Most HR people are not trained to be technical experts, and it’s driving a lot of technical people crazy.
Many IT professionals are being turned down for jobs they are qualified for, only because somebody from HR is doing the hiring and doesn’t realize the candidate is qualified, said Rob Gillies of PrimeTech Institute, a Toronto IT training school.
In many cases, when hiring IT professionals the HR department acts more like a purchasing department, armed with a wish list with unrealistic expectations, said Gillies.
For example, a lot of companies may be asking for two years’ experience in the field, immediately writing off large numbers of highly capable new graduates, many of whom have work experience in other fields, said Gillies.
Some businesses are looking for people with five years’ experience in e-commerce – which is not possible, since e-commerce hasn’t even been around that long.
It would be better if the HR department helped to shape the staffing strategy to fit the product that’s out there, because there is something wrong with the model when there are thousands of jobs going vacant and IT graduates are having problems finding jobs, said Gillies.
David Jackson, manager of recruiting and training at ATS Reliance Technical Group, a Toronto-based recruiting firm, agreed that it is important for the HR department to be involved with the IT department from the start of a recruitment drive.
“HR departments have to be involved with other departments from the start so they understand what they are looking for,” he said. Good communication between the two departments allows the HR person to learn more about the industry and to establish which qualifications are absolutely mandatory and which represent a best-case scenario.
For more information information about hiring IT professionals, please visit the Recruitment & Staffing section of this Web site.
Many IT professionals are being turned down for jobs they are qualified for, only because somebody from HR is doing the hiring and doesn’t realize the candidate is qualified, said Rob Gillies of PrimeTech Institute, a Toronto IT training school.
In many cases, when hiring IT professionals the HR department acts more like a purchasing department, armed with a wish list with unrealistic expectations, said Gillies.
For example, a lot of companies may be asking for two years’ experience in the field, immediately writing off large numbers of highly capable new graduates, many of whom have work experience in other fields, said Gillies.
Some businesses are looking for people with five years’ experience in e-commerce – which is not possible, since e-commerce hasn’t even been around that long.
It would be better if the HR department helped to shape the staffing strategy to fit the product that’s out there, because there is something wrong with the model when there are thousands of jobs going vacant and IT graduates are having problems finding jobs, said Gillies.
David Jackson, manager of recruiting and training at ATS Reliance Technical Group, a Toronto-based recruiting firm, agreed that it is important for the HR department to be involved with the IT department from the start of a recruitment drive.
“HR departments have to be involved with other departments from the start so they understand what they are looking for,” he said. Good communication between the two departments allows the HR person to learn more about the industry and to establish which qualifications are absolutely mandatory and which represent a best-case scenario.
For more information information about hiring IT professionals, please visit the Recruitment & Staffing section of this Web site.
