Are You Losing Tech Talent with this Mistake?
It’s no secret that it’s a job seeker’s market out there. The national unemployment rate is dropping to levels so low that we haven’t seen them since 1969! Employers are getting so desperate to fill open roles they’re relaxing their standards. Some employers are no longer requiring formal higher education like a Bachelor’s degree, no longer requiring certain drug testing, and considering candidates with a criminal record. In a tight labor market like this, tech employers need to be especially effective at recruiting talent for their notoriously hard-to-fill roles. There’s one mistake that IT staffing agencies find employers often make that loses them talent. Worse, it’s a mistake they unwittingly make, so they don’t even know to correct it! This hiring mistake that’s so easy to make? Moving too slowly in the hiring process.
Why is moving too slowly (and honestly, from most companies’ perspectives, it’s not that slow) such a mistake? The problem is that Tech field moves fast and so do its job candidates. Expectations have changed with the advent of LinkedIn, Indeed, and online job searching. With the technical tools to expedite the hiring process, IT recruiters find that candidates have no patience for companies that move at a slow (or even sometimes an average pace) in their hiring process. Other companies will accommodate this need for a speedy transition—so don’t be the one they leave behind.
Another reason technical recruiters find that a slow hiring process is such a mistake is because most IT professionals are pretty sought-after. They’re likely entertaining several interview processes, IT recruiters, or even offers! Moving slowly, requiring multiple interviews and phone screens, and/or requiring a lot of deliberation time means that candidates will probably just go with one of the other options they have on the table. Particularly in the tech field, where there’s already a dearth of talent, this tight labor market has increased the amount of activity a candidate can pursue in their job search. To compete with everything else your ideal candidate probably has on the table, you’ll have to move fast.
The last reason it’s imperative to move quickly when hiring for IT jobs is because it helps the candidate to feel valued. As discussed above, candidates are used to companies hiring quickly. When a company asks them to come back in for interview after interview, or takes weeks to deliberate, candidates assume the company has a lot of hesitations about them. Since it’s such a job seeker’s market, tech candidates have the option to go with companies that try to snap them up quickly and make them feel like a precious commodity. Don’t move too slowly, or you’ll wind up losing out on your top choices– because they feel like your last choices!
Want to see our open IT jobs? Follow us on LinkedIn. We post new jobs daily!
Do You Really Need to Wear a Suit for Tech Interviews?
Dress codes have been moving towards a more relaxed feel in all industries, but especially in IT, for a long time. IT recruiters have been working with employers who have a jeans and t-shirt dress codes for years. There’s just one problem with this trend: Technical recruiters find that often, candidates will assume they can come to interviews in jeans. Even for the most casual of workplaces, 99% of IT staffing firms agree: It’s important to go to your job interview in a suit.
Why do you need to wear a suit when everyone around you will be wearing jeans? There are a few reasons. Firstly, wearing a suit indicates that you understand basic professional norms. Interviewing has required a suit for decades and it will likely continue that way. When IT staffing agencies tell you to wear a suit to your interview, they’re helping you send a message about more than just your closet. They want you to show employers that you know how to be a professional—right as you walk in the door. If you show up wearing jeans and t-shirt, employers have a moment to wonder what else you’ll do in a job. Do you come in late? Do you leave early? Do you swear or tell inappropriate jokes? So wear that suit and iron it. Have a strong handshake, and set the stage for employers to assume you’re a seasoned professional who knows how to act in an office.
The second reason IT recruiting firms tell you that you need to wear a suit to a job interview is because it helps you demonstrate a level of respect for the employer. As a candidate, you’re coming into the employer’s office and you’re doing it at their invitation. They’re taking time out of their busy schedules to interview you. Show that you’re grateful and you know you’re on their turf by wearing a suit. If you get the job, you can wear jeans and t-shirts with the other employees. However, as a candidate, the balance of power is different. Wearing a suit shows that you understand this.
The last reason you should wear a suit to interview for IT jobs is that it gives you an advantage. A suit makes anybody look a little better, a little more polished. It helps interviewers envision you as a capable, accomplished professional. Why eschew this advantage? Your technical skills will speak for themselves, but there’s no harm in adding that extra oomph to your candidacy with your suit. It’s one easy way that IT staffing firms suggest you can help yourself land the job!
Want to see our open IT jobs? Follow us on LinkedIn. We post new jobs daily!
