, you’ll attract the candidates you have experience with them.

Sell Yourself

Job ads are so role-focused that often companies can forget they’re trying to impress the candidate just as much as the candidate is trying to impress them.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that IT jobs will grow by a whopping 13% between 2020 and 2030. That means that top talent in IT roles are likely to have a wide variety of positions and companies to choose from. You’ll want to highlight your company’s unique value proposition in your job posting. When you’re writing your job ad, highlight the benefits to the candidate.

What differentiates you from your competitors? What elements of the employee experience do your current employees value the most? How competitive are your salary range and benefits offerings? Do you offer additional compensation such as bonuses or stock options?

Whatever advantages you have, include them in your job descriptions. This will stand out to IT professionals who want to know why they should work for you. Remember that the recruiting process is a two-way street, and when it comes to top talent, they’re vetting you as much as you’re vetting them.

If you’re looking for guidance on IT staffing, recruitment, or any other general IT support best practices, look no further. Provato Staffing can help. For more on how we can partner with you, contact us today!

What’s The Difference Between Hiring and Recruiting?

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The difference between hiring and recruiting is that hiring mainly refers to the reactionary hiring that happens due to immediate and/or unexpected need, such as a sudden resignation, but recruiting refers to the long-term preparation of finding suitable candidates for both unforeseen events and when the team needs expansion. 

There is a thin line between the two, and the few firms that see it never go unrewarded. If you’re one of those who struggle to tell the difference or use the two terms interchangeably, you’re not alone. Did you hire or recruit the last employee at your firm? Let’s find out.

What Are the Definitions?

Recruitment and hiring are words that get thrown around with little thought to their actual meaning. When running your firm and keeping up with employment trends, the difference between hiring and recruiting should be obvious and intentional.

Recruitment: Recruitment involves the act of conducting research, analyzing, and searching for potential employees, also known as passive candidates, who may fit your company’s culture and needs. This is often done by specialized recruiters working for a staffing firm, and is performed before hiring needs come up.

Hiring: Hiring, on the other hand, involves engaging the services of a new employee, often in short order and due to immediate needs.

When you spend an afternoon browsing through resumes on LinkedIn that may fit your company culture with no intention to hire, you’re already starting on the path of recruiting and sourcing for passive candidates. You just don’t know it yet.

If you’d like to take a deeper look into how to source passive candidates to make recruiting truly effective, Provato Staffing has a whole guide and resources to help.

Here are some of the differences between hiring and recruitment.

Hiring Is Short Term, Recruitment Is Not

Hiring is a short-term process performed to meet the short-term or urgent needs of a firm. Recruitment is a long-term strategy meant to meet the future needs of your firm or company.

If a low-level staff member resigns today and needs to be quickly replaced, your firm will have to hire and move quickly. Subsequently, if there is a chance that your IT specialist may resign in five or ten years, you have to start recruiting. This means creating a pool or pipeline of qualified specialists to contact in case your IT specialist resigns sometime in the future.

Hiring is reactive, but recruitment is proactive.

There are a myriad of circumstances that may force a company to start hiring. They include the resignation of an employee, their promotion, unprecedented growth of a company, or their untimely demise. Whatever the circumstance, a firm should always be prepared to replace their employees within short notice.

There are a myriad of circumstances that may force a company to start hiring.

The Hiring Pool And The Recruitment Pool

We discussed the difference between hiring and recruiting. However, more specifically, there are significant differences between the hiring pool and the recruitment pool that impact your firm.

Hiring Pool: The hiring pool is usually made up of recently jobless or employed prospects that may or may not meet your firm’s needs and culture. To reach out to a hiring pool, a firm announces job vacancies, collects resumes, and eventually conducts interviews.

Recruitment Pool: Your recruitment pool, also referred to as a talent pipeline, is usually made up of a network of exceptionally qualified individuals that may already be employed, but can be open to the right opportunity. A well-built pipeline will consist of qualified employees who meet the requirements and qualifications of your firm.

Level Of Employee Specialization

Most of the time, the choice to hire or recruit for a firm depends on the circumstances and the timelines of the vacancy. One of these circumstances is the type of job vacancy.

Hiring & Low-Level Staff: Hiring is primarily used for low-level staff. Low-level staff vacancies do not require specialized skills making the employees easy to replace and onboard onto the firm. For example, if you’re onboarding a teenager to mow your lawn, you’ll probably hire.

Recruitment & High-Level Staff: Recruitment is mainly used to onboard high-level and specialized staff like in IT staff recruitment. Since these staff are highly specialized, replacing them at a moment’s notice may prove to be an uphill climb. This creates the need for having a ready pipeline of specialized employees and their contacts in case your firm needs to hire on short-term notice. Recruiting goes a long way in onboarding the best staff.

Why You Should Switch To Recruiting

Both recruiting and hiring come with their own set of benefits for a firm or company. However, an extensive comparison reveals that a firm will always be better off recruiting than hiring. Some of the benefits of recruiting include:

  • Easier scalability for your workforce
  • Continuous access to qualified talent
  • Reduced risk and cost in hiring
An extensive comparison reveals that a firm will always be better off recruiting than hiring.

Recruitment keeps your firm nimble and agile.

Where You Can Start

Recruiting requires building up your pipeline, maintaining it, and nurturing potential candidates. But the process takes time and resources, something not all internal HR teams have. With a recruitment agency like Provato Staffing, the burden of finding and creating talent pipelines is taken off your back. Provato Staffing has spent a significant part of the last few decades connecting companies with highly-specialized prospects. For more information, contact us today and let us be part of your story.

Should You Consider IT Staffing Services?

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Your IT team plays an integral role in helping your business function smoothly. Having the right people on that team means you’re always functioning at peak performance and are on top of the latest technology trends. However, as a business owner or hiring manager, you might not have the resources or technical know-how to make IT hiring decisions with confidence. If you’ve struggled with high turnover or low morale in your IT department, or feel that you may not be getting the most out of your IT staff, an IT staffing service can help solve this problem.

What Can an IT Staffing Service Do For You?

Businesses find themselves relying more and more on technology throughout their operations. Thus, an IT team is essential. But putting together a strong IT team is one of the most difficult hiring decisions that businesses make. This is because hiring managers and CEOs might not know a lot about setting up a network, using the right hardware and software to improve efficiency, or what to do if your systems stop functioning. You may end up hiring staff members who aren’t right for the job, and after a few weeks or months, you’ll have to start the whole hiring process over again.

Over time, you can develop a strong relationship with a staffing company. They will get to know more about what makes your workplace unique, your business’s culture, and what type of employee fits in best. They will find and vet candidates that are right for your business, make sure that there’s a good fit between the candidate and the business, and ensure that you’re not losing out with an ineffective staff. This means the more you work with an IT staffing service, the stronger your relationship will be, and the easier it will be for them to find the right talent for you.

The more you work with an IT staffing service, the stronger your relationship will be, and the easier it will be for them to find the right talent for you.

The Advantages of Using an IT Staffing Service

Businesses of any size can benefit from using an IT staffing service. Whether you need help desk staff, project managers, network administrators, or even a director of IT, staffing services can help you locate and connect with the best talent in the industry. Here are a few of the top advantages:

Save Time

When it comes down to it, hiring new staff members takes a lot of time and resources. After posting the job, you may receive hundreds of applications that you then must screen. From there, you’ll probably want to conduct phone interviews and multiple in-person interviews. You need to take the time to ensure the candidates have the skills you’re looking for and follow up with their references. The whole process can sometimes take weeks or even months. An IT staffing service will take care of all the legwork for you and streamline the entire process.

An IT staffing service will take care of all the legwork for you and streamline the entire process.

Save Money

Making a bad hire can be a costly mistake. Replacing a bad hiring choice usually costs businesses thousands of dollars in recruiting efforts, training, delayed projects, and poor employee morale. In the long-term, working with a staffing agency means you’re only getting candidates who have the right skills, want to work for you, and fit in well with your employee culture. Indeed, getting the best candidates can save your business a huge amount of money over time.

Hire Top-Notch Candidates

An IT staffing service likely has years of experience hiring candidates for similar roles, so you can be sure that they know what to look for in a candidate. It’s their job to provide you with a shortlist of the best candidates that meet all the qualifications you’re looking for. A staffing service uses recruiters to track down the best people for the job.

Rely on the Service’s Expertise

If you feel like you aren’t quite savvy enough to hire the right IT team, hiring an IT staffing service is a great idea. Because they are well-versed in the different roles and duties that your IT staff might have, an IT staffing service has the knowledge necessary to vet candidates and make sure that they’ll be able to perform well as part of your team.

Finding the Right IT Staffing Service to Work With

If you’re ready to streamline your hiring process and improve the efficiency of your IT team, working with an IT staffing service is a great first step. But, how do you know which service to choose? First, look for an agency with plenty of expertise and the evidence to back it up. A great agency will be proud to show off the success they’ve had in the past. You’ll want to look for an agency that specializes in IT, because a general staffing service may not have the right kind of knowledge to make the best tech hires.

Next, ask the staffing service about the process they use when hiring. They should have a step-by-step process that includes a thorough review of all applicants, a procedure for vetting candidates that make it past the first round of interviews, and methods in place to make sure that you, as the client is happy with the decision. You should make sure that they consult you throughout the hiring process to make sure they thoroughly understand your company’s culture, what you need from the role, and how the new hire is handling the role. And they should be there to help if any problems arise after the candidate is hired.

Look for an agency with plenty of expertise and the evidence to back it up.

Learn More About Hiring IT Staffing Services

If you’re looking for an expert IT staffing service to fulfill your hiring needs, The Provato Group is happy to help. Our patented recruiting process will make sure that you are matched with employees that meet your needs. Whether you’re looking for a contract worker, a contract-to-hire, or a full-time member of your IT staff, we have more than a decade of experience to back up our process, so you’ll always get the best candidate for the job.

Should You Leave Your Full Time IT Job for Contract Work?

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In recent years, the availability and scope of contract employment has been expanding, especially in the IT field. There are more opportunities today for contract employees than ever before, and many workers are leaving behind traditional, full-time jobs to exclusively seek contract work. While it’s true that independant contract work is not right for everyone, many IT professionals have successfully made the move from a full-time IT employee role to an IT contractor role. While this trend takes off, a lot of IT professionals are beginning to see the many benefits that contract work has to offer. However, what types of workers fit best into these roles, and what can you expect to gain from working as a contractor vs as a full time employee?

Many IT professionals have successfully made the move from a full-time IT employee role to an IT contractor role.

Who Is a Great Fit for Contract Work?

Contract work is definitely not a perfect fit for every employee, but it can be a good choice if you feel stuck in your current position or need more flexibility with your schedule. If you’re tired of the regular 9-5 shift working for the same company every day as a full time employee or think you’re in a position with no room for growth, working as a contract employee instead can allow you to gain valuable experience and skills so you can take a step forward in your career. And while many contract jobs may require you to be available during business hours, you’re given more freedom with how and when to work, including remote opportunities. This can be appealing when thinking about your work life balance, and working remotely and determining your own hours can provide the flexibility you are looking for.

Maybe you aren’t quite happy in your current full-time role but aren’t sure what kind of work is really right for you. Working as an independent contractor gives you a chance to try out different types of positions in a shorter period of time so you can learn more about where your particular skill set can flourish. You won’t have to make a long-term commitment to any one employer, and you won’t come off as a “job-hopper” on your resume. You’re instead working on many short-term projects, and varying your work experience, which can be a major plus for your resume.

You won’t have to make a long-term commitment to any one employer, and you won’t come off as a “job-hopper” on your resume.

Potential Risks and Costs for Contract Work

People who are single or are married to a spouse with a steady income may find that contract work is perfect for their lifestyles. Indeed, they may have fewer expenses to cover. This work can sometimes be risky, though, as steady work isn’t always guaranteed. Sometimes contracts can be short, lasting only a few months, which means you’ll be job seeking and applying to and interviewing for positions a lot more. When a contract ends, you can be stuck in a position where you don’t have a way to earn money while you look for a new role, and it may take you days or weeks to find consistent work.

As you are a temporary employee, employee benefits like health insurance, paid vacation, and other ways employees receive benefits will likely not be available to you. You will be responsible for other fees as well, such as doing your own taxes. These can add up quickly, as independent contractors are responsible for filing their own income taxes, social security tax, and paying for your own equipment that full time employees usually don’t have to account for. This is why it’s important to make sure you can afford to be without work for short periods if you’re thinking of switching to a contract position.

It’s important to make sure you can afford to be without work for short periods if you’re thinking of switching to a contract position.

What Are the Benefits?

If you’re considering leaving your full-time employment for contract work, it’s important to weigh both the pros and the cons. One of the most obvious unique benefits of contract work is that contractors get to work for a wide variety of clients and learn a lot of new skills along the way. For every new contractor position you take on, you’ll have a different role and new responsibilities for a specific project, which means you’ll get a lot of exposure to different tasks working multiple contract jobs. On the other hand, if you’re stuck in the same full-time employment for years, it’s unlikely that your position will change very much, and you won’t have many opportunities to learn new things working for one company.

Keeping Up With the Industry

Because you’ll be consistently working on a different project, it’s easier to keep up with changes in technology and stay on top of the latest trends. And in some of the roles you take on, you may have the chance to gain leadership experience and take on managerial roles. That is not something that’s always available to employees in full-time IT jobs, as working as a permanent employee typically means the same permanent role throughout your employment.

Working as a permanent employee typically means the same permanent role throughout your employment

Valuable Connections

Even though some jobs may be short-term, you’ll make a lot of valuable connections along the way. Contract work is a great way to network with many different people, which can help you find future openings that match your skillset. Think about it this way: for each project a contractor completes, you’re making a set of experiences and connections in the industry. Hiring managers will remember you and the stellar work you did, even if for a short period, and suggest you to their colleagues who need similar services. You’ll gain lots of great experience by going to more job interviews, and you’ll become an expert at identifying great opportunities.

For each project a contractor completes, you’re making a set of experiences and connections in the industry.

Cost-Effective

For the most part, contracts last for an agreed-upon period of time (usually 3, 6, 9, or 12 months, but some can last for years), so you don’t always have to be worried about sudden layoffs or firings. In many cases, it’s more cost-effective for employers to hire contract workers, which means they are able to pay you more. But remember, a lot of contract positions don’t offer benefits as traditional full-time roles do, so you’ll have to think about things like purchasing insurance and saving for retirement on your own. And taking a few days off between contracts can be a good idea, as you most likely won’t get paid time off.

Is Contracting Right for Me?

Taking the leap from a stable, full-time job into the world of contract work can be a little scary to think about, but thousands of IT professionals have made it work and made a lot of money doing so! Take a step back and look at where you are in your career. Even if you’re currently happy in the job you have, think about your chances of promotion. Are you regularly gaining new skills and seeing upward momentum, or do you feel like you may be stagnating and getting complacent?

Contract work is a great idea if you’re ready to take a gamble and potentially gain valuable skills and experience. The best way to find contract roles is by getting in touch with recruiters online, sharing your resume with them, and telling them what kind of work you’re looking for. But know that as contract work becomes a more popular form of employment, the market will get increasingly more competitive. Remember to keep your resume updated with every contract that you complete, adding new skills and achievements as you gain them.

Creating the Best Tech Resume to Stand Out to Recruiters

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When looking for a new role, the first thing you need to do is create a resume. There’s a great advice and resume tips out there, but tech resumes have unique requirements and considerations you should keep in mind before sending it out to the world. In addition to IT staffing recruiters getting a general idea of your professional background, knowledge of various operating systems and technologies, and professional track record, they also need to glean what kind of technologies you specifically work with in your IT specialist resume. They want to see a proven track record of a mastery of information technology, and more specifically, what skills you have honed in the vast world of IT.

By the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll be in a better position to create a great tech resume that attracts hiring managers and recruiting agencies alike.

Tech resumes have unique requirements and considerations you should keep in mind before sending it out to the world

Write A Show-Stopping Personal Summary

In order to create a stand out tech resume from the very first line, you should start with a personal summary about yourself.

Writing a great personal summary will help tech recruiters and hiring managers get a good idea of who you are. It will make your resume stand out as well as put extremely important soft skills on display for them to consider right away.

What makes a good personal summary of your professional experience? Tell a story. While keeping it brief (the full story you can save for your cover letter), connect the dots for what led you to this point in your information technology career. A clear, concise, and engaging story will stand out to staffing agencies and they will be more likely to remember you and your story when they select who they want to move forward in the interview process.

It’s important not to skip this part. You’ll have plenty of time to talk about your hard skills throughout your resume and dive deeper into your previous experience in the tech industry later, so take this short section of your IT resume to market yourself!

A clear, concise, and engaging story will stand out to staffing agencies

Formatting Matters

To assist tech recruiters who have to evaluate many resumes of IT professionals every day, make it easy for them by formatting your resume in a way that is easy to consume quickly. By ensuring your resume format is clear and concise, you make it so hiring managers and tech recruiters will be able to quickly determine if you could be a suitable candidate for the role they are looking to fill.

Use Bullet Points, NOT Paragraphs In The Body Of Your Resume.

Using simple bullet points in your tech resume is crucial and may make your resume stand out from the others. Removing the additional clutter and keeping your resume summary in bullets makes your resume cleanly formatted.

  • Easier to read: Bullet points break up large blocks of text, making your resume easier to consume and quickly evaluate.
  • Emphasizes skills: You’ll be better able to highlight your skills and achievements in a clear and concise manner, helping tech recruiters and hiring managers understand what you have to offer them.
  • Improves readability: With the additional white space, not only will your tech resume be easier to read, but it will likely be more visually appealing as well, helping draw more eyes to it.
  • Organizes information: If you combine bullet points with sections, tech recruiters and hiring managers will more easily be able to find exactly what they are looking for on your resume.

Keep Your Styling Simple, And Focus On The Content Of Your Resume.

Most qualified applicants spend too much time focusing on style, and it’s a mistake. A functional resume format is better received by recruiters, as they are looking for the content of your resume, not the overall look and feel.

The whole world revolves around quality content. Your new potential employer will care more about your key skills, what programming languages you know, or your people skills. For example, if you are a specialist in the IT industry with a focus on software development, you want to make it as easy as possible for recruiters to see that you have a proven track record in software development. However, if this section is cluttered with wordy sentences, they may skip over where you provide this information, therefore making it less likely for your job application to be viewed.

They are reading your tech resume to learn about your previous professional experience, and a good resume will put that relevant experience front and center.

Use Formatting To Help Highlight Your Relevant Skills.

If you are submitting your resume for a posting that listed a job description, this is a great opportunity to use well-thought-out formatting to draw attention to your current technical skills.

You’ll want to list your hard skills in groups that tie directly back to the various parts of the job description you are interested in.

If for instance, the job description lists specific coding languages as part of the technical skills required for the position, it may make sense to create a special section on your tech resume that discusses your experience with those programming languages and the problems you’ve solved using them. There are many great resume examples out there, so do your research and find a resume template that organizes your content effectively in case you get stuck. You can also hire a certified professional resume writer to assist you!

What Needs To Be On Your Tech Resume

No tech resume tips article would be complete without discussing what you should have on it. Knowing what specific skills or experience on any resume can be a tall order, and as the information technology world is so vast, this can be difficult to determine.

Once you’ve gotten the attention of a hiring manager or tech recruiter with a well-formatted, easy-to-scan resume, your next task is to be sure that you are really shining a spotlight on your technical skills, professional experience, and problem-solving. Staffing agencies want to see an it specialist resume that gets to the meat and potatoes of it: they want to see all coding languages you know, computer systems you are familiar with, computer skills you’ve honed, and any information technology occupations you’ve had in the past.

For example, let’s say you’re applying for a job as a software developer. You may be an IT professional with a focus in application development and software development, which is directly related to the job. But let’s say you’ve had past experience as a cybersecurity professional and project management. While it may not be directly related to the job description for the role you’re applying for, it’s good to show that you have a wide breadth of knowledge in the information technology field.

In addition to featuring your tech skills, you should also leave some room to discuss your soft skills as well. A prospective employer will be more inclined to hire you for a tech position with their organization if you are able to display excellent communication and team-building skills.

In addition to featuring your tech skills, you should also leave some room to discuss your soft skills as well.

A Word On Personal Projects

Personal projects are often not included on many tech resumes, but they should be. Personal projects can display the extra effort you put into learning new skills outside of work, which is something top talent almost always does.

When a staffing agency reads your resume and sees personal projects that are relevant to the position they are tasked to fill, it tells them that you not only know your stuff, but that you are passionate about what you do. An employee who is passionate about their role is an employee who is dedicated to their job, and showing your potential employers that you love what you do makes you a top candidate.

Interesting personal projects can also help get a recruiter’s attention and may help qualify you for a position even if you wouldn’t typically be considered for that exact role otherwise. For example, if you are a developer applying for a job in back-end development, you may have made a widget or a site that had a good design. The role may involve some UX work, so showing them that you are capable of these additional IT skill sets could be a major plus for their company compared to the other candidates they are considering.

Backing Up Your Claim With Evidence

If you are considering a career change, have recently graduated, or are looking for an entry level tech job that you may not have the previous professional experience to normally qualify for, a personal project can help demonstrate your key skills as they apply to the job posting you’re being considered for.

Utilizing a GitHub account to show your code is a great way to establish legitimacy when you are starting out your IT career, as it shows a working knowledge of not only coding, but sharing and collaborating in the IT world. Remember that background checks can’t show that you know your stuff, so be sure to provide that for them so they can see that you are right for the role.

Professional Profiles

It’s important for your resume to include information on how a hiring manager or recruiter can find your professional profiles.

Those profiles will probably include additional content about your skills that tech employers want to see.

Relevant social media profiles can include LinkedIn profiles, GitHub accounts, CodePen Profiles, or online portfolios. Many of these are password protected, so be sure to include any passwords for recruiters or human resources managers so they can see your talent!

Utilizing a GitHub account to show your code is a great way to establish legitimacy when you are starting out your IT career.

What Are Recruiters Looking For?

High demand jobs in the tech industry will often have a competitive hiring process.

Recruiters will care most about your relevant skills as they apply to the job posting and hiring process. That means your resume should include sections for:

  • Experience
  • Technical Skills
  • Soft Skills
  • Quantifiable Results
  • Any Relevant Education or Certifications

Keep Your Resume Concise

Your resume should only be one page. Resumes that are two pages long (or more) will almost always benefit from being more concise and less wordy if possible.

Recruiters and potential employers alike will be looking at dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes when they are filling job openings. If your resume is short and only includes what is relevant to specific job postings, it will help them zero in on what matters and why you might be a good fit.

Use The Right Keywords

Much like common internet searches, most employers and recruiters will use some form of search to help them locate the best candidates for the best jobs.

Job seekers should be sure to include relevant keywords in their profiles or resumes so that they are able to appear high in the search results for a given job. Refer to the job responsibilities listed in the job ad and ensure that these keywords are used.

For instance, software developers or software engineers may want to be sure to include the names of tools they have experience with. If a company uses those tools in their workflow, they may search for a software engineer that has them listed on their resume as something they already know.

Always Edit Your Resume

For tech jobs, it’s important that your resume is current and reflects your recent experience or newly learned skills.

When a hiring manager reviews your resume, they want to see what you’ve been doing recently. Your resume should give them a good idea of where you are right now in your career path, as opposed to a few years ago, which is often the case with outdated resumes.

For tech jobs, it’s important that your resume is current and reflects your recent experience or newly learned skills.

Final Thoughts & Tips On Creating A Great Technology Resume

Tech employees work in a highly competitive field. The tech industry is always changing, and your tech skills need to evolve with it.

Focus on previous tech jobs you’ve had, companies in the tech industry you’ve worked for, tools you’ve used, and team building where it applies.

Make sure your resume is focused on being specific to finding a tech job, and remove anything that doesn’t apply to those specific roles.

If you know what company you are being considered for, adjust your resume to align with that specific job or career path.

Writing a resume doesn’t have to be a full-time job in and of itself, but if you are interested in advancing your career, be sure that you give it attention regularly.