Study highlights multiple reasons for recruitment difficulties

A recent study has failed to identify the main reason IT companies are struggling to hire employees, but has labelled some areas businesses may like to investigate.

The study, conducted on behalf of Sologig by Harris Poll late last year, asked 240 HR managers in the IT industry why there were problems recruiting in their particular business.

In the US, 53 per cent of IT firms have positions that can't be filled for various reasons. Most blame a skills gap, but what is driving that?

Forty per cent regarded employees unwilling to negotiate wages as a reason and 39 per cent blamed new technology that new employees didn't understand.

Chief technology officer for CareerBuilder Eric Presley said there was no "silver bullet" for roles that are hard to fill.

"Employers have to constantly evaluate their talent needs through workforce planning and ensure their compensation is competitive enough to attract top talent," he said.

"IT workers, meanwhile, must always be polishing their existing competencies and acquiring new ones to stay relevant."

One important aspect found was the amount of candidates applying for jobs that were simply above their qualifications. Thirty-eight per cent of managers said this was an issue, along with 33 per cent stating there were educational gaps in particular areas.

This means that either employers need to provide sufficient professional development or potential candidates need more training outside employment. Forty-four per cent of IT employers surveyed claimed to provide skills training on-the-job.

With data suggesting the skill shortage is set to become worse over the coming years, both businesses and employees are urged to work together to make sure the gaps are filled. 

One way that business can attract and retain the best talent is to install quality recruitment software. This can streamline your system and help to manage and track job applications.