Is Millennial Recruiting Your Answer to the Skills Shortage?
The IT skills gap is expected to grow over the next five years with early predictions projecting as many as 1.8 million IT jobs open in 2022, a 20% bump from what the same study revealed two years prior. Not to mention, baby boomers are retiring at a rate of 10,000 per day, creating an intergenerational knowledge gap in leadership, education, and skills. Meanwhile, technology is evolving at an unprecedented speed, and to avoid putting technological infrastructures at risk and stay competitive in the marketplace, it’s paramount that organizations act now to prepare for the future of the industry.
Solving the Skills Shortage
For over a decade, millennials have been a topic of discussion across nearly every industry, with marketers and employers attempting to understand their lifestyle and motivations. Now, as a growing part of the workforce, millennials’ relationship with technology is what makes their generation uniquely positioned to help solve the skills shortage.
Since a majority of the millennial generation was raised with tech, they understand its necessity and evolution more so than any previous era. Today, millennials make up the largest portion of the workforce. Private universities have added IT tracks to their curriculums and a growing number of online schools are beginning to offer IT certifications.
Most importantly, millennials approach new technology in a different way than their older counterparts. Due to their ability to quickly and seamlessly adopt new programs, younger employees institute more advanced platforms at a higher rate than their predecessors. Millennials are digitally fluent, switching between various platforms and interfaces with ease. By combining these skills, millennials can assist in improving processes and workflow with new technologies.
Recruiting Millennials
Today’s most-sought-after IT professionals are constantly networking, often planning their next step from the comfort of their current workplace. Millennial employees are searching for positions that offer more than just compensation. In a recent survey of millennials interested in tech careers, 81% of the respondents shared that they would accept a reduced compensation package if it meant working in a job they truly loved. To attract and retain top talent, your organization must present well-rounded roles that improve the overall quality of life for potential candidates. There are a variety of benefits that IT professionals look for during the job hunt that can make your company stand out (read more about those here).
Millennials consider learning and development one of the single most important benefits when seeking new employment. Offer tech training and professional development opportunities to help your employees sharpen current skill sets or acquire new ones. Along with making them feel valued, investing in your employees’ education can take your company’s abilities to new heights. Also, provide clear, forward-looking paths for advancement. In doing so, you’ll simultaneously give employees the motivation of greater compensation and responsibility while making them feel like a critical part of the organization.
Millennials value company culture more than any previous generation. Ensure that your organization’s culture makes your staff feel comfortable, engaged, and motivated at all times. Encourage open lines of communication between employees and management. Create initiatives like open-door policies that allow employees to discuss ideas or ask questions without fear of repercussions. Factors like work-life balance, corporate social responsibility, and diversity hiring can also be make or break when millennial IT professionals are making a career decision.
Recruiting Millennials to Prepare for the Skills Shortage
With the impending skills shortage quickly becoming a reality, it’s paramount that your organization begins implementing a preparation plan today. By recruiting millennials for your tech roles, you’ll be gaining top industry expertise with unique strategic capabilities to take your company into the future.
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