“Tech companies will need to quickly rethink their recruitment strategies to fill positions” warns CEO Simon Hayton. Unprecedented growth within the tech sector means that companies will have to work harder to find the necessary talent to fill the increasing number of vacancies. It is an ever-growing problem in the UK. The widening skills gap means that companies are unable to find the people they need to grow their businesses fast enough. “In tech we all know there’s a shortage of skills. The tech industry has traditionally employed a lot of contractors and the day rates for them is increasing. If contractors are no longer an option the race for talent will get even more competitive and that will add to the skills gap.” says Simon Hayton.
With the introduction of IR35 more companies are going to struggle to find the talent they need. This piece of legislation means that companies will now be held accountable for any contractors who do not abide by the new rules that the government has introduced. It has narrowed a very common avenue that a lot of tech companies explored when it comes to hiring talent.
The end of free movement changes the way businesses access talent from Europe. Companies can no longer bring talent from Europe as easily as they have done in the past. The demand for skilled tech candidates is still continuing to grow, so in many ways it is a perfect storm.
In short, yes. The UK does not have enough skilled candidates to cover the tech roles that are continually going unfilled. One of the most obvious options is to bring candidates from overseas who have the necessary skills to help bridge this gap.
Workforce was founded in 2006 and has placed over 15,000 people into jobs, with around 90% of these skilled candidates coming from overseas.
“Rethinking recruitment strategies will eventually mean also looking beyond your horizons. The best place to start is by being open minded to all available sources”, says Hayton. ComputerWeekly.com reports that the UK tech sector has grown by 36% during Covid-19 alone and this rapid increase is not expected to stop.
“Workforce currently have a Tier 2 sponsorship license which allows us to sponsor and relocate talent on behalf of our clients. Currently only 3% of UK businesses have a Tier 2 sponsorship licence, so the vast majority of organisations are not in a position to open themselves up to global talent and all the opportunities this offers” continues Hayton.
Hiring tech talent has its own challenges, but sourcing talent nationally and internationally opens up previously untapped talent pools and allows companies to hire multiple candidates at once.
To find out more about how Workforce Digital can help you rethink your recruitment strategy, get in touch here: digital@work-force.co.uk
To find out more about the challenges that companies are finding when it comes to hiring Tech talent, read Simons previous blog: Tech salaries could rise by 20% in 2021