ICT businesses lower standards to find staff

Information and communication technology businesses are battling to retain staff as the number of new graduates coming into the sector falls, new research reveals.

Information and communication technology businesses are battling to retain staff as the number of new graduates coming into the sector falls, new research reveals.

In a survey of more than 370 ICT employers by recruiting firm Diversiti, 75% of respondents said retaining staff was the number one HR challenge they will face in the year ahead.

The problem for many businesses is that simply holding on to staff isn’t enough – more than 50% said they will need to increase staff numbers this year. But with a limited graduate pool coming under even more pressure, thanks to poaching from overseas firms, the squeeze is well and truly on.

The survey suggests that ICT firms are attempting to get around the problem by lowering the bar for job candidates. Just 60% of respondent firms said a degree was the most significant factor in hiring decisions, down 17% on the last survey in 2006, while 14% said possession of a degree would play no role in their decision to hire.

“In a move to reduce the effect of the escalating war for talent, the report has revealed that organisations are increasingly adopting temporary stop-gap solutions. This includes re-thinking their hiring criteria such as qualification levels and increasing the influence of non-industry specific factors such as candidates’ capability to perform and learn, or previous work experience,” Diversiti chief executive Deborah Howard says.

Overseas hiring will also be important for many businesses, with 22% saying they would hire more than 20% of their workforce from overseas, up 4% from 2006.

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