Companies can look to new tactics to recruit and retain in-demand tech talent, according to a LinkedIn report.
Demand to find qualified tech talent drives many recruiters to search for candidates on LinkedIn. Last week, the platform released data that offers a clearer picture of the world’s most in-demand and heavily recruited roles, to help companies better plan for hiring and give candidates an idea of what career paths are most in need right now.
As technology transforms nearly every industry, companies are hiring for new skills and positions that may not have existed just a few years ago, the report noted. High demand for these positions can sometimes lead to a scarce supply and major hiring challenges, leading companies to get more creative in finding their talent pool.
“Whenever companies are faced with that changing pressure, they look for solutions,” Allen Blue, co-founder of LinkedIn, said in the report. “That’s a great driving force. It’s the energy behind HR innovation.”
These are the three most recruited jobs of all time, according to LinkedIn.
SEE: Job description: DevOps engineer (Tech Pro Research)
1. DevOps engineer
While DevOps was a relatively unknown term just five years ago, DevOps engineer is now the most recruited job on LinkedIn, according to the report. Many engineers argue that DevOps is more of a culture shift than a single job, but the title has drawn great interest from recruiters. Because it is a newer position, the role often differs across companies, and may go by different names, the report noted. Companies looking to hire DevOps engineers should also look for adjacent titles, like site reliability engineer, the report said.
2. Enterprise account executive
Enterprise account executives specialize in maintaining business relationships with enterprise accounts, which are typically a company’s largest, most important customers, the report said. Since account-based sales models are increasing in tech and other industries, these professionals who strengthen relationships and personalize sales approaches are in great demand, according to LinkedIn. Most of these professionals are found in San Francisco, New York City, and Boston; however, there is also high supply and low demand in Austin, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, the report noted.
3. Front end engineer
Front end engineers code the visual, interactive elements of a website or app. High demand for these engineers isn’t a surprise, as virtually every business is expected to have a website and often a web app for internal processes, the report found. Beijing and San Francisco have the largest supply of front end engineers, according to LinkedIn.
SEE: IT Hiring Kit: Programmer (Tech Pro Research)
How to proactively grow your talent pipeline
Traditional approaches to finding and retaining talent in high-demand fields like tech will not work in the current employment landscape, the report noted. Only 11% of hiring managers and recruiters said they were proactive about hiring this in-demand talent, while 48% said they were more reactive, only looking to hire once their company had an urgent need for the role. These companies were more likely to lower standards and increase compensation to fill the position, the report found.
LinkedIn offered the following three tips for more proactive recruiting:
- Sourcing: Some 70% of recruiters and hiring managers said the biggest hiring challenge is finding in-demand talent, the report said. Looking to nontraditional candidates who are often overlooked—such as those without a four-year degree, elite credentials, or spotless work histories—may give you a competitive edge, and increase diversity.
- Assessing: Employers should screen candidates based on skills, not only education, to find the broadest possible talent pool. Examine what skills will actually matter for the job, and give candidates an assignment to see how they perform.
- Developing: When you can’t find a perfect candidate for a position, you should consider upskilling current employees to fill that role, LinkedIn suggested. Some 57% of talent professionals and hiring managers surveyed said they turn to upskilling when they’re struggling to hire in-demand talent. This can help companies invest in career development and ease the pains of digital transformation, the report noted.
The big takeaways for tech leaders:
- DevOps engineer, enterprise account executive, and front end engineers are the most recruited jobs of all time on LinkedIn. — LinkedIn, 2018
- Hiring managers can improve talent sourcing, assessing, and developing by drawing in in-demand talent. — LinkedIn, 2018