15 March 2017

Respondents were asked: "When hiring a new staff member on your IT team, how do you benchmark the skill-level or competency of candidates?" SOURCE: ROBERT HALF

The skill sets of IT pros in the UK don’t live up to the expectations of CIOs and IT directors, says new research from Robert Half Technology (RHT).

As part of its annual global study, the specialised recruitment consultancy surveyed more than 100 CIOs and IT and technology executives from companies across the UK. It reveals that 74 per cent are frequently faced with IT candidates who are not able to meet the skill level required for the roles they’re applying for.

When asked how they benchmark candidates’ skills, around 60 per cent stated they are most likely to rely on qualifications/certifications and years of experience (see table). Surprisingly, says RHT, only 38 per cent use any form of standardised skills testing before making a job offer.

According to the firm, the pace of hiring to support business growth, digital transformation and IT security challenges, while using the latest software and systems to meet best-practice standards, is seeing IT pros continually needing to upskill.

RHT director Neil Owen says: “To cope, many businesses are needing to reassess their hiring requirements, considering the ‘need to have’ and ‘nice to have’ skill sets alongside cultural fit. Finding high-potential candidates who can be trained and mentored to company specifications will be a key strategy for surviving – and thriving – in the technology war for talent.”