The biggest challenges in recruiting IT professionals

Why is IT recruitment such a challenge today?

The main problem is the shortage of qualified specialists. According to the report „IT labour market 2023” prepared by No Fluff Jobs, the skills gap in the IT industry in Poland reaches up to 150,000 employees. Despite the growing number of technical universities and programming courses, the demand for experienced specialists constantly exceeds supply.

The second difficulty is the huge competition between companies. Candidates with several years of experience often receive several attractive offers in parallel. This means that the IT recruitment process has to be fast and well thought out. Long interviews, protracted procedures or a lack of quick feedback may result in the candidate opting for another company.

Rising financial expectations are also significant. Salaries in the IT industry are among the highest on the market and candidates often negotiate salary, benefits, the possibility to work remotely and technological development of projects.

Which competences are the most difficult to acquire today?

IT recruitment is no longer just a search for programmers. It is increasingly challenging to recruit specialists in:

• artificial intelligence and machine learning,
• cyber security and data protection
• cloud computing, data analytics and big data, data security and data protection,
• data analysis and big data,
• UX/UI design in digital environments.

Professionals in these areas can choose from both domestic and international offers. An increasing number of them are choosing to work remotely for multinational corporations, which further reduces the availability of candidates in the domestic market.

For employers, this means they need to act quickly, but also offer more competitive working conditions. Without attractive benefits and access to modern technology, it is difficult to attract candidates with such unique competences.

How to effectively recruit IT?

Companies that want to attract valuable candidates need to understand that a standard job ad is not enough. What matters is building a strong employer brand, clear communication of expectations and a quick decision-making process.

Interesting projects, state-of-the-art technologies and the opportunity to work in a flexible model – often remotely or hybrid – are also important for IT professionals.

IT recruitment requires a greater commitment to personalising the process. Candidates expect an individual approach and specific information about development opportunities, work tools and organisational culture. All of this influences whether they opt for an offer.

IT recruitment is currently one of the biggest challenges for companies that are growing their technology teams. A shortage of candidates, strong competition and high financial expectations require the implementation of new, more flexible methods of talent acquisition. A fast and efficient recruitment process, attractive working conditions and real career development opportunities can determine the success in attracting the best specialists.

Sources

1. Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. IT industry in Poland – analysis and prospects for development. Warsaw 2023.
   https://www.parp.gov.pl/storage/publications/pdf/branża-it-raport.pdf
2. No Fluff Jobs. Report: IT labour market 2023 – expectations and challenges.
   https://nofluffjobs.com/insights/raporty/rynek-pracy-it-2023
3. Infor.pl. Shortage of IT professionals – how do companies deal with the skills gap?
   https://kadry.infor.pl/kadry/hrm/zarzadzanie/5443321,Niedobor-specjalistow-IT-jak-firmy-radza-sobie-z-luka-kompetencyjna.html