7 IT Recruiting Tips Every Employer Should Know

The IT industry is full of amazing, talented people who can tackle a wide variety of tasks. However, you'll have to accept that you might not find every single skill you're looking for in a single individual.

Be realistic with your expectations. Are you trying to put too many different skills in the same box? There's only so much expertise one person can have. If the description of the job you're hiring for doesn't seem to fit any candidates, it might mean you need to revise it.

A single person can't generally make the best hiring decisions for a whole team. Even though it might slow your process down some, try to make the hiring process a collaboration.

After all, the IT professional you hire will need to work with a team once you bring them on. Why not start the process early and see how they do with collaborative hiring?

Get a small but solid team together to make hiring decisions for the IT department. Try to represent the different aspects of the company that will be working with your IT professionals. Listen to the insights of your team as you make the decisions.

It's easy for an individual to make a hiring error. However, with a team on board, it's much less likely that you'll make a mistake due to not closely reading the resume or not asking the right interview questions. If you miss a detail, someone else will catch it.

Does the job description only focus on what the candidate will do for the company, not what the company will do for the candidate? If this is the case, you might not be getting the best applicants.

Many high-level IT professionals know their worth. They're going to be looking for companies that offer a good work-life balance, great perks, and an enjoyable environment. Since these people have plenty of options, you have to compete for their attention.

Make working for your company sound as appealing as it really is in the job description. If you don't offer the kind of perks IT professionals are looking for, consider adding them. You'll have a hard time getting the cream of the crop to apply if you don't give them a reason to choose your company over others.

Also, make sure you give the right amount of information about the skills you want to see in a candidate. Don't list so many skills that one person isn't likely to have them. But be sure to offer enough information about what you expect in a candidate, so the right people will know that they should apply.

How hard is it to actually fill out the application?

Even though IT professionals have plenty of computer skills, they won't want to waste time navigating a difficult online application. They'll be even more adverse to anything that involves filling out paperwork in person to apply.

If you make prospective employees fill out page after page of redundant information, they'll probably give up before the process is complete. This can drive them to your competitors instead. It's best to limit things to the essentials, like a resume, cover letter, and maybe a few extra questions. Get the information you need, but don't make the process too hard.

Is someone at your company working in an IT-adjacent field, or do they have IT skills that you aren't aware of yet?

When you promote from within, you're saving time and money by working with people who are already familiar with the company. You won't need to invest in as much training, just department-specific essentials. Make the job offer available to your employees first, and you just might get better applicants than usual.

Even if none of your current employees are a great fit for the job, referrals can help you find the right candidates.

Your employees probably have a wide network of professionals in their lives. Some might be IT workers looking for a new job. Encourage people to make referrals with a rewarding employee referral program, and see what you get.

If an IT professional's resume shows that they've cycled through a lot of jobs in a short period of time, you might think they're not a good fit. However, in the modern tech industry, changing jobs often is the new normal.

Since IT skills are highly in demand, someone with lots of talent won't think twice about switching companies if one offers them a better deal. What looks like a lack of loyalty can actually just be a sign of lots of talent.

How can you be sure that employees won't also leave your company? There's no way to guarantee it, but if you show your employees that you value them by offering a good salary and other benefits, they're less likely to leave. Plus, if they do move on, they might be able to recommend a great replacement.

To find the best IT workers for the job, you'll need to combine these recruiting tips with an open mind, plus great job listing placement.

Make sure you place your job opening ads on the sites where IT people spend their time, such as industry-specific job boards. Be open to the candidates you might get -- a surprising package of skills can be a great benefit to your company.

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