Many predict that 2015 will be a promising year for the IT industry, which CIO expects will be evidenced by a marked increase in IT hiring in the year’s first and second quarters. Though the demand for filling IT positions is increasing as companies look to enhance security measures, stay abreast of the big data revolution, and manage enterprise cloud systems, talented IT professionals aren’t necessarily easy to find. While more are pursuing degrees in IT, supply has yet to catch up with demand, and companies are only willing to hire stand-out talent. As a result, recruitment strategies have changed.
“Social media has emerged as an integral method of connecting with top-tier IT talent,” says Anthony Curlo, CEO of IT Recruiting and Staff Augmentation firm DaVinciTek. Professional social media platforms, like LinkedIn and Bullhorn Reach, present ways to easily identify potential candidates, connect with them, and most importantly, persuade them to apply. Corporate social media platforms are also opportunities for prospective candidates to learn more about potential employers, which has made social media a two-way street in the recruitment process.
Social media profiles are also becoming valuable supplements to the resume. According to Curlo, “A LinkedIn profile offers another window of opportunity to learn more about a potential candidate, specifically if and how they are able to set themselves apart from the profiles of their competitors.”
This increased integration of social media in IT hiring is in part a reflection of IT’s commitment to topgrading recruitment practices, which continues to be one of the most effective ways to accurately evaluate a candidate. IT companies invested in topgrading are only looking to employ the top ten percent of all available applicants, which means that the candidate vetting process requires far more thorough investigation and engagement. Social media therefore provides another arena in which to accomplish both with A-Player candidates.
Though social media will not replace traditional approaches to topgrading, which require face-to-face conversations or phone calls, it is undoubtedly becoming a valuable avenue for mobilizing the right talent and helping the industry more effectively fill positions.
