Those were the days.
IT staffing has changed, along with all other aspects of hiring as influenced by the pandemic. The year 2020 brought historic change to our industry, according to an article published by SHRM, one where virtual recruiting and remote onboarding became the norm for many. We live in a changing business world that has established new basics. It is one that requires us to stay sharp and consider new strategies to recruit in a competitive market and to identify retention strategies that serve the wants and needs of the candidates.
S.i. Systems’ team members live and breathe this new world, and have a few insights to share that will help you understand and embrace this new world of tech hiring:
- Three fundamental hiring changes
- Four ongoing challenges
- Two hot (and hard-to-fill) specialties
Three Fundamental Hiring Changes
Ignore at your own peril! In a time when the demand for talent with key skills far outstrips supply, listening to what potential employees or contractors want from their work can make for a stronger pipeline.
1. Flexibility. We always take a more reserved approach to the latest trend, but this one looks here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Employers need to be flexible about remote work. We hear it loud and clear: candidates are looking for employers who offer flexibility as demonstrated by the opportunity to work remotely, or in a hybrid office/WFH model.
2. Remote recruiting. Not too distant from the idea of remote work is broadening your postal code parameters. The trade-off for an employer’s flexibility is the ability to draw on talent pools from different cities, provinces, time zones, even countries. Talent for one part of the country is being found in distant locations, sometimes across the country and sometimes across the world.
“Prior to COVID-19, most clients in Calgary weren’t considering candidates that weren’t local,” said Dana Stene, S.i.Systems Account Executive in Calgary. “That is no longer the case, especially for niche skill sets. For example, cloud developers are in big demand in Calgary and they are hard to find. We are encouraging and helping our clients locate skills such as these nationally, in markets like Toronto, where there are candidates available with that skill set.”
Brian Brady, VP of Public Sector in Ottawa, is experiencing the same change with his clients. “Prior to COVID our clients were insisting that all contractors needed to be on site in Ottawa. This is no longer the case, as we are finding talent across the country to work in Ottawa.”
3. Shift in the worker/company relationship. There is an increase in use of contract workers to fill gaps left by both the talent shortage and lack of key skills. According to Mercer’s 2021 Global Talent Trend Report, at least 79% of executives predict that contract and freelance workers will replace full-time employees in the future. Contractors are embraced by public and private organisations alike, reducing overhead such as benefits and automatic withholding for taxes and retirement. In turn, this new relationship puts a spotlight on corporate culture, replacing “ping pong table perks” with communication, engagement and brand transparency.
Four challenges that are here to stay
We don’t see the following as resolved -- they’ll continue to test recruiters this year and perhaps beyond.
Battle for Talent. Especially in key areas such as security, data analytics, software development, and ERP, employers are fighting hard to get the talent they need. The competition may seem to be other Canadian companies or government agencies, but it’s not just Canadian firms. Google, Meta (Facebook), Pinterest, Amazon and other behemoths are offering top pay and luring developers away, making the talent pool even more shallow -- even globally.
Fully Vaxxed. A recent report noted that Canada had a higher percentage of positions open that required full vaccination as a prerequisite for employment compared to the US and countries in the EU. That makes it especially difficult, according to Suzanne Izatt, Managing Director in Vancouver. “Our jobs as recruiters have been made challenging in many ways since the pandemic, requiring to identify candidates who are double-vaxxed is another example of how accountability to our clients has increased. Some government requirements even stipulate it for WFH candidates.”
Dual Fluency. The need for fluency in both French and English has been a challenge for decades. But add the constraints of a diminished tech pool and it becomes even more critical. Ahna Goswami, from the Ottawa private sector team, says that “certain specializations have been more of a struggle, such as identifying software and mobile developers who are bilingual in French and English.”
Money, Speed, and Opportunity. Supply and demand are pushing hiring managers to think differently, but like purchasing anything these days, we naturally fight the reality of having to pay more. There is an evident disconnect between balancing current market rates and what clients have paid historically. Not only are rates challenging, but speed of hiring is critical to getting the best value hire for your project. Dana Stene, in our Calgary office, put it this way: “It’s important not just to make the match quickly, but to ensure that the client is able to pay market rates with longer-term contracts. We provide market data on what is being paid and remind our clients to stay open-minded and be prepared to move quickly on a candidate. It’s a fast-paced market we’re in.”
Two Hot (and Hard to Fill) Specialties
It’s not news to you, but the entire tech industry is on fire. While many skill sets are always in demand, there are two that can't be extinguished:
- Cyber Security
- Data Analytics
Cyber security roles are broad, from architects to project and program managers right through to analysts, engineers, and administrators. If you’re finding these roles hard to fill, you’re not alone. ZDNet reported that a lack of investment, combined with the challenge of additional workloads, is resulting in a skills shortage that's leading to unfilled jobs and high burnout among information security staff. In fact, 57% say a shortage of cyber security skills has impacted the organisation they work for.
Our cyber security practice has seen a big uptick this year. The needs are great, as by mid-2021 there were already 17% more cyberattacks than in all of 2020, which alone was a record year.
Yet S.i. Systems has secured a significant number of talented professionals in this specialty area. We have learned much throughout this process, and shared it in our Guide to Staffing Your Cyber Security Practice. Download it at your convenience - there are many helpful resources within it.
Data science and analytics are areas where we see great demand. The supply of data scientists is low, and it's because even in 2021 the field of data science is still relatively new. According to Towards Data Science, these jobs rank in the top three most sought after positions. They stay open, on average, five days longer than other similar jobs.
For data science, it is important to note that those who get into the field usually transition from other fields such as business, psychology, and life sciences. Given that, S.i. Systems works closely with our clients to advise them on how to look at resumes differently so they don’t miss out on someone who may be the next data science leader. Learn more about this when you download our Guide to Staffing Your Data and Analytics Practice.
Essentially, both of these categories demand a fresh look at how one determines if a candidate is right for the job. Quite often we suggest that a strong fit might actually require upskilling into the role. Indeed, our clients who are successful in hiring for cyber security and data science roles are planning ahead, anticipating their needs, and taking advantage of incubators and educational programs building a tech talent pipeline. We often counsel candidates that they, too, continue to expand their expertise, experience, and skills in these high-demand areas.
New Playbook. New Possibilities.
These challenges may seem daunting, but Canada has bright opportunities ahead because of what we learned during the pandemic. We learned to recruit differently, work differently, and prioritize talent needs, all while balancing high demand for technologists in every sector.
“COVID has driven tremendous change that will have long-reaching benefits,” said Brian Brady. “It’s when the impossible became possible. We learned that:
- It is possible to work offsite in almost all roles - and it’s possible to lose out on the best candidate if you refuse WFH options.
- It is possible to have people working from other cities on your projects.
- It is possible to create a positive onboarding experience for someone working remotely.
- It is possible to rely on electronic signatures.
- It is possible to manage your team’s output and productivity instead of the hours in the office.
…. And the list goes on and on.”
We’ve been doing this for a long time at S.i. Systems. We’ve seen the peaks and valleys and we can’t emphasize strongly enough that we’re excited for this new world of staffing. It’s a change whose time has come and whose impact will be good for the industry. We are finding fresh talent solutions for organisations that are embracing their brands, engaging with team members, and finding the right new approach for hiring and retention.
Let’s talk about how our expertise can support your hiring needs in this new world of staffing.
Download the 2022 IT Staffing Marketing Insights Report: A Report on Canada’s Technology Labour Market, Hiring Trends, Salaries, and Wages.
