Times are a changing, and to compete in the ever advancing world of IT recruiting and staffing, a company needs to stay on track with the latest trends. No longer can an HR or IT Manager expect to keep IT professionals by default, so we've brought you these hottest trends that can help you close the talent gap at your company.

Mobile IT Recruiting is No Longer an Option

To begin the process of gathering interest, identifying IT talent, and winning them over, it is no longer an option to use mobile enhancement; it is a requirement. Every hiring professional knows that video conferencing is important, but the ability to do it across mobile platforms is vital. The reality is that in 2015 Google announced that mobile searches now exceed desktop searches. This is the wake up call your company needed to take action upon a true mobile experience for job candidates. Here're some of the best practices to follow in moving IT recruiting to the mobile space: 

• A candidate must be able to complete an application on your corporate site from any mobile platform.
• Make it possible for candidates to accept your offers directly on their mobile phone.
• Always use the most responsive channel for communications (often texting).
• Mobile platforms makes it possible to hold live video interviews from anywhere.
• All internal recruiting applications and web pages should be mobile phone accessible for all managers and recruiters.
• Employees must be able to do all of their referral tasks on the mobile phone.

These tips were taken from the article, Recruiting Trends for 2016, that has those and more insight into the hottest IT recruiting trends in the coming year.

The Talent Gap is Real

Acknowledging that there is an ever-widening gap between what American enterprise needs in IT talent and what is available is the first step in bridging it. Once you accept this reality, the next question becomes "How do I fix my talent gap?"

•  Get involved with regional schools or secondary organizations. There are often loyal workers there that will stay with a company. Loyalty is not dead! Just find the workers early on and show them the value of your company to earn their commitment.  
•  Make retraining and continuing education a part of a long term retainment strategy. Unlike previous generations, the average worker has over 12 jobs in the course of their first 30 years in the workforce.
• Open your company up to retirees, as well as older and wiser These IT workers can be more reliable and less likely to job jump providing you bring a stable wage and flexible work conditions. 

ACA - Affordable Care Act Continues to Impact Staffing

What you already know as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is an extensive healthcare legislation that presents challenges for the staffing industry. Staffing firms must be vigilant for periodic updates and be proactive in complying with any changes in regulations. According to Staffing Industry Analysts, the challenges of the ACA on the staffing industry will be impactful in 2016. Learn more about the ACA here, or check out these details relevant to the staffing world and ACA here, from American Staffing Association.  

Top Recruiting Priorities in 2016

These compelling job recruiter statistics are according to LinkedIn's Global Recruiting Trends Report 2016 which you can download here. More importantly, how can a growing company differentiate themselves from the competition for top talent? 

1. A better candidate experience is vital to gaining those key employees. Try to avoid the boring and become memorable.
2. Big data is a tool that can help you measure outcomes, opinions of those hired or not hired, and deliver a continually improving hiring experience.
3. Speak the language of the larger global workforce. Be open to cultural and language differences by being educated on simple nuances or having an interpreter available for any misunderstandings and courtesy.

One last bit of advice as you head out into 2016 looking to find amazing talent to fill your company's needs: the simple act of pleasantries and doing just a bit more in personal service can BE the difference today, and plant seeds of referral for years to come.  If some new IT talent is what you need, don't be shy about checking out our "New Approach to IT Staffing" here.