Tag Archives: prospective candidates

Models of the Technological Innovation Process

In today’s environment of technological change, keeping track of the increasingly complex innovation process can be aided by tools like models. Past conventional perspectives on the technical innovation process focused on the market pull & technology push theories. These theories about technological advancement evolved into Interactive/Coupling model. Responding to the premise of the market pull/tech push concept, which viewed technological innovation as a reactive force responding to the market as a source of inspiration, the Interactive/Coupling model suggests that the market joins forces with a technological void to fill a need for consumers.

IT recruiters can take these models and their premises into consideration when placing technical candidates in innovative, technological solutions-oriented companies. Technical staffing firms that understand the role of the market in IT job demand, in particular for technical innovators, will be able to meet technical employer demand with IT candidates that have the qualifications for the job, and know what those firms are looking for in a technical consultant. The information technology industry depends on change, and mapping the direction of that change through models of the innovation process can bring clarity to technical job-seekers and IT staffers as they conceptualize the current technological landscape.

Leadership in Tech

Managers working in technology need to have well-developed leadership skills to compliment their technical qualifications. Technical recruiters understand that technical employers that partner with IT staffing firms seek technical candidates that are both tech-savvy and display strong interpersonal skills. Technical managers need to be skilled in technical training, which has it’s own language. Being familar with this language and conveying it articulately to new technical hires is a key focal point of a technical managers responsibilites. IT recruiters and IT staffing agencies speak to technical candidates over the phone to guage leadership ability, and technical employers hiring candidates for a technical management position will definitely ask interview questions aimed at determing a technical candidate’s level of proficiency in that area.

Landing a top-paying technical job involves not just qualifications, but also the ability to recognize the highly subjective nature of the hiring process. A technical candidate who uses these variables to his or her advantage has the highest chance of walking away with a job offer. Complimenting an interviewer on a wardrobe choice at the start of the conversation won’t compensate for an incomplete technical skillset, but if a candidate’s qualifications are solid, and the candidate can convey strong confidence in his or her area of technical expertise, starting the interview conversation on a positive note can only help make a positive impression and break any tension in the air from the start. Keeping these subtelties of the interviewing process in mind will help skilled technical professionals move into management with ease.

Technical Professionals Adjusting to a Project Management Role

Technical Professionals who have become experts in their chosen areas of technical talent may find their career trajectory leading them into a management role, and realizing, once in that role, that their job experience so far hasn’t prepared them for the pressures and challenges of IT management. Project management, a standard step in the promotion ladder in IT, is not only an advancement, it’s a major career shift with a new set of responsibilities and skills required. IT professionals who have become accustomed to a self-directed schedule now need to learn how to manage people, and integrate interactions with others into their daily schedule. Time management, while probably a skill many technical professionals are proficient in, becomes central.

IT recruiters placing seasoned technical consultants in a first project management role are in a position to prep technical talent for the IT job ahead. Technical professionals located on a wide range of the spectrum can qualify for a project management role after a certain number of years working as a successful technical contractor. IT staffing agencies will then see a technical candidate as a desirable placement for a project management role coming from a variety of technical jobs: information technology professionals, engineers, and even medical professionals. Working with IT staffing agencies to make the transition into the new job is a challenge IT headhunters can make easier for technical consultants through solid, targeted advice.

How to Source for Recruitment with Talent Management Systems

Technical recruiters who have been involved in the information technology and staffing industry for a while will be able to attest to the transformations that have taken place in the technical job landscape, and the huge increases in employer demand for IT roles. IT recruiting companies that understand the evolution of best practices in the IT recruiting world, and employ best practice strategies, have emerged as cutting-edge forces in the current workforce environment. Technical hiring managers who recognize IT talent management as the core business function that it is in today’s high-activity technical job market will serve as a valuable resource to other IT staffers for that reason.

Technical recruiters who stay on the edge of recruitment technology trends are in the best position to take advantage of them before they become common knowledge, and perform on a more competitive level than other technical staffers. Ultimately, the technical recruiters who work for IT staffing agencies are one of the best tools employers have at their disposal when developing talent and a solid workforce. IT staffing firms who develop a global perspective on the IT staffing industry, and hiring managers in the information technology industry will stay current and relevant.

The Mobile Job Search

The increasing sophistication of cloud computing and smartphone application suggest inevitable changes to come in the job-seeking landscape. With major job board websites like Monster, Careerbuilder, Indeed and Craigslist offering phone application versions of their sites, it’s a matter of time before job hunters adapt their search techniques to the advantages provided by advancing technology.

One of the most powerful ways phone apps can impact a job search is portability.

Technical Recruiting Goes Mobile

With mobile job searching apps, the job-seeking landscape is poised to evolve. Candidates who store their resume on their phones can check out and apply to new jobs in their chosen industries while riding the T to a resume workshop, or an interview.

Gauging the Job Search Pace

The most obvious potential impact of mobile job searching is a shorter job search through a more efficient use of time. Mobile apps allow candidates better flexibility in maintaining relationships with recruiters as well. A candidate seeking an IT position could contact a recruiter by email via an online job posting and receive a reply while grabbing coffee. The candidate could stay in touch through Linkedin, and follow up with the recruiter a week later over the phone using contact information on the recruiter’s Linkedin profile. Mobile networking is about portability and adaptability – a job search that keeps pace with a candidate’s schedule. Mobile job searches could lead to higher placement rates for recruiters and quicker interview requests and offers for candidates. As candidate familiarity with mobile job-searching grows, additional benefits may materialize that recruiters can use to their advantage.

Here at AVID, where technical recruiters place IT candidates, listings on Linkedin and Monster are part of our recruiting approach. Adapting to the mobile job search is an important part of our recruiting strategy.

Technical Recruiting Companies Responding to Your Emails?

Do you fire off emails instantaneously and always provide an update?  I will let you in on a little secret: not everyone is as prompt and efficient as you.  It can be frustrating waiting around on a response from hiring managers or IT recruiting supervisors for the go on a project or decision.  Before technical recruiters and prospective candidates assume they are being ignored, here are some reasons why you may not be getting a prompt answer back.

Did You Hit Send?

Embarrassing as it is, sometimes IT recruiting companies make honest mistakes.  An email a technical recruiter thought he sent may be sitting in limbo within their draft folder.  Did the IT recruiter accidentally send the email to the wrong person?  If so, retract the error by apologizing to the accidental recipient and immediately send the email to the correct person.

Also, check the wording in messages.  IT staffing firms may have been vague in their requests or sent their emails to multiple recipients.  If this is the case, send a message defining the request and ask a specific person for an update.  Chances are the recipients are confused as to who should respond.

Busy Signal

The recipient could be buried in work and has not yet found time for email.  If they have, they may have read it and acknowledged it, but moved it off to the side for a higher priority.  When IT headhunters experience this situation themselves, they should try replying to IT consultants and acknowledge having received the message and will provide an update shortly.  This allows the sender to know that their request is in process and has not been lost in email clutter.

Forgot

Humans forget!  Sending a follow up messages is an excellent way to remind the recipients of a request while asking for an update.  Be mindful not to follow up too often, though.  Spamming your IT recruiting firms every hour or every day for an update is a sure way to get on the recipient’s bad side.

Not Important

Some email messages do not need responses and just add to the clutter.  Before hitting send, think if this email is important.  Try picking up the phone and giving the person a call, rather than cluttering their inbox.  They may appreciate a personal message more than another new message in their inbox!

Ignoring all messages is not only rude, but it is poor business.  Think of a time you could not reach a live person.  Wasn’t it was frustrating?! Manage your own company by providing the best customer service possible!

Is the Grass Always Greener with the Other IT Jobs?

Do you find that you hate your current job and wish you never left your prior position?  Are you always on the prowl for new, better IT recruiting opportunities?  Stop yourself right in your tracks.  If you are constantly seeking new roles without the proper research, you will be in this situation more often than necessary.  Before you initiate the job search process again, here are some reasons you might want to rethink another move.

Ignoring the Positive

By continuously seeking other roles, prospective candidates are putting aside the positive aspects that drew them to this current position.  Rather than focusing on all the things they dislike about their job, zone in on the pieces they do enjoy.  IT consultants should talk to their IT staffing companies about expanding their role to incorporate more of these key features while eliminating or improving the bothersome tasks.

Ignoring the Negatives

Put down the rose tinted glasses and closely examine this new opportunity.  As there are with most jobs, there may be drawbacks that one does not see at first glance.  After reviewing, if candidates still feel confident about the role, devise a list of questions to ask hiring managers and IT recruiting companies to uncover any downsides.  When technical recruiters have the key points for their candidate, the candidate may find this job is actually more troublesome than their current role.

Too Much Effort or Not Enough?

All the effort you are putting into finding a better career might be better used at current employers or technical recruiting companies.  By exemplifying your drive to create a solid career path, you will show hiring managers and IT recruiters that you are not only dedicated to your current company, but that you are a valuable asset to the team!

You should not have to sacrifice your happiness at a job that is not right for you.  Instead of always looking for a new opportunity, try to find what it is that you want and then pursue your IT staffing goals!

IT Recruiting: Do You Take Horoscopes Seriously?

Maybe it’s during the morning commute, or sitting down to coffee and a bagel for breakfast, perhaps it’s an after work guilty pleasure.  A number of IT professionals admit they read their daily horoscope.  Take it with a grain of salt or words of wisdom, horoscopes may actually be advising technical recruiters, hiring managers, and prospective candidates to make better decisions and improve performance.  Before passing the next opportunity to read your fortune, here are some reasons horoscopes may actually benefit you.

May Inspire

After reading that there will be changes in your life, actively seek and pursue new IT staffing opportunities.  The horoscope could motivate you to add spice to your routine or drop cumbersome tasks that stress you out.  If it were not for the astrology section, you may have not closed on that last placement!

Avoid Conflict

The astrology section could also help irritable IT headhunters to avoid conflict at technical recruiting companies.  When there is a horoscope saying to turn the other cheek, a technical recruiter may think twice about sending a sassy response or having the last word.  It seems when there is an impending disagreement brought to our attention, we will try to steer away.  The horoscope will keep IT staffing firms sound and on their toes in case of a clash.

Cannot Predict the Future

Are you in a worse situation after reading these predictions?  Most likely not!  So have some fun with these forecasts.  No one knows for sure how accurate these readings are, so share them with your fellow IT recruiters in an email when exchanging resumes or post some encouraging thoughts around technical recruiting offices.  While some may not believe the authenticity of horoscopes, they can change our behavior for the better!

IT Staffing: Unemployed…Now What?

You lost your job due to a recent layoff– and you are not alone.  Plenty of IT job seekers are unemployed IT consultants at one point or another.  They know what they should be doing, they hear it every day, and it becomes frustrating.  Rather than simply blasting resumes to technical recruiters and going on countless IT job interviews, supplement your daily routine with activities you did not have the chance to enjoy until now!

Unpaid Experience: Volunteering and Internships

Volunteering is a sacrifice of your time to help others.  While volunteering may not lead to a career opportunity, you will still be helping those who may be less fortunate than you.  Hiring managers and IT staffing firms would rather see prospective candidates make use of their free time by volunteering, rather than waiting for IT jobs to land at their feet.  This selfless act shows a passion to work and dedication without a paycheck.  Use internship and volunteering opportunities to keep your skills sharp, network with managers, and potentially be hired full time!

Discover a New Hobby

Have you ever wanted to run a marathon or learn to crotchet?  Maybe you wanted to travel across Europe or visit college friends, but never had the time.  Well, the time is now!  Depending on your budget and goals, you can turn this unfortunate event into an opportunity to achieve your dreams.  You’ll also provide an excellent topic to discuss with IT recruiters.  With the proper planning, you will not regret your choice or wonder if you should have done things differently.

Further Your Education

Make yourself more valuable to hiring managers and technical recruiting companies by enhancing your skill set.  You will be more marketable by IT recruiting companies with new experience and the latest technical skills.  If a certain area of technology interests you, test it out.  You might get to enter competitive, emerging fields.

Being unemployed is less than ideal, but having a plan can ease the transition from jobless to a new career.

IT Recruiting: Skype Interviews for Hiring Managers

Last week, the IT recruiters of AVID Technical Resources provided prospective candidates with helpful information regarding Skype interviews.  This week, the spotlight is on the hiring managers.  If IT staffing companies are looking for innovative ways to interview and screen candidates, the Skype interview may be the right choice!

Saves Money

The Skype interview is perfect for saving companies money, while also expanding their candidate search.  The webcam-based interview allows hiring managers to interview candidates who are from outside the area without the burden of travel and lodging accommodations.  The cost of the equipment may pay for itself in just one screening.

Saves Time

Often hiring managers and technical recruiting companies will know within the first five minutes if IT consultants will be a fit for their IT job opportunities.  Rather than flying in a candidate, taking them out to lunch, and conducting three round interviews, a team can sit in together or take turns interviewing the IT contractor.  A whole day ordeal can be drastically reduced to an hour, leaving plenty of time for other projects and interviewing more candidates.

Body Language

IT staffing firms may use Skype interviews rather than phone interviews to read a candidate’s body language and see how comfortable they feel around information technology.  Also, the webcam provides technical recruiters the opportunity to witness how a consultant responds to questions social cicumstances.  Check for indicators that the applicant is professional by his attire, behavior, as well as the setting and background he chooses to conduct his interview.

Record for Review

The video conference allows hiring managers of IT recruiting firms to review the interview and take note of subtle details.  They can also use the replays to compare candidates’ answers and responses to questions.  If a hiring manager was absent from the meeting, he can view the interview as well for feedback.

While the typical phone and in-person interview will not be disappearing any time soon, the Skype interview may become a more viable option for money and time-conscious IT recruiting companies.