Unal Patel on the Shortage of Labor in IT: What Employers Can Do

There’s a public hiring crisis that’s been in the news for months now, and it’s left plenty of employers wondering the best way to source talent when there’s so much competition. Unal Patel is a Financial Advisory Services Consultant, but he’s also worked with private equity and public companies in IT services (among various other industries). He discusses how employers can approach this problem from different angles, and what they can ultimately mean for their business.

The Listing: Start with the Basics

It would be easy to see a job listing like a checklist, especially when that’s how it’s arranged to begin with. A decision-maker will often shoot for the moon with their requirements, asking for educational milestones, achievements, or certificates that might not be commensurate with the salary or job title.

For an employer, this might seem like little more than a lark. They may assume that once they get the applications in, they can start narrowing down candidates until they find the best fit. Yet in this climate, it would be easy for prospective employees to ignore the listing entirely.

Unal Patel says that there’s also danger in treating IT personnel as though every position shares roughly the same responsibilities. For instance, a website developer may feel entirely misunderstood if they’re asked to blueprint the company’s tech security plan after 6 months on the job. If the job listing has little to do with the role, it can lead to miscommunications and confusion about what is expected of the applicant. This can, again, lead to an immediate dismissal of the company based on the clear disconnects in the listing.

Unal Patel Discusses the Financial Aspects

As a financial consultant, Patel has plenty of thoughts about how and why people trade their time and expertise for money. There’s a lot of push and pull here that has been made starkly evident in the hiring shortage.

Workers today are more likely to demand more than a living wage. They would also ideally like to work for a cause that they care about while being provided certain freedoms to fulfill their own goals.

Sometimes, companies aren’t aware of how they can showcase their benefits without compromising their budget with unrealistic salaries. Whether it’s flexible hours or a firm stake in a charity, these factors can help bridge the gaps that might be keeping people from applying.

Unal Patel says that while this is an inexact science, companies need to tinker with the balance of pay vs. perks before they start seeing people who can get the job done.

Getting It Right

Patel has found that IT workers typically enjoy being challenged. Luckily, this is rather easy to do in a field that progresses as quickly as technology. He points out that even employers who know little about the sector can draw on universal hiring principles to ensure that people take notice when they have an opening. As long as they’re cognizant of what they’re asking for and who’s responding, they can adjust to find the best fit.