Hiring and scaling tech teams in 2021
Companies have experienced a period of unprecedented change and digital transformation since 2020, coming to depend on tech heavily.
Driven by the need to transform, innovate with minimal disruption to business, companies have started focusing on sourcing the right tech talent with the latest skills for their teams. As companies move towards recovery and crisis-proof themselves for the future, tech teams are of supreme importance.
To build winning tech teams in 2021 and beyond, flexibility, innovation, and scalability will be driving factors. To build such teams, companies have to rethink their approach to hiring and sourcing these candidates.
As a global recruitment partner for tech companies, we have some recommendations when companies are hiring tech teams.
Prioritize skills over pedigree
Tech hiring has seen a definite uptick since the pandemic began, with 60-70% of organizations predicted to be at pre-COVID-19 hiring levels by the beginning of 2021. Companies are warming up to the idea of cross-border, geography-agnostic hiring. They are more focused on hiring for skills rather than resumes when it comes to tech recruitment.
Companies are turning to the skills-based evaluation of candidates and are adopting tools that help them do that.
Consider remote, offshore teams
Offshore tech teams are a great way to build and augment your tech teams. With the pandemic making remote work mainstream, this is a great way to tap into global talent pools while bringing down your costs, especially if the company lies in an expensive metro city. Offshore teams act as an extension of your existing onshore team and are dedicated to business goals even if they are not sitting out of the same location.
Companies can seek the help of global recruitment experts (like Cy9) who will help source for your offshore teams navigating the laws, regulations, and culture of the extended team’s location for you.
Leverage tech for recruiting your tech talent
One of the good outcomes of the pandemic has been the increasing reliance of recruiters on virtual assessment tools to evaluate the candidates, especially as in-person interviews became impossible with COVID-19 restrictions.
By leveraging tech, companies can pose real-life tech challenges to prospective hires and assess them for their approach. It lets them effectively screen more applicants in an unbiased way that helps them identify the suitable candidates with the right skills for the job.
Don’t forget culture fit
As teams went remote since 2020, it has become imperative to ensure that your new hires are a good culture fit, as you will not be meeting them in person. While great engineers will learn new technologies as long as they have their basics right, they must buy into your vision and gel well with your team in terms of their work ethic, values to succeed.
While it is tough to find the great tech talent that ticks all the boxes, do not forget about culture fit, it matters because people who fit well with your culture work better, are productive and happier employees.
Invest in upskilling
While companies spend a lot of time and money ensuring they find the right people for their tech teams, they often ignore the upskilling of new and existing employees. Without upskilling, the employees cannot have an edge in the competitive tech market.
A study found that only 16% of new hires have the skills needed to do their jobs, and existing employees may require up to 10 new skills to do their jobs well in 2021. Upskilling is no longer a perk but a business necessity.
It will help companies stay relevant and competitive while acting as an effective retention tool for tech teams.
Soft skills are essential in a remote world
Soft skills have become of paramount importance as the world moved online with the pandemic, and we could not rely on being in the same room to communicate with each other.
While technical skills are the most important for tech hires, companies prioritize soft skills as well. They are crucial for building teams, motivating employees, and forming mutually beneficial external partnerships. Some soft skills to prioritize are communication, problem-solving and critical thinking.
Build talent pipeline with campus recruitment programs
Companies should invest in talent pools like the students to start building a talent pipeline for the future. Working with such untapped talent pools, companies should invest in upskilling these candidates, and partnering with universities or STEM departments would be an excellent step to get started.
By leveraging university partnerships, companies can develop relationships with talent before entering the workforce, bolstering their talent pipeline.
Work with tech hiring partners
Another good way to build and grow your tech team is by partnering with tech recruitment companies. By seeking their help, you can tap into their resources (extensive candidate base and screening abilities) and expertise not available with your hiring teams.
They free up screening time, so you only have to focus on interviewing the most qualified candidates.
Most tech recruitment firms have teams of skilled IT recruiters specializing in hiring specific technologies and have deep knowledge of the required skills and certifications needed for these jobs. Additionally, they have existing relationships with candidates and have a great pulse of trends in the talent market.
In conclusion, it is essential to remember that hiring tech teams during the pandemic and beyond hiring the right people, equipping them with the tools to be the best at what they do, and providing them with an environment where they can thrive.
