You surely have felt that moment in your life, when you had this exhausting need to belong in a group. To make yourself worthy of friendship, you have to get others’ attention. You probably begged your parents to buy you the same shoes that everyone else was wearing. Or promised that you would study harder in exchange for that latest gaming console. 

As you grow up, you realize that recognition will always be a factor to push you forward—especially if you are pursuing a career in tech. Hopefully, you are now in a place of confidence, where you are seen as an expert in the field.  

This is your chance to help others fill spaces in the industry that they may not qualify for without the reaching hand of a passionate employer like you. 

The Wandering Talents in Tech: Why Employers Don’t Get Ahold of Them 

The vacancies and their respective job postings are continuously increasing. Whether you are looking for a full-time candidate or a freelancer, getting the best candidates out of the talent pool is always possible, if you are willing to invest in your people. 

According to the American Community Survey, only 28 percent of STEM-educated workers are working in positions related to their studies. Between the ages 25 to 64 college graduates in 2019, 37 percent of them held a degree in science and engineering. However, only 14 percent of them were able to get into STEM positions.¹

For most tech employers, tech-related degrees may not be enough to give candidates the chance of getting employed. This is because candidates are required by most employers to take certain certifications or to have enough years of experience.  

Managing company systems is very crucial to the operations of the whole workforce. Tech employees will take care of their data and security, which are susceptible to threats such as cyber hacks if taken too lightly. 

With positions in the field remaining vacant, vulnerabilities may only increase and worsen. The talents need to find employment and the employers need to secure their businesses. To acquire talent, you have to employ more emphatic and strategic approaches that allow candidates to meet your standards—and you can do this by looking through different education pathways. 

Hiring by Redefining Job Requirements in Tech 

The list of your qualifications will only keep on updating. With businesses adapting to digitalization, transformative skills in 5G, Artificial Intelligence, and metaverse, the list goes on as more and more fields are explored.  

This gives an advantage to both. Employers will have more avenues to explore and help their businesses grow. While employees can tackle new challenges by upskilling themselves and venturing into new adventures. It was estimated that advancing these skills increases the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $6.3 trillion yearly through boosted productivity and income.² 

However, with everything moving at lightning speeds, there will always be that point when your employees’ expertise will become outdated too fast. Advancing the knowledge of your workforce and inviting fresher solutions from upcoming talents are the key to strengthening your business as a whole. 

Being a new applicant, joining an already established company can be challenging. Some even go without the chance of training or even gaining relevant experience for their dream jobs. Be open to building employment possibilities for your applicants and, in return, it will significantly benefit your establishment through their efforts. 

Education Pathways for the New Candidates 

To widen your talent network, hire new employees based on their potential through trusted connections. One good way is to get through them by collaborating with a staffing firm or advertising through job fairs at specific schools and universities.  

These resources will connect you with the most passionate individuals that you can train for your team. 

1. Get Ready Through Internships and Train-to-Hire Setups 

Welcome college and high school graduates to your team through internship programs. Doing so will bring to your table the freshest ideas and perspectives from younger individuals. 

• You may implement the program in groups, so that the interns may also learn from each other. 
• Allow individuals from the same age group to work together to help them feel more included and to encourage them to speak their opinions.  
• Another thing you may consider is partnering with universities or high schools around your area where you can get intern recommendations from. 

Once they are fully trained, give your interns the chance to be immediately employed or take the next stages of qualifications through education assistance or certification exams. 

2. Open More Opportunities by Giving Education Assistance 

There are so many skilled people looking for scholarships or financial aid to complete their degrees. Some may even be in your team, working their hardest to save for their future. Assisting them lets you push forward talents in the industry.  

• With your help, you can allow them to continue their current studies. 
• If they have never been to a university or a tech-expert school, enroll them in your chosen educational institution.  
• Work on a schedule that lets them balance their work, life, and education. 

Being familiar with your employee’s curriculum also gives you more idea of what opportunities they may eventually take charge of within your company. It can be a big project or a promotion to a new role. 

3. Give Qualifications a Boost with Entry-Level Certifications 

You can always help your team of new aspirants get certifications through online examinations. By learning new things, your employees will be able to provide new insights and valuable skills. 

• Assess if they are correctly preparing for the certification they need. 
• Consider if this certification is necessary for your business. 

Remember that these certifications will also cost you, so allot a budget that you can afford. If you have a big team in need of certifications, you may want to consider creating a comfortable batch scheduling for them to take exams. 

If it’s not within your budget to fully pay for them at the moment, consider covering partial payments. Communicate with your candidates clearly about what you can do for them and see if it meets their needs. 

Some of the certifications you may want to consider are: 

• Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) 
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 
• Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) 

Read more on hiring: How to Attract Gen Z Tech Talent 

4. Consider Reskilling Non-Tech Employees 

Some occupations require skills that are almost tech-like, and you might just find in them your workforce who are looking for a career change. You might be willing to work on the skills of the members of your team such as: 

• Graphic designers 
• UI/UX designers 
• Social media specialists 
• Content managers  

Ask if they are looking for new talents to acquire or new programs to learn. There are always some individuals who are looking for a new adventure. Encourage your current team to apply for vacancies and learn new skills.  

This will benefit your business as it allows your reskilled employee to care for the operations in a new light. 

5. Fuel Your Veterans with Advanced Certifications and Refresher Training 

Don’t forget your long-time employees and always consider what they need now. They may have been working with you for years, but some of them may want to give their current skills a stretch. It’s best to regularly train your team to keep them at the same pace as the latest technological advancements. 

Organize refresher training in the office to help them refamiliarize with your business processes or encourage individual advanced certifications.  

Some of the top-paying certifications that professionals come after are: 

• ISACA’s Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) 
• Google Cloud – Professional Cloud Architect 
• The Nutanix Certified Professional – Multicloud Infrastructure (NCP-MCI) 

6. Welcome the Laid-Off into Your Team 

Hiring laid-off employees, especially those from bigger tech companies, not only helps them get back on their career tracks with hope but can also guarantee you that they have enough work experience and certifications. 

Since the start of the year, almost 95,000 employees lost their jobs in 297 tech companies, increasing the number of candidates in need of hiring. ³ 

Give these professionals a new home to continue their paths toward greatness. In return, they can help advance your business with the latest innovative solutions. 

Your Business Will Grow as Your Team Does 

Connecting with your team, recognizing their needs, and addressing them as best as you can, will keep your company stable and future-proof. Create a healthy space for innovations through everyone’s collective desire for learning and you can keep your business as relevant as ever in your field. 

Reach Out and Hire Your Next Best Candidate 

Complete a tech team you can be proud of with the help of Raso360. We’ll connect you with applicants that have the skill sets most suitable for your business needs. We offer Staff Leasing, Staff Augmentation, and Recruitment Process Outsourcing at more affordable prices. 

Let’s discuss your needs! 

References 

1 Syed Alam. “Addressing The Talent Gap In High Tech: If You Build It, Will They Come?”. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2023/02/15/addressing-the-talent-gap-in-high-tech-if-you-build-it-will-they-come/?sh=475496356c82 . Published last February 15, 2023. Accessed last March 2, 2023. 

2 David Ramel. “Digital Skills Hiring: Orgs Say 5G, Crypto & Metaverse ‘Here to Stay’”. https://virtualizationreview.com/articles/2022/10/25/aws-skills-study.aspx. Published last October 25, 2022. Accessed last March 6, 2023. 

3 Elisabeth Buchwald and Javier Zarracina. “Massive tech company layoffs look ugly. But it may not be as bad as you think”. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2023/02/07/tech-layoffs-2023-google-amazon/11135692002/ . Updated last February 9, 2023. Accessed last March 7, 2023.