iNSIGHTS Snapshot Report Brief: Can Bots Help with Those Hard-to-Fill Tech Jobs?

July 22, 2020

 

iCIMS Staff

3 min read

If you are in one of the many industries hit hard by forced digital transformation, then you already know our most recent finding: Tech talent is in high demand but has become increasingly difficult to hire for. This is particularly true within the service, financial, and real estate industries. In fact, that req you just posted for a computer scientist might not be filled until next quarter.

Our latest hiring data reveals that tech hiring struggles have now intensified in response to the pandemic driving increased reliance on technology. While the average time-to-fill for non-tech-related roles is decreasing year-over-year, we are seeing that the average time it takes for an employer to fill many technology positions is increasing – with technology roles such as computer and information research scientists and software developers taking nearly 3 months to fill.

[July iNSIGHTS Snapshot Report]

Many businesses have had to shift their business models and accelerate digital transformation projects to continue operating amid restrictions. And, we will likely see this trend continue post-pandemic, as business and work are redefined, and become more heavily dependent on technology. So, what can employers do to ensure they have the tech talent they require?

Find the needle in the haystack.

Software engineering is hard, info sec is hard, product development is hard – as are the myriad of other tech roles you need to take your business into the future. So how do you find the individual that has the right expertise and who is a culture-fit for your team?

Artificial intelligence and machine learning within talent acquisition software can help your team with precision hiring, focusing in on candidates with the right level of expertise and predicting post-hire effectiveness. Watch this webinar to learn more about using AI and ML in recruiting strategies to surface best-fit candidates and drive stronger internal mobility.

Streamline your recruiting process.

90+ days is a long time to wait when you needed someone yesterday. Improve candidate communication and reduce time-consuming tasks with tools like text recruiting, chatbots, and other messaging apps. Not only will you enhance engagement and response times by working with digital-minded candidates in their native environments, you’ll also be able to decrease time spent on administrative tasks such as interview scheduling. In fact, our chatbot, ARI, has already set up nearly double the amount of interviews in the first half of 2020 than it did in all of 2019.

There is hope for the future. IT workers are on the rise.

In our recent Class of 2020 report we reported IT is a top area graduates wanted to work in post-college. 17% of this year’s graduates want to work in IT, up from 10% in 2019. “[Students] realize these skills are in demand, and they’re taking classes – at college and online – to gain that sought-after knowledge and expertise,” said iCIMS CTO Al Smith.

As we march toward a more tech-enabled future of work, employers will need to continue investing in the right talent – and the right hiring tech – to build a winning workforce. With remote work likely to continue, employers will do well to sharpen their employer brand and their candidate experience to mirror the seamless consumer experience up and coming workers have come to expect. Reducing required clicks on an application and streamlining the interview process via chatbot will go a lot further with the tech hires than bagel Friday can when the office is closed.

Learn more about the latest hiring activity trends and insights to move your business forward in our July iNSIGHTS Snapshot report.