TEKsystems Finds That Most Companies Use One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Talent Acquisition
Dec 14, 2010 | HANOVER, MD | For media inquiries, please contact us at media@TEKsystems.com.
HANOVER, MD – December 14, 2010 – With large numbers of employees indicating that they will look for another job when the economy improves, only 30% of IT leaders feel “very prepared” to handle increased competition for top IT talent post-recession.
TEKsystems, the nation’s leading technology staffing and services company, partners with the Inavero Institute to conduct its quarterly IT and Talent Survey. This quarter’s survey reflects the perspectives of over 1,000 CIOs and IT decision makers in the U.S. and Canada.
Seventy-three percent of IT leaders surveyed say they believe their company’s ability to attract and retain top IT talent can offer a competitive advantage. However, survey findings also indicate that a large percentage of organizations do not take a particularly unique approach to the acquisition of IT personnel. Approximately 50% of IT leaders say the same individuals that manage the procurement of materials and supplies, such as hardware and software, are also responsible for managing IT talent acquisition at their organizations. Additionally, 46% of IT leaders report that the same individuals who manage the acquisition of technical talent also manage the acquisition of non-technical talent, such as administrative assistants, sales personnel and customer service representatives.
“The most effective strategies to attract and retain IT talent are targeted and specific to IT,” says TEKsystems Director, Rachel Russell. “If you want a winning IT talent strategy, it’s essential to know where technical professionals are in each market, the fair market rates for each skill set, what the competition is offering them and what types of employee value propositions they seek.”
“The IT organization’s strategy and project pipeline should also inform the search for talent,” explains Russell. “When a company approaches IT talent acquisition the same way it approaches the purchasing of widgets or non-technical skills, it is typically not as successful in recruiting the best and brightest professionals.”
Despite some relatively undifferentiated approaches to the acquisition of IT talent in their organizations, IT leaders indicate that they believe there is a distinction among IT staffing providers. Sixty-seven percent disagree with the statement, “all IT staffing firms are basically the same.”
Russell adds, “Many IT staffing providers make the same value claims. But staffing is like any other service – you have to experience it in order to see that value translate into outcomes. Not all staffing providers walk the talk.”
About TEKsystems
People are at the heart of every successful business initiative. At TEKsystems, an Allegis Group company, we understand people. Every year we deploy more than 80,000 IT professionals at 6,000 client sites across North America, Europe and Asia. Our deep insights into IT human capital management enable us to help our clients achieve their business goals–while optimizing their IT workforce strategies. We provide IT staffing solutions and IT services to help our clients plan, build and run their critical business initiatives. Through our range of quality-focused delivery models, we meet our clients where they are, and take them where they want to go, the way they want to get there.