11 Tips to Find Top Candidates for Your IT Staffing Agency

December 10, 2015

Placing qualified, hard-working IT professionals into a new job can be a one of the top challenges for staffing agencies. Here is a list of 11 tips to help you find the top candidates for your IT staffing agency.

1. Have a Thorough and Accurate Job Description.

Your goal is to place candidates in jobs they are qualified for and interested in. Make sure the job description is accurate and thorough so it accurately depicts the job duties and the ideal candidate. Work with your customer to make sure you are portraying an accurate description of the job to potential candidates. Be sure to include the programs and level of knowledge needed for the job. Make sure that it is clear to the candidate that is required in order to complete the tasks the job requires.

2. Explain the Company Culture.

Do your homework and get to know the company culture. There is nothing worse than placing a qualified candidate into an environment that is not fit for them. Even though the candidate is qualified, they may leave because of the company culture. Ask what type of atmosphere they are looking for in the job interview to help prevent this from happening.

3. Sufficient Pay.

Make sure your customer, the future employer of the candidate, is offering a fair – maybe even above-average salary for the position. Top IT candidates will expect to make what is fair and standard in the industry.

4. Use LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a great way to connect with professionals. There are a few things you can do to utilize LinkedIn when searching for candidates for your IT staffing agency. First, make sure you post the job on your company page. (If you don’t have a company page for your IT staffing agency, it’s time to make one.) Depending on your budget, you can also sponsor the post and target people in your area with related experience. Second, use LinkedIn as a headhunting tool by searching for people with IT experience. Third, join LinkedIn groups related to the industry and skills needed for the types of jobs you place candidates for. Once you join these groups, interact with the members, and depending on the group, it might be appropriate to post the jobs you’re hiring for in it. LinkedIn is beneficial for scouting out new candidates, but don’t forget to utilize other social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter.

5. Select a Skilled Person to Be the Interviewer.

It is important that the person (or persons) conducting the interview knows what they are looking for and has the appropriate questions prepared to make the right candidate choice. The list of questions should include some general interview questions, but also a list of questions specific to the job the candidate is interviewing for. It is also important that the interviewer is able to think of questions based on the candidate’s responses.

6. Do a Second Interview if Needed.

Did you think of more questions to ask? Don’t be afraid to ask the candidate to come back for a second interview if needed. Invite others that may add valuable feedback and insight to the second interview.

7. Test the Candidates IT Skills.

It is critical that the candidates know the skills required. If there is certain program knowledge needed for the job (which in IT, there probably is) have your candidates take a skills test to make sure he or she has the knowledge to complete the tasks.

8. Do Reference Checks.

It is important that your candidates have references, but it is even more important that the IT staffing agency actually calls these references. It is good for your candidate to have at least two professional references and one personal reference. Ask the professional references questions about work ethic and skills. The personal references are good to find out the character of the candidate.

9. Attend Industry Related Events.

Many qualified and interested candidates will be at industry related events. Sponsor an event or have a booth for your IT staffing agency there. These events are great places to get your name out, introduce yourself and network to attract qualified candidates.

10. Ask for Referrals.

Being an IT staffing agency, you have placed many qualified candidates. Use them as a source to get more qualified candidates. Although it is not guaranteed, if you placed a qualified, hard-working candidate, chances are they will refer you people they think will be good workers. Many IT staffing agencies offer incentives for referrals. Also, by utilizing your previous job seekers, it’s a way to stay in touch and have them think of you for when they decide to search for a new job.

11. Follow Up.

Follow up with candidates you have placed. Develop a survey using a tool such as SurveyMonkey that will give your IT staffing agency insight as to what you could change and what is working well. These follow-up surveys can fine-tune your hiring process and help place top IT professionals into fitting careers. Here are a few questions you should include in your survey.

• How did you find us?
• Why did you decide to work with us?
• Is this job what you expected? If no, please explain.
• Are you using the IT skills the job description outlined in your new position?

About Scale Funding

Scale Funding is a privately held financial services company founded in 1994. The company has operations in Calgary, with headquarters in Burnsville, Minnesota, USA. Scale Funding provides a full range of business financial services including: accounts-receivable management, asset-based lending, collection services, credit analysis, factoring services, risk assessment, treasury and more. The company is proud to be recognized for its reliability, flexibility, responsiveness, innovative products, customer service and exemplary corporate citizenship. For more information visit Scale Funding on the web at www.tcicapital.com.