Without question, recruiting and retaining talented professionals is a priority for IT leaders around the world. IAUG members can take advantage of the association’s Job Bank, as well as numerous in-person and virtual networking opportunities.
Recent benchmarking data from Gartner indicates that a majority of HR leaders expect the labor market to get more competitive this year despite worries about a recession and recent tech layoff announcements. That means IT leaders need to think carefully about everything they can offer a new hire, from competitive salary and benefits to training and career opportunities, and an outstanding employee experience (EX).
Along with reviewing your internal recruiting program, it’s helpful to understand the overall professional labor market, including trends that could help you achieve your hiring goals. In that regard, Gartner, Inc., recently published nine workplace predictions for driving personnel and business outcomes.
1. “Quiet hiring” will create new avenues to snag in-demand talent. Managers will turn to “quiet hiring” to acquire new skills and capabilities without acquiring new full-time employees. For example, you could deploy current employees to the highest priorities, which may involve IT reskilling and stretch assignments. Remember that upskilling can also fulfill your employees’ career objectives while meeting organizational needs.
2. Hybrid flexibility will reach frontline workers. While many organizations have sought to make the workforce-wide experience fair by mandating on-site work, you should continue to look for professionals who prefer to work remotely. In 2023, smart organizations will stop limiting schedule flexibility and provide contact center agents and other frontline workers with more control over their schedules, more paid leave and more stability in work schedules.
3. Managers will be sandwiched by leader and employee expectations. Many managers are struggling with how to provide a sense of purpose, flexibility, and career opportunities that employees expect, according to Peter Aykens, chief of research in the Gartner HR practice. Therefore, you should recognize the increasing pressure on managers, and provide support and training to mitigate the widening managerial skills gap while clarifying priorities and redesigning roles where necessary.
4. Pursuit of nontraditional candidates will expand talent pipelines. Look for ways to expand and diversity your talent pipeline. There are several approaches to consider, such as relaxing formal education and experience requirements in job postings and reaching out directly to internal or external candidates from nontraditional backgrounds.
5. Healing pandemic trauma will open a path to more sustainable performance. With so many employees feeling stressed at their jobs every day, you can offer various types of support, such as proactive rest to help your employees maintain their emotional resilience and performance. A July 2022 Gartner survey of nearly 3,500 employees found that when organizations offer proactive rest, they see a 26 percent increase in employee performance.
6. Organizations will drive DEI forward amid growing pushback. Although organizations still prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, there is growing pushback as well. Considering the importance of hiring and retaining diverse talents, you should think about communication strategies and other tools for addressing issues at an early stage.
7. Personalizing employee support will create new data risks. If you are using artificial intelligence (AI) assistants, wearables, etc. to collect employee data be sure to secure this personal information. You could also create an employee data bill of rights that prioritizes transparency around how you collect, use and store employee data, and allows employees to opt out of practices they find objectionable.
8. Concerns around AI will lead to increased transparency in recruiting tech. With more organizations leveraging AI in recruiting, the ethical implications of these practices have become more urgent. If you use AI and machine learning in your hiring process, be sure you understand new regulations and give employees and candidates the ability to opt out from AI-led processes.
9. Gen Z skills gaps will reveal a wide erosion of social skills. Many new-to-the-workforce employees have had few in-person opportunities to observe norms and behaviors in your organization. One remedial strategy is to build intentional connections among employees across geographic – and generational – boundaries.
Finally, look to your organizational culture and show new job candidates and hires that you have a clear structure and purpose – as well as opportunities for fun and friendship. Today, almost everyone is looking for meaningful work, as well as a nice paycheck, so pay attention to the intangible factors in the employee experience,
