In the current job market, it pays to have an understanding of where the other side is coming from. We look at what a prospective IT employer and employee have to say.
The employer’s perspective
LoyaltyTech is a small-business specialist provider of customer relationship management and loyalty systems for major retailers. A small company, it has been hiring for growth – but finding it less than simple to secure the ideal candidates for its developer and client/project lead roles.
“Developers either lack experience within our field, or lack good communications skills,” explains CEO Matt Hampshire. “The more senior roles are harder to fill, as bigger companies can typically offer more money than we can – and the incentives and work flexibility options we have traditionally offered to attract these guys are also now being offered by the bigger firms as well.”
Peter Noblet, regional director of IT specialist recruitment firm Hayes Information Technology, says: "The top candidates are those who continue to develop their core skills."
LoyaltyTech’s last few hires included a US-based candidate who had worked with the company on past projects and was looking for a lifestyle change in Sydney; a staffer who was referred by an existing employee; and a graduate that was brought on after a brief contract period “as they just demonstrated a real desire”.
When vetting candidates, Hampshire looks for a variety of traits, including relevant experience; vibrant personalities; a willingness to ‘go the extra mile’ when required; and a real hunger to learn and contribute. He’s particularly keen to hear about things that interest candidates, whether technology related or not; assumes candidates who don’t ask many questions aren’t very interested in the job; encourages candidates to smile and relax so the team can see ‘the real you’; and not to skimp on the basics, such as presentation and spelling.
“I won’t interview a candidate without a well presented resume,” says Hampshire, who counts communication and collaboration skills, enthusiasm and self-starting, and a broad skill set and relevant experience as his key desires from new candidates.
“Other candidates we interviewed for these roles were typically either not prepared to be flexible on hours, or deemed not a good fit to the company dynamic. Generally the lack of ecommerce experience is also an issue: both our hires had good experience in this area. Employees ideally have a broad range of skills / technology knowledge that they can bring to the team. There are always new opportunities.”
The employee’s perspective
The mix of skills employers are looking for is broadening as project requirements expand, and, Linda (not her real name -- a web designer with ten years’ experience in a range of design and social-media work across sport, entertainment, education, government and other industries) has spent much of her job hunt focusing on jobs that match her capabilities.
Having just moved on after her job was lost in a corporate restructure, Linda has been actively meeting with recruiters and says the reception has been warm all around. “A lot of recruiters I’m talking to are saying there are more jobs in the digital space, particularly in Melbourne, than there are people to fill them. It’s more competitive in Sydney, but they’re saying that while there are a lot of people looking for jobs, the genuine talent is thinner on the ground.”
Linda has sat for three interviews and was offered the job in all three cases, but she’s taking a bit of time to ensure she ends up in the role most suited to her interests. “One of them wasn’t really as it was described in the ad, and in another one I felt a bit bullied by the recruiters, who have their agenda and want to earn their commissions. That’s a really unsettling experience.”
Experience in the job market has taught her a few valuable lessons – for example, about preparing clear and relevant cover letters, reworking CVs to suit a job’s requirements, and explaining how her combination of technical and project-management skills can suit what they’re looking for.
It’s “almost a full-time job” looking for work, but Linda is determined to make the most of the job-seeker’s market. “What other recruiters have said about how many roles are actually on offer, and how many they expect to have in any financial year, has given me the confidence to not just have to choose the first job I’m offered,” she explains. “I’ll take time to properly spend time researching what’s around and end up in a great role. If they’re really talent-poor, I should be able to take the appropriate amount of time to make decisions about what I do next.”
