Businesses are having a difficult time recruiting high-quality staff for technology roles, data from Tech Talent suggests.
According to the firm, less than a quarter of UK tech leaders find it easy to identify suitable candidates. US businesses seem to be having a better time in that respect with 47 percent of leaders finding it easy to hire.
However, technology firms in both countries share one particular challenge: onboarding more female professionals. As competition grows, tech leaders in both countries are focused on making sure there is a strong next generation of female tech talent.
Gender aside, IT leaders in the two countries are looking for different qualities in people. While in the UK, leaders value attitude over education or experience, American tech leaders are more likely to look at education.
Americans also prefer employing people from familiar backgrounds, favoring graduates who went to the same universities as they or had previously worked at the same companies.
Most respondents said the situation has improved in the last five years, but added that there are still many applicants without the necessary communication and soft skills, especially in the US. Tech Talent believes UK employers are more adept at enticing candidates with the right soft skills.
“Many organizations believe that hiring from your previous organization or university is best, but it actually limits the pool of talent you can choose from and can be antithetical to getting diverse talent into your organization,” said Neil Purcell, founder and CEO of Talent Works.
“Tech leaders are struggling to find quality candidates, and there’s a known shortage of tech skills, like full-stack software development, globally. However, by encouraging the next generation of university talent, or even those motivated individuals who have gained skills through non-traditional education like online courses and live-work experiences, tech leaders will open themselves up to a wave of new talent.”
