The search for the unicorn, or the search for IT & digitisation specialists, interview in the Netzwoche
Find, bait, promote – five tips for finding IT specialists
by Oliver Schneider
Swiss companies are desperately looking for IT specialists. Good advice is expensive. The editorial team looked for the best tips – and found five.
Swiss companies are looking for IT specialists. According to the employment agency Hays, more than 20,000 IT positions were advertised in summer 2019. Software developers, Java developers, IT consultants, IT supporters and web developers are particularly sought after. Spring Professional reported last November that IT professions were the most sought-after job profile in German-speaking Switzerland. How are employers holding their own in this battle for skilled workers? What do they need to consider? Five tips from ICT-Vocational Training Switzerland, headhunter Wirz & Partners Management Consulting, HR consultant Robert Half, IT service provider UMB, developer Avaloq and Migros.
1. approach candidates!
Job portals like Jobs.ch are still places where potential employees and employers can find each other. In an industry like IT, however, one ad will no longer be enough in 2020, the respondents agree. “Traditional recruiting channels, such as placing a job ad, no longer work or only to a limited extent,” writes Philipp Knapp, Senior Manager of Robert Half. Since IT specialists are in great demand, they are usually addressed directly and no longer have to go through advertisements. This means for the companies: They must go where the applicants are. In the IT labor market, where there are few active applications, this method is indispensable,” says Migros. The network of existing employees plays an important role here, according to Avaloq and UMB. Avaloq also attends events such as career fairs and hackathons. The Fintech company also uses platforms for developers such as Github or Stack Overflow.
2. offer more!
Once the desired candidate has been found, he or she must be motivated. “The salary is still a central argument here in 2020,” says Serge Frech, Managing Director of ICT-Vocational Training Switzerland. Salary is an important criterion, especially for young people. More mature employees are more likely to want a good overall package in terms of occupational benefits, place of work, commute and workplace. The trick is to put this package together in such a way that it stands out from the competition.
Migros focuses on exciting tasks, an attractive working environment and diversity. UMB mentions the Great Place to Work Award, up to nine weeks of vacation per year and the opportunity to participate in the strategic development of the company. Avaloq encourages entrepreneurial thinking and action and encourages people to develop new ideas and solutions together. Every company that is currently looking for IT specialists must be aware of something, says Erik Wirz, Managing Partner of Wirz & Partners Management Consulting: “In the current market environment, it’s not the candidate who applies to the company, but the company to the candidate.
3 Invest in talent!
When it comes to attractiveness as an employer, the majority of those surveyed put development in the foreground. In the competition for skilled workers, they see an advantage for companies that offer their employees a perspective. According to Frech, training is the key to combating the shortage of skilled workers in the first place: “Something is going wrong in the entire skilled worker value chain. Too few young people are opting for IT professions. And for those who want to do an apprenticeship, companies offer too few apprenticeships.” Apprenticeship places are therefore the best way to secure one’s own demand for IT specialists.
Frech also recommends investments elsewhere. In order to recruit or poach specialists, it makes sense to offer existing employees incentives such as an acquisition bonus. “The root of the shortage of specialists is not recruitment,” confirms Erik Wirz. The use of technology in a wide range of industries and functions is changing job profiles in Switzerland. Training has lagged behind the resulting need for specialists for years. Companies should therefore ensure that employees can develop.
4. show flexibility!
The backlog in training is one reason for the shortage of specialists. Another is home-made, says Knapp of Robert Half. Many companies lack flexibility. In the Zurich area, for example, the personnel consultant feels an obstacle in recruiting applicants with little or no knowledge of German. This is despite the fact that IT departments are usually English-speaking anyway. In addition, companies looking for candidates often require relevant professional experience in the Swiss market.
In the IT environment, however, they are not decisive at all. What is more important is the specialist knowledge that the applicant brings with him/her. This scepticism towards international applicants and lateral entrants must change. Two companies have recognized this. As a global company, Avaloq is looking for employees worldwide. Migros is open to candidates over 50, as well as junior profiles.
5. give tasks that inspire!
Whether a candidate decides for or against an employer depends on many factors. Two of them were particularly emphasized by the organizations surveyed: the task and the corporate culture. “The biggest incentive for programmers is technology,” writes Robert Half. Swiss companies are therefore called upon to invest in a modern workplace, the latest technologies and a broad range of tasks if they want to attract skilled workers.
Migros and Avaloq point to exciting challenges, a modern corporate culture, employee commitment and a collegial environment. Ultimately, it is a mix that makes a company attractive for skilled workers, as the survey shows. “At the end of the day, the job must be interesting, the pay must be right and the development opportunities must be there,” summarises Serge Frech.
