Houston hiring managers have always struggled to fill their IT consultant positions for a wide range of reasons. Marketplace climate and job economy over the last several years promoted a hiring market where technical talent had plenty of say in where they wanted to go and plenty of options. Many top-tier software developers welcomed a slower-paced hiring process where candidates could carefully weigh potential opportunities as well as the company’s culture, reputation, job duties, and responsibilities before making a final decision.
COVID-19 Has Changed the Hiring Landscape for Houston IT Consultants
The candidate-driven IT hiring market changed abruptly with COVID-19. The global pandemic has made a significant impact across multiple industries, including companies within the technology vertical. Fortunately, many technology firms were already equipped to transition in some capacity to remote work environments to comply with stay-at-home and shelter-at-home orders with varying levels of short-term success. However, even the companies most well-versed in online innovations have struggled to maintain and support a long-term, at-home work model. As the pandemic restrictions continue to shift and evolve, Houston companies, particularly those within the energy sector, have transitioned to a hiring model that includes IT consultants as an agile way to backfill existing positions and add new staff members to support changing at-home and onsite work models.
Even Though They Were Well-Versed in Zoom and Other Available Innovations
As new job opportunities begin to open, Houston hiring managers have recognized that sourcing the right technical talent is still challenging, but for different reasons than just a few short months ago. Some of the biggest reasons why Houston tech leaders are struggling to fill open IT consultant positions post-COVID include:
Candidate Influx
The turbulent economy has resulted in an excessive number of IT professionals looking for their next Houston opportunity. As a result, many technology managers and directors have found their inboxes flooded with applicants for every open position. Consistently keeping up an endless mountain of resumes can inevitably mean that some of the very best candidates get lost in the email shuffle.
Overwhelmed Teams
Right now, businesses in every vertical across the U.S. are attempting to do more with fewer internal resources. Current IT teams are working to support both at-home and onsite technical work environments, leaving many stretched thin as they straddle additional tasks and responsibilities. As these overworked professional teams attempt to manage the upswing in workload, many simply don’t have the time to add sourcing, screening, and interviewing new IT consultants to the mix. This limited bandwidth can directly contribute to an IT position staying open longer than usual, or more importantly, longer than it should.
Limited Screening Practices
One of the biggest reasons why Houston companies are struggling to fill an IT consultant position is because they haven’t shifted hiring practices in today’s post-pandemic world. Many Houston hiring managers relied on several in-personal candidate interviews before making a final applicant decision. However, with various COVID restrictions still in place, onsite screening isn’t an option, or at the very least, is logistically difficult.
Virtual meetings are highly effective. However, successful candidate vetting means far more than just downloading the right technology for the call. Finding and identifying qualified, experienced, and trustworthy applicants online requires a different set of hiring skills and practices. Unfortunately, many IT leaders just aren’t familiar enough with the best practices of remote sourcing and interviewing to effectively fill their open positions. As a result, these hiring managers are missing out on the right hiring fit.
Contact InQuest Staffing Today
Are you struggling to fill open IT consultant positions at your Houston business? InQuest Staffing, a leading Houston IT staffing and recruiting firm, can help. Our team of recruiting experts know how to zero in on the best available talent in any market climate. Contact us today to hear more about how we can help your Houston business develop hiring best practices designed for success in today’s COVID-19 employment landscape.
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