IT Staffing – a Very Competitive Industry
The world of IT staffing is a highly competitive industry. IT recruiting agencies race to the best candidates and are constantly battling for the very best high-tech resources. It often comes down to which IT recruiter calls or emails the respective candidate first. Because of that, the most successful IT recruiters typically start their day early and end pretty late (and checking their Blackberrys in between).
One of the misconceptions that both candidates and clients have with IT recruiting firms is that they have a “bench” full of resources who are ready to go. Although IT recruiters are on the phones with prospective candidates all day long, this is actually a reactive industry. Because there are so many different technologies and nuances to each skill set, IT staffing firms typically receive a requirement before they begin their search for candidates. Once they have the detailed IT job specs, then the IT recruiting agency will jump on an immediate search.
Communication is critical in any successful IT job placement. Candidates must be honest with IT recruiters, and in return, the IT recruiters must be honest with the candidates. If he/she has already applied for the position at hand, then that must be made clear. If the candidate does not fit the requirements or ultimately will not be submitted for the IT job, then that must also be communicated. Open, honest dialogue is important to every successful IT job placement.
Similarly, clients and IT staffing agencies need to have the same relationship. IT recruiting firms need to communicate whether the candidates they submit are close to accepting any other offers. Therefore, the client knows how quick they need to move. By managing the “client’s expectations,” there is no excuse if they lose the candidate to another opportunity because they dragged their feet. Likewise, clients need to “manage the expectations” of the IT recruiting firm when they call out an IT job order. They need to communicate how quick they’re looking to interview, and subsequently hire, the resource. By doing this, the IT recruiter can properly work with candidates to make sure everyone is on the same page.