Digitalization of functions, a changing and tense market: to recruit the IT potential that will make the difference, you need to know your codes and aspirations, and be able to offer an attractive offer within a short period of time.
1. Know the codes, if you do not know the code
To reach IT candidates, you need to be interested in the IT subject matter in order to understand what professionals in the sector are actually doing. You need to know the basic jargon, the main technologies and their applications, and the contexts of intervention. IT has its codes and contains hundreds of different functions, from mobile application developer to cloud engineer to cyber security analyst. It is also necessary to be able to identify the deep motivations, drivers and obstacles of this population, which tend to be stigmatized or limited to the “technical” aspect of positions.
2. Knowing how to sell the position, beyond the position
In the job description, a balance must be struck between the presentation of the company, its culture, values and the context of the search for expertise. The idea is to talk about the project, to integrate the team into the speech. What is the working atmosphere? Who are the interlocutors? It is necessary to go beyond the context of the position to present the project as a whole, from the technical aspect, central to IT, to what it fits into, the working environment, which will be a factor of retention in the longer term. The IT candidate wants a complete service, a rich exchange of details; you have to be prepared for it if you want to capture the best profiles.
3. Go beyond the technical aspect to enhance the potential
In the past, the IT professional had to ensure that the network did not fall down and that the usual applications would run. Today all sectors and functions are being digitised. IT has shifted from a cost idea to a business leverage idea so that behavioural skills become paramount.
Today, we are looking for a collaborative profile that can be part of the company’s strategy. The technician who jargon in his corner, lack of pedagogy or understanding of business issues, will not be able to evolve. However, given the pace of technological change, your company needs a profile capable of exceeding the programmed obsolescence of the technical skills it has at the time of recruitment. It is therefore important to evaluate the candidate well at the interview to ensure that he or she can develop in your organization and adapt to changes, both technical and organizational. Because technologies are changing, software versions are changing and the fields of intervention are expanding. The IT expert will have to constantly learn, monitor and reinvent his position to build a career.
4. Be sure of your project and be responsive
Taking time in recruitment is a risk of losing the application because it implies for the candidate that he or she is not unique or essential. And this point can work against you. The company recruiting an IT professional must be sure of its project and anticipate internal deadlines in order to limit the duration of the recruitment process as much as possible.
It is essential to see your project as a long-term project, to assess behavioural competencies and to clearly identify the candidate’s motivational levers and aspirations in order to ensure his or her development within the company and to build loyalty for a lasting relationship and performance.