The Typical “Atypical” IT Recruiting Process (Part I)

A great many leaders have begun a project with the opinion that tech talent is abundant, easy to come by, and the screening process only takes a few days. Often, these same leaders soon find out the hard truth (as we discuss here) – that good talent can be hard to screen, harder to find, and costly to acquire. The opportunity cost and time loss of a tech manager recruiting is about as productive as a recruiter functioning as a network admin. Tech managers have better things to do than sort through resumes to find a particular combination of computer languages and unique set of certifications candidates may have. They have projects to implement, databases to manage, and networks to patch.

The higher the level of proficiency, the longer it takes to fill a vacancy. The hiring timeline is probably quite different than what you experienced when you were brought on. There’s a significant amount of work that goes in beyond sitting down with someone who responded to an ad (and somebody wrote that ad, uploaded it, and filters the results). You probably know that most firms require a background check and sometimes a credit report; these are the relatively routine parts. Here’s what you didn’t know:

• Developing and maintaining a strategy is the first stage of the hiring process. Developing one can take many meetings over a course of weeks or even months to fully realize. Actuating the general goals of a business is relatively easy– determining the workforce needs and talent to make it happen is not. Having the right people in the right place at the right time can literally save or cost millions, depending on the size of the business. Once the strategy is created, it may slightly change as months go by – but the fundamental parameters are set.
• The strategy implementation process takes even more time. A recruiter isn’t searching for “just anyone,” nor would you want “just anyone” to work for you. Finding the right skillset is essential – finding the right skills and the right personality is paramount. Staying ahead of your company’s retention strategy requires multiple personnel working in unison. If one falls behind, the entire system begins to lag.
• It’s not necessarily uncommon for a candidate to be hired inside of a month from the first return call and interview to the offer. But this is by no means the entirety of the hiring/retention cycle. It can take months before that particular candidate even appears. In addition, the first round of interviews typically requires 5-8 candidates at an hour or so each. The second round 3-5 candidates for slightly longer interviews. For higher level positions, it’s not uncommon to have a third interview to decide between 2-3 candidates, which can be incredibly in depth. All of this for one specific vacancy.

Let’s face it – a salesman can sell any product, anywhere. A CPA’s license is state wide, as is a lawyer’s or doctor’s. A store manager of Wendy’s can move to virtually any restaurant in the world, and be successful on some level. Tech talent, on the other hand, is such an involved process with so many variables that an IT recruiter must have a high degree of understanding themselves to effectively fulfill their obligations.

This is where we come in to play. At CultureFit, we specialize in partnering with business to develop and implement a retention plan and talent acquisition strategy for high level technology roles. We place a heavy emphasis on the personality and business culture, rather than simply the “hard” skills a candidate possesses.  This is what we do – so your team can do what it’s meant to do.

Contact us today for a consultation to see how we can help your business’s top talent and bottom line.