Glassdoor has just released its list of the 25 best-paying jobs in the US and to no one’s surprise tech jobs are once again dominating the list. This is no new phenomenon, year in and year out tech jobs are always sought after and well compensated for. Software Development Managers, Software Architects, IT Managers and Solutions Architects (just a few of the jobs listed) have never been in higher demand. Living in the Philadelphia region also compounds this issue. In fact, according to Business Insider, Philadelphia is one of America’s Top 10 best cities for tech salary and Delaware is the 4th best compensated state for tech salary. As an IT staffing firm, we know this area has plenty of opportunity – just look at our Job Board – and based off these studies there’s plenty of money to be spent on them.
So why, you may ask, do you still have open tech jobs within your company? And why are you finding it so challenging to fill them? From our many dealings with clients and candidates we feel we’re in a unique position to answer these questions. Outlined below are a few reasons why your tech jobs may be staying open:
Hot Market and Unresponsive Hiring Managers – As already mentioned, the Philadelphia region is one of the best compensated regions in the US for tech talent. So when good candidates hit the job market they’re very quickly being approached with lucrative job offers – many of which are not being turned down. So it’s up to you and your hiring managers to act quickly when presented with candidates who fit what you’re looking for.
We’ve seen too many instances where a seemingly perfect candidate has interviewed for a position and then waited weeks for any type of feedback. By the time the client is ready to make the hire the candidate is no longer on the market. In this instance, the client would be much better served to interview candidates only when they’re willing and able to make quick – yet informed – hiring decisions.
Unrealistic Expectations – This is a main contributor to many jobs remaining open for extended periods of time or simply just not being filled. We’ve seen instances where clients want two or three positions rolled into one to save money and either the combination of skills doesn’t exist, isn’t available in our area, or they aren’t willing to pay the premium for the blended skill set.
As for the skill sets that don’t exist, this usually occurs when a client is trying to backfill a position that grew with the previous employee. Meaning, the departing employee was not responsible for all the duties and responsibilities of the current position when they first started in the role. Over time the position evolved into its current state which in turn causes a serious challenge in finding a replacement. In this instance, the managers must first recognize the issue at hand and then proceed accordingly – even if that means creating an additional position, spending more money for the right talent, or lowering expectations for the role.
Candidates Holding Out for Better Opportunities – You’ve done your homework, you’re ready and willing to make a hire and you know the skill set you’re looking for is reasonable and available. Yet, your job offers are still being turned down. There could be any number of possibilities for this. It’s possible the salary isn’t on par with the rest of the industry, the work environment is not appealing (many factors here and best served for another blog post) or possibly the package being offered lacks flexibility.
With some roles, the new thing is remote work – a topic we’ve blogged about before. There are still many clients who don’t offer this option but it is becoming an increasingly popular perk. From what we’ve seen in our experiences, the clinical and pharmaceutical industries have been early adapters – but with the speed at which that industry operates it is no surprise. We’ve also noticed many millennials have been holding out and/or only seeking opportunities with a remote work option. With more and more millennials joining the workforce every day – replacing the older generation – you can only expect this trend to continue. So you may want/need to consider expanding your options.
As has been stated and alluded to, the market for hiring technology professionals is cut throat and unforgiving. So before you start the interviewing process, make sure you’re ready to make the hire and are offering enough in return in order to keep them.
What other factors could be affecting the IT hiring market?
Image courtesy of zirconicusso at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
