{"id":446,"date":"2020-04-23T08:59:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T07:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/51.75.254.207\/Club-Freelance\/?p=446"},"modified":"2022-10-10T16:22:45","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T15:22:45","slug":"5-keys-to-adapting-your-it-talent-strategy-to-the-current-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/?p=446","title":{"rendered":"5 Keys to Adapt Your IT Talent Strategy to the Current Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discover our 5 keys to adapt your IT Talent Strategy to the current reality. Here are 5 things you should keep in mind. <\/p>\n

It seems it was ages ago that we were wrapping up 2019
\nand getting ready for a new year. It was the perfect time to look at emerging trends
\nand future business needs, to make resolutions and establish goals for the year
\nahead. However, the global pandemic is forcing us to scrap many of those plans.
\nWe must adjust to the current economic and social reality, and so does our
\ntalent strategy. <\/p>\n

As an IT decision-maker, your success depends very much on the performance of your teams. Now more than ever<\/a>, you need to mobilize the right skills, at the right time, and at the right cost.<\/p>\n

To do this, you must re-evaluate your existing talent strategy. You must anticipate your skills needs and set up concrete measures to attract, recruit, retain and develop that talent — both to weather the crisis and for when the storm is over.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Identify your main challenges <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Alright, so it\u2019s your team that determines your success. But how do you find and recruit top performers when the tech & IT talent market is suffering from a heavy talent shortage<\/a> and everyone is competing for the same candidates? Who should you prioritise hiring given the uncertainty of the situation?<\/p>\n

All key departments
\nin a company should have a talent strategy in place, but it is all the more
\nnecessary for IT since the talent war is raging much more than in other areas. For
\ninstance, an expert in an area of expertise such as cybersecurity often
\nreceives several offers for permanent jobs or freelance assignments every week
\n— or even every day. <\/p>\n

Be aware of
\nthese issues to anticipate your needs and define the best possible plan of
\naction (difficulty levels to recruit a particular profile, salary levels,
\netc.).<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Another of the Keys to Adapt Your IT Talent Strategy: Be flexible with your recruiting approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You know how fast everything goes in the world of IT, especially given the massive shift to remote work. In this perspective, you must ensure that you are able to quickly adapt by working both with stable resources, who know the long-term challenges of your business, and with resources that can be mobilised quickly and on more specific issues.<\/p>\n

The solution is often to use both internal and external talent, including freelance IT consultants. They make it possible to bring in skills that are often specific on certain technical subjects, without too restrictive a commitment over time. They also have the benefit of bringing a \u201cnew\u201d and external look which can be beneficial to the team already in place and stimulate rapid change.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Leverage soft skills to accelerate your projects<\/strong><\/h2>\n

More and
\nmore, soft skills are making a difference among IT professionals. The IT
\ndepartment is at the heart of digital transformation and must be an engine of
\nchange in the company. Especially in today\u2019s climate, IT teams must be composed
\nof people capable of adapting, communicating, and sometimes even evangelizing
\nto encourage the adoption of new tools or uses.<\/p>\n

Hard skills
\nare obviously fundamental, but the lifespan of acquired skills is getting
\nshorter and shorter, and times of crisis call for something more than technique.
\nAs an IT decision-maker, you must make sure that your recruitment and talent
\ndevelopment strategy focuses on people as the primary performance lever.<\/p>\n

A good CIO
\nor a good IT leader shows leadership, creativity and a daring vision — even an
\nentrepreneurial spirit. You must look for these qualities in your IT team
\nleaders and members to ensure the success of your projects.<\/p>\n

Are you
\nrecruiting developers? Choose candidates who demonstrate emotional intelligence
\nand who will be able to put themselves in the shoes of the user. Beyond the
\ntechnical mastery of the targeted computer languages, make sure that the
\ncuriosity, the method, the initiative and the critical thinking of your
\ncandidates are evaluated in the recruitment process.<\/p>\n

For more information on the topic, check out this article<\/a> outlining the 5 most sought-after soft skills in IT. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Beyond recruitment: talent retention and development<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It is no
\nlonger enough to know how to identify and attract the best profiles to have an
\neffective talent strategy: you have to make sure you know how to keep and
\ndevelop the right IT professionals who constitute your teams. Especially in a
\ncrisis like the one that is unfolding. <\/p>\n

You might
\nbe tempted to cut staff loose and settle for short-than-best experts to reduce
\ncosts. That can be a big mistake. Your employees are your greatest asset and
\nyou should protect them and nurture them as much as possible. Focus on
\nretaining your best talent, on future-proofing your existing team. You will be
\nthankful for it once the crisis ends and you have all the competitive
\nadvantages of a robust IT team.<\/p>\n

Some specific
\nsteps that you can take:<\/p>\n