7 steps to win the talent war and land the top candidate.
Speed is the watchword in hiring, especially in the tech sector. To secure the most desirable candidate, act fast, or your competition will snatch top talent from your grip.
IT staff remains one of the hardest professional groups to fill, and the large majority of experienced software engineers and infrastructure professionals are already employed full time. The people you want are not waiting for your posting; they are being recruited while they work.
“Most candidates today have multiple offers on the table,” said Phil Mosca, Branch Director at Elite Technical. “But there are steps you can take to help secure the candidates you want.”
Improve the Odds of Securing Top Candidates
1. Decide your hiring timeline in advance
Make sure the right people will be on board when needed. Provide your staffing agency or internal recruiter with an urgency assessment that aligns with your decision schedule.
2. Confirm your budget allocation in advance
For help determining pay rate, ask your staffing partner for information on fair market rates. Expect pay scales to vary based on talent availability and geographic market.
3. Write very specific position requirements
Make sure job descriptions clearly convey exactly the requirements you need to your internal recruiting team, your IT staffing partner and candidates.
4. Check your interview team’s schedules in advance
Then review candidate submittals promptly and schedule interviews with your top candidates as soon as possible.
5. Establish a rating system
List criteria that will demonstrate skill, appropriate attitudes, behavior, experience, judgment and cultural fit. Create a checklist for proof of special licensing, training, security clearances and other requirements for easy reference and standardized comparisons.
6. Organize for success
Streamline the steps in your interview process by trusting your staffing vendors to appropriately screen candidates for you. This is part of the service you pay for. Eliminate time-robbing rounds of interviews by combining your technical and manager interviews into one step. If you require on-site interviews, first conduct the in-depth technical interview by video. A staffing agency that can rapidly submit attractive, properly vetted candidates can help you shorten the search-and-interview process to a two-step sequence that can be completed within five to ten business days, enabling you to win the talent race.
7. Make a competitive offer
Salaries keep rising for competitive skill sets. Be cognizant of current rates for the talent you seek and make an offer in line with the market. Also, get creative. Companies are offering signing bonuses, performance-based bonuses and other benefits, such as training and flexible work arrangements, to attract and retain expert talent.
How Elite Technical Helps You Move Faster
Elite Technical’s recruiting process takes the guesswork out of candidate selection. Developed over more than 30 years of IT and engineering staffing, it results in candidates with the skills and experience to help companies speed up productivity and profitability. Whether you need contract staffing or direct placement, request talent and we’ll get moving.