Category: Recruitment

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

As technology continues to evolve, 

the need for top engineering talent is greater than ever. But how can you attract the best and brightest engineers to your company? The answer lies in creating an environment that supports their growth, offering competitive benefits, and providing opportunities for career advancement. But how do you make sure your company stands out from the rest? Here are Ten tips for attracting top engineering talent to your company.

1. Offer Competitive Salaries and Benefits

It’s no secret that top engineers are in high demand and can command a hefty salary. Offering competitive salaries and benefits not only entices them to work for your company but also helps retain them once they’re on board. Look into what other companies are offering in terms of salaries and benefits and make sure your packages match or exceed those offered elsewhere.

2. Invest in Professional Development Programs

When it comes to attracting top engineering talent, you want to offer something more than just a paycheck—you want to offer professional development programs that help them grow as professionals while they’re with your company. For example, consider offering targeted training programs or workshops designed to help engineers develop new skills or hone existing ones. Not only will this help attract top talent, but it will also improve employee morale and retention rates overall.

3. Leverage the Latest Technology

Engineers love technology and have a strong desire to work with the latest and greatest tool available.  Many will even choose the opportunity to use new technology over financial considerations.  Having outdated or legacy systems and tools will be a significant drawback when attempting to attract new talent.  Bite the bullet and upgrade your system and tools…it will be worth it!

4. Provide a Defined Career Growth Path

Many organizations do not offer career advancement paths for technical resources. In these organizations you typically need to be promoted to a manager level to advance your salary and status within the company. Having a technical path for career advancement to go a long way in attracting top engineering talent. Often the top technical minds do not have the skills or desire to manage people, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t recognize and reward them for the value that they bring to the company.

5. Provide Flexible Scheduling Options

Top engineers know their worth—and they don’t want to be tied down by traditional 9-5 scheduling options if there are other options available. Consider implementing flexible scheduling options such as remote work or flex time so that engineers can work when it works best for them without having to worry about being penalized for taking advantage of such options. This type of flexibility helps ensure that you attract the most talented staff possible without sacrificing productivity or results in the process.

6. Create a positive working environment

Employees want to work in an environment where they feel valued and respected. To create a positive working environment, ensure that your team has a healthy work-life balance with clear boundaries between work and personal life; provide regular feedback so employees feel appreciated; promote collaboration (as opposed to competition) among team members; offer training opportunities for upskilling; and recognize performance with rewards for those who go above and beyond.

7. Utilize Networking Events

Networking events are invaluable when it comes to recruiting top engineering talent because they provide an opportunity for potential employees to meet people who already work at your organization. They can get a feel for its culture before applying for any positions you may have open at the moment or in the future. And since most networking events are free or low-cost, they’re easy on the budget as well!

8. Leverage Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms like LinkedIn can be invaluable tools when it comes to recruiting top engineering talent—especially since many of these platforms allow users to search specifically for jobs by industry, location, or keyword.  This makes it easier than ever before for potential employees (and employers!) to find each other quickly and easily without having to invest too much time or effort into the process overall.

9. Leverage referral programs

Referral programs can be extremely effective when it comes to recruiting top engineering talent—so why not tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing? Offer incentives such as discounts or gift cards for successful referrals made by current employees; this will not only help you find qualified candidates but also boost morale among existing staff members by showing them you appreciate their efforts in helping you find new team members!

10. Advertise open positions on job boards

Don’t forget about traditional methods of advertising open positions! Post job openings on your website and popular job boards like Indeed or Dice so potential candidates can easily find them—and make sure you include all relevant details about the position, so people know exactly what they’re applying for!

Attracting top engineering talent doesn’t have to be difficult—all it takes is some forethought and creativity on your part! Start today by implementing some (or all!) of these strategies—you never know who might be interested in joining your organization!