6 IT Hiring Trends For 2021
6 IT Hiring Trends for 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every industry, fundamentally altering how most businesses conduct their daily operations — including how they recruit, hire, and retain IT talent.
Robert Half Technology surveyed over 2,800 senior managers in the United States to determine hiring and salary trends for 2021. As businesses continue to grapple with the pandemic, there has been rise in need for remote work, and the need to fill vital technical roles remotely. According to Robert Half's report, many COVID quick fixes are likely to persist after the pandemic ends, with 74% of more than 1,000 workers surveyed in the United States stating that they "want to work remotely more frequently following the pandemic" — a desire that IT organizations will undoubtedly have to consider as the battle for top talent intensifies.
Here are six vital IT hiring trends for this year, as predicted by Robert Half Technology.
Increased competition for certain roles
Soft and Tech skills still in demand
Interviews and onboarding go remote
Shortening the hiring process
Remote jobs on the rise
A focus on retention and alleviating burnout
Increased competition for certain roles
While the IT talent shortage continues, COVID-19 has shifted demand for certain roles, including an increased need for developers, as well as help desk and cybersecurity professionals. Businesses require developers to develop new applications and software services, as well as to expand their reach in emerging technologies such as augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. This creates a need for DevOps engineers to "assist businesses in provisioning and managing IT infrastructure and microservices architecture," the report states.
As remote work becomes the norm in the aftermath of the pandemic, businesses will require more skilled help desk and system administrators to support the transition to fully remote work. With more employees working from home and remotely accessing systems, the demand for troubleshooting, support, and cybersecurity has increased.
Soft and Tech skills still in demand
Tech and Soft skills were already popular prior to the pandemic, and they have remained so since. According to Robert Half's report, skills such as "adaptability to change" and communication are more critical than ever, particularly as the landscape of work changes.
Which soft skills are most in demand? Detail-orientedness, business acumen, change management, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, customer service, leadership, problem solving, and project management are all required.
Which tech skills are most in demand? Devops, Software Engineering, Web/Mobile Developers, Cloud Engineers, IT Security Experts, Management Information Systems, Digital Marketing, Business Analytics and Business Intelligence.
Interviews and onboarding go remote
In response to the pandemic, businesses rushed to fall back to remote — and were equally quick to move hiring and onboarding processes online as well.
Remote interviews are proving to be an adequate substitute for in-person interviews, thanks to videoconferencing services. Remote onboarding, on the other hand, has created its own set of complications, as the majority of businesses rely on in-person onboarding, even for remote employees. Companies accustomed to flying in new employees for onboarding in order to fully immerse them in the company culture are forced to get creative with remote onboarding in order to ensure employees feel a sense of belonging and a seamless transition into their new role.
Shortening the hiring process
COVID-19 has also compelled businesses to expedite their hiring processes in order to attract top talent more efficiently, with 44% of senior managers surveyed by Robert Half reporting that they have shortened the hiring process as a direct result of COVID-19.
By speeding up the hiring process, businesses can not only get talent into the door faster, but also reduce the likelihood of candidates being swooped up by competitors. The shift to remote interviews has been critical to this, as it allows recruiters and hiring managers to schedule interviews more easily, as candidates are not required to travel or work around a complicated schedule.
Remote jobs on the rise
While remote work and the ability to work from home has long been a perk of the technology industry, COVID-19 has organizations rethinking their remote work strategies even further. As a result of the pandemic, 42% of businesses now advertise entirely remote jobs, rather than hybrid or flexible jobs. This has also aided in broadening the talent pool by allowing businesses to bypass geographical restrictions when recruiting new employees. Talent can be found throughout the country, and in some cases, the world.
However, there is a downside to this trend: hiring managers and recruiters are being inundated with candidates. As job listings expand to include remote work, the number of resumes submitted by candidates has increased. According to the report, “job postings that might have attracted the attention of a handful of interested professionals a year ago have begun to generate a higher volume of applicants.”
A focus on retention and alleviating burnout
Over 80% of managers in the United States express concern about their ability to retain valuable employees. According to Robert Half, the top reasons for talent loss are low morale (47%), increased workloads and burnout (47%), salary cuts and lack of raises (39%), and dissatisfaction with management (29%). It's been a trying year for employees and leaders alike — Covid-19 brought a slew of unexpected changes, with ripple effects felt across every industry and business.
In the coming year, leadership must prioritize ensuring employees feel supported. Robert Half surveyed over 1,000 workers in the United States who have experienced "career reconsiderations" as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 60 percent stated that they "want to work for an organization that values its employees during uncertain times." It is more important than ever to demonstrate to your employees how much you value their work, particularly during a global pandemic.
