Information Technology is an essential component in almost every industry. From Agriculture to Zoology, IT allows for the sharing of data, which can support informed decision making, whilst improving resource and process management as part of efficiency measures. Forward thinking IT skills can save a company considerable costs, inform wise investments and protect valuable assets from cyber-attack. It can improve productivity and therefore boost profits. No wonder there are plenty of IT opportunities being advertised. Do you need a specialist IT recruiter to find the right candidate for your role?
Challenges of IT Recruitment
The challenge with IT is that it is an ever evolving field. Nothing stays still for long, so an individual working in the sector needs to keep training in order to keep their knowledge and skills up to speed. To stay ahead of the competition they need to not only keep pace with change, but get a step ahead, so they can understand how new developments could be relevant to the industry in which they are working.
Equally, an IT recruiter needs to keep pace with developments in order to source candidates with the skills and experience that matches their requirements. They need to understand the potential that IT offers their industry and find new employees with relevant expertise to help them move forward to a more digitalised future.
Specialist IT recruiters also have to keep pace with changes, opportunities and threats. They have to commit to researching updates and industry news, so they fully understand the industry and the directions in which it is heading. They can help recruiters to identify the qualities and skills they need in order to realise their IT goals. Equally, they must support candidates to identify and present their most relevant skills.
A generic recruiter simply wouldn’t have the capacity to research one industry in as much depth. They could certainly gain a good overview of the industry and current trends, but when things are constantly evolving, it takes full focus to really gain an insider’s understanding of the IT industry.
IT Skills
The specific IT requirements of any company are bespoke. The objective might be to reduce long term costs, to deliver a strong online service to customers, to increase accuracy and uniformity or to drive forward innovation. Having said this, there are a number of highly desirable skills that are being widely sought after; these include Data Management and Analysis and Cyber Security.
Data Management and Analysis
A huge volume of data can be gathered and collated by any company. This can be used to provide unbiased information to inform business planning; from where to focus resources and what to invest in for a good return to the right time to advertise or competitor analysis. The challenge is identifying and collating the relevant data, so that it becomes useful. IT specialists who can gather relevant data, collate it and analyse it for patterns and trends, can be valuable employees.
Cyber Security
As things become increasingly digitalised, the threat of valuable data, intellectual property and finances being stolen by cyber criminals grows. In order to protect their business and both build and retain the trust of customers, every company needs to invest in online security. In addition to individuals who have the knowledge and skills to set up and update ever advancing systems, there also needs to be individuals who are employed to test the systems, identify weaknesses and penetrate them before cyber criminals do.
Specialist IT Recruiters
If you are looking to fill an IT vacancy, you will be facing stiff competition as there are plenty of opportunities for individuals with IT skills. To improve your chances of attracting the right calibre of candidate, it is important that you can clarify exactly what you are looking for in terms of skill set. A specialist IT recruiter can then help you to source the very best IT professional for your requirements.