3 Emerging Trends in Hiring IT Talent in a Post-COVID World

It’s not a complete exaggeration to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how the IT industry works, possibly for good. While the medical world has set sight on a possible vaccine rollout by 2021, businesses have to remain agile in keeping pace with technological advancements to stay aloft in such turbulent times. In that same vein, IT staffing agencies need to take proactive steps towards future-proofing the IT hiring practices to keep up with the demand.

The Importance of IT Amidst COVID-19

The accelerated need to shift to cloud-based systems as more and more companies adopted remote working setups was the first of the many waves in the IT industry. Because much of the infrastructure had to be accessible outside of the office, many companies had to quickly gain a working knowledge of cloud-based systems. 

This resulted in major demand for IT talent that could deploy systems such as AWS and Azure. Within the first few weeks of lockdown, demand for candidates who possessed cloud-based skills shot up by as much as 400%. 

As the world’s medical communities raced to understand how the novel coronavirus spread and affected communities at such a rapid rate, the need for data analysts and data scientists also rose. As the world governments struggled to collate data from which to base their policies, they needed data scientists who could crunch the numbers and give them a predictive view. 

It is within these trends that IT companies, and the IT staffing firms working with them, need to recalibrate their strategies when it comes to recruiting tech talent. 

Agility is the name of the game

Before COVID-19 forced industries to adopt remote working setups, most companies were slow to use technology. Most had a video platform that could be used for things like onboarding, but adoption was generally slow. 

Nowadays, due to the unique circumstances, technology companies have had to quickly adapt and familiarize themselves with available technology. What became clear in the early days of the pandemic is that the businesses agile enough to adopt the necessary technology were the ones that suffered the least in operational instability. 

Reconsider geographical boundaries when sourcing talent 

Traditional attitudes about work have always made employers prefer to source talent locally. However, with remote working quickly becoming more of a norm, hiring teams should be open to hiring staff from multiple time zones. 

Whether this practice is going to be sustainable in the long run remains to be seen. However, so far, many businesses have become more open to hiring outside of their immediate locality if the skills and qualifications of the candidate are apparent. 

Future-proofing is a must

All companies, regardless of size, had to contend with the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic. The clear differentiator between companies that thrived and those that had to close or scale down their operations was the presence of a clear business continuity plan. 

Those who had the foresight to adopt cloud-based workflows and consider remote-working setups emerged with the least instability because they already had the necessary infrastructure. Therefore, the biggest lesson to learn is that adopting future-proofing technology, such as cloud computing, is the key to surviving the challenges of the pandemic. 

Conclusion 

If anything, the COVID-19 pandemic and its unique circumstances served only to accelerate what had already been emerging technologies. This presents companies and the IT staffing firms working with them the challenge to supply the sudden demand for IT professionals in every industry. 

The long-term effects of such a shift are yet to be seen—but what remains clear is that those who want to thrive in adverse situations will need to be adept at using the technology that is available to them. 

Are you looking for a professional staffing firm to help you hire the IT talent you need? Technical Paradigm is an IT staffing firm dedicated to providing innovative IT workforce solutions. Our platform serves to connect exceptionally talented job seekers to potential employers. Contact us today to learn more about our services!

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