IT Recruiting by the Numbers
IT headhunters would certainly pinpoint generations X and Y as controversial generations to hire for IT jobs. There are plenty of prominent complaints IT recruiters get about generation X and Y IT professionals. However, the generation IT staffing firms have a hard time getting a consensus on is actually the baby boomer generation.
Plenty of IT recruiting companies hear highly conflicting opinions on baby boomer IT consultants. Some IT managers praise baby boomer IT contractors for their work ethic, their ability to set and achieve goals, and their easy acceptance of authority and rules. On the other side of the coin, IT staffing agencies can encounter plenty of negative arguments for baby boomers for IT jobs. Some IT recruiting firms hear that because of baby boomers illustrious resumes, they are too costly for IT companies. IT headhunters also hear arguments that completely nullify experience anyways, in a world that is full of break-neck paced change. In addition to these conflicting points, there are also varying views on how late a company would like to invest in an IT professional’s career. No matter the source, the opinion on baby boomer IT consultants is bound to be a complicated one.
IT Perks are Growing Despite a Bad Economy
IT staffing companies and IT consultants are seeing a trend that feels incongruous in today’s job market: more perks at tech companies. In an economy with unemployment rates at an uncomfortably high amount, pay cuts everywhere, and people being forced to double-up on job responsibilities, the information technology industry is booming and working hard to keep the supply of IT contractors as high as the supply of IT jobs. IT recruiting agencies are likely to be familiar with Google and Yahoo as examples of the elaborate perks offered to entice IT professionals. A deluge of free services make IT staffing firms working with Google and Yahoo more like sirens than IT recruiters.
Of course, IT staffing companies only submit resumes to companies like Google and Yahoo for candidates that are ready to commit a larger portion than 40 hours of their week. IT managers at tech companies may be offering amazing benefits and perks, but they are also offering incredibly demanding jobs for IT headhunters to fill.
Team-Building in the IT World
The information technology field has always been open to new business practices. One of the newest growing trends is group exercise classes as team-building tools. IT recruiters and IT contractors have become aware of more and more companies that offer classes likeCrossfit in-house and out of the office.
IT staffing firms hear a mélange of good and bad feedback on these classes as team-building exercises. Since the trend is growing, there are of course plenty of IT consultants who tell IT recruiting agencies how much they love the classes and the effect they have on their teams at work. IT staffing companies are certainly also hearing some negative responses from IT professionals on exercise classes as team-building tools. Some people have suggested to IT recruiting companies that intense exercise classes like Crossfit are not appealing to them. Thus they are left out of the activity, effectively making a team-building activity one that actually divides. Others object to team-building exercise classes because they have their own workout routines and classes they are already dedicated to. These people tell IT staffing firms a similar message: these team-building activities divide them from the team.
Because IT recruiting firms are getting mixed reviews, the jury might still be out on the effectiveness of exercise classes in IT jobs. One thing is for sure, though: they certainly get a reaction from employees.