When hiring managers think about the future of the workplace, it probably looks like a scene ripped out of “The Jetsons.” Desktop computers might be panes of interactive glass, while smart wearables track executives as they enter rooms and exit buildings and robots replace a majority of today’s workforce. Whatever the future holds for enterprise IT and technological innovation is a mystery, but there will be one constant: IT professionals will always be required to set up cloud instances, manage robotic staff members and ensure the Internet of Things is collecting data like it should.
Hiring managers have a lot to look forward to, but these changes in enterprise IT will also inspire businesses to develop more efficient ways to hire the best tech pros. After all, Forbes recently reported that New York City’s workforce will be code-literate in the near future, as current middle and high school students take part in a wealth of available technology-focused coursework. That alone spells an interesting future for hiring managers, since it is clear that technology will become further embedded in everyday life and the average individual could be well-versed in everything from Microsoft Word to SQL.
So, how can hiring managers prepare for the next generation of IT professionals today without putting too much stock in certain technologies? Let’s take a look.
Analyze the current workforce
In order to best prepare for the future needs of an organization, hiring managers can start by collecting data on and analyzing their current workforce. This will provide these individuals with a great starting point in regard to what is working and what isn’t, as well as paint a picture of corporate tech culture.
“Hiring managers can start collecting data on their current workforce.”
Right now, it seems that not enough businesses are heeding this warning. Computer Weekly cited an Oxford Economics report that found only 38 percent of businesses have enough data about their current employees to understand the skills and talents required to success in their organization or industry.
This means that not only is analyzing current skills and talent valuable for the future, but it could provide businesses with a leg up starting today.
Source mission-critical talent
After collecting data and discerning employees’ strengths and weaknesses, hiring managers will have a better sense of which roles are mission-critical and what positions are essentially redundant. This is especially important considering that tomorrow’s staff members will have skills in a variety of technologies and sectors, as evidenced by New York’s population.
So, to prepare for the future, hiring managers can start by sourcing mission-critical talent, and then instead of finding other employees, having those primary IT pros handle a few different roles. Once a job is absolutely required, it’s time to find a dedicated staff member.
Measure applicants differently
If the IT workforce of tomorrow is more familiar with technology and well-versed in a wider range of topics, hiring managers might need to adjust their new hire evaluations. After all, with a community full of college-educated software developers, businesses will need to separate the cream of the crop somehow.
TechCrunch reported that more companies – Facebook, Morgan Stanley and Twitter among them – hire developers after witnessing their abilities. These corporations care more about getting the job done efficiently and competently rather than having employees with prestigious universities listed on their resumes. At a time when college degrees and coding skills are a dime a dozen, it comes down to performance.
Will all employees be coders at some point?
Create new roles
As technology advances rapidly and universities start to offer degrees in new fields that support enterprise IT, businesses will need to find places for these up-and-coming IT professionals. Sectors like mobility and the cloud, along with techniques such as scrum, deserve their own IT leaders, and CIO magazine reported that these roles can act as catalysts for converting traditional IT systems to cutting-edge ones. Right now, there might not be enough tech professionals with profound experiences in these categories, but in the next five to 10 years, those individuals could steer businesses down new and interesting IT roads.
Hiring for the future starts today, as many hiring managers can see. Instead of taking traditional paths to finding new IT employees, these HR professionals will need to take an innovative approach in order to guarantee their businesses’ success in a few years’ time.
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