Tag Archives: technical staffing firms

Identifying Top IT Talent

There’s an old saying that the best candidates are typically working and that that has never been more true than it is today in the world of Information Technology.  With all of the gloom and doom that we are constantly being fed by the media about the economy, someone outside of the IT staffing industry would be forgiven for thinking that there would be an abundance of high tech candidates competing over a few IT job openings.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  For that last few years as the economy as continued to falter, the demand for IT resources has increased at a rate that IT staffing companies and IT recruiting firms have struggled to keep pace with.  While you won’t find most technical staffing firms and technical recruiting companies complaining about being one of the few positive growth areas throughout the recession, it has provided the unexpected challenge of finding, then retaining, IT candidates for their clients.

While most IT staffing firms and IT recruiting agencies will still use the traditional methods of searching for candidates such as the job boards and their proprietary database, the lack of quality information technology talent has forced many of the successful companies to go back to their roots and harvest candidates like they had to in the pre-internet days by doing a better job with networking, asking for referrals, and mining passive candidates.  While some IT recruiters find some of these “old school” activities to be outside of their comfort zones, those IT recruiters Boston that have embraced these method have found themselves becoming increasingly successful.  Gone are the days where a recruiter could be successful with a Monster password alone, today’s technical recruiters have to be much more aggressive and proactive and truly think outside of the box.

Great candidates are out there, and they are likely working, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be found or that they don’t want to be found.  The difference is how we have to search.

Energy Drinks—The New Coffee of the IT Recruiting Industry?

Coffee has been brewed since the mid 1400’s, providing a natural source of caffeine and an extra push when needed for IT recruiters. For years, technical staffing firms looked forward to their morning or afternoon brew, perfected with their choice fixings, and distinct flavor. Now with innovative caffeine products such as energy drinks and shots, is coffee’s prevalence in the caffeine market threatened? When technical recruiters need a boost, which should they turn to, coffee or energy drinks? The answer is it depends…

Caffeine

Both coffee and energy drinks provide different levels of caffeine. The caffeine content of coffee is in the hands of the IT staffing representatives. Coffee can have its caffeine content diluted, or you can choose to drink decaffeinated coffee. Likewise, the coffee can be double brewed for an extra kick, or you  can simply order a larger size.

Energy drinks come with designated caffeine content, leaving technical recruiting reps to choose if they would like to drink the entire can or opt for a drink with more or less caffeine. The drinks also range in size and amount of provided caffeine, so there are options!

Price

Coffee is more affordable when you consider price and where you purchase it. Home brewed coffee is significantly cheaper than paying a visit to a coffee shop daily, with shop prices typically ranging from $1.50 to $5.00. Energy drinks are similarly priced to coffee shops, typically $2.00 to $5.00, depending on size and caffeine content. If you are money conscious, opt to brew your own coffee in the IT recruitment office and save!

Availability

You usually need to go to a store to buy an energy drink or buy in bulk to have readily available (and get a better deal). Luckily, for Boston IT recruiting firms, there are stores and coffee shops on nearly every corner. You can have coffee stored in your cabinet for whenever you need it, too.

Health

Coffee is healthier than energy drinks when consumed without all the bells and whistles. Black coffee is natural and provides antioxidants and fiber. Energy drinks lack vitamins and are typically made with copious amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners. If IT headhunters cannot handle the taste of black coffee, they can opt for skim milk rather than cream and flavored coffee to ward off additional sugar.

Alternative Energy Sources

Coffee and energy drinks are not the only way to boost your mood and work level. Never use caffeine to subsidize sleep or suppress appetite.  Productivity levels will crash! Naturally increase your energy by going for a walk or snacking on healthy fruit and vegetables. Be sure to exercise regularly and get enough sleep each night to maintain good focus and improve your attitude.

What Salary Should You Ask For As An IT Recruiter

The big question that many prospective IT recruiters are faced with after their final interview with an IT staffing company is what salary should they demand.  Since the key to most IT recruiting companies is their commission plans, the appropriate salaries can vary.  Therefore, technical recruiters must take a number of factors into consideration:

  • Commission Plan:  This is the most critical piece of any compensation plan.   IT recruiters Boston who are confident in their work ethic and ability will want an aggressive commission plan.  This in turn, would translate into a lower salary (as ideal as it would be, you can’t have both).  If you’re an aggressive technical recruiter, then you’ll want an aggressive plan.  If you value work/life/balance, then find an IT recruiting firm who is heavier on the front end (salary).
  • Additional bonuses and/or stock:  Does the IT recruiting agency provide any additional bonuses or incentives?  Annual bonus?  Stock sharing plan?  Additional vacation time?  These are all things that IT recruiters need to know before deciding on a fair and equitable salary.
  • Insurance plan & other company contributions:  In today’s age, health insurance rates are through the roof.  Therefore, take a look at what out-of-pocket expenses you might incur with your plan.  What percentages of your health insurance will the IT staffing firm pay?  Would the money be withheld pre or post-tax?  Is there a 401k match?  A disability or life insurance plan?  All these factors will have an effect your salary requirements.
  • Vacation policy:  Holidays are scarce in the IT recruiting industry as technical staffing firms must be open if there is a chance any of their IT consultants are working.  Therefore, knowing you may only receive 5-6 holidays, dig into your vacation time.  IT recruiters Boston work hard; therefore it’s critical to have some time off to rest and recharge the battery.
  • Volume of requirements:  Outside of compensation, this is the most critical factor to success for technical recruiters.  Simply put, does the IT recruiter have enough qualified job orders to make money?  Dig into req volume; fill ratios and other metrics that will help you gauge the realistic opportunity for you to fill positions.
  • Company growth & opportunity:  Unless your career aspiration is to be a life-long technical recruiter, you’re going to want to know about the potential to move upwards within the IT recruiting firm.  Is there an opportunity to run the IT staffing branch?  A regional role?  Training other IT recruiters Boston?  Dig into the potentials, and then ask for real-life examples of people who have been promoted into these roles.
  • Personal experience:  Of course your own personal experience and past IT recruiting production numbers are a huge component that will help drive your salary requirements.  Your past annual revenue numbers can drive your market value up or down based on productivity.
  • Personal bills & expenses:  Figure out the amount of money you will need to live comfortably.  This should be your bottom line in terms of salary.  Next calculate how much you would ideally like the IT staffing agency to pay you.  Make sure that is not unrealistic and competitive.  You may not be sure what you are worth or what salary the hiring managers are willing to pay.
  • Competitor Comps:  If you can find salaries and hourly rates of the job you are interested in, you can compare them with other IT recruiting companies Boston.  This will allow you to find an average salary range for the IT recruiting position based on the current economic climate.