Top trends in IT recruitment for 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of the IT industry, as organisations strive to build agile, innovative, and resilient teams, we’re witnessing a series of trends that redefine how talent is sought, acquired, and retained. In this blog, we delve into the top key trends shaping IT recruitment, exploring how they impact the strategies of both employers and candidates in this fast-paced and competitive industry.

Remote Work:

The pandemic forced many companies to adopt remote work policies, leading to a widespread acceptance of this arrangement. This ‘trend’ isn’t going away, with many candidates and workplaces adopting remote working and working from home as a permanent part of employment offerings.

This allows organisations to be more open to hiring not only remote workers throughout New Zealand but also globally. There are pros and cons to this change as always, as Kiwis applying for remote working opportunities could be competing with a global talent market.

Typically, IT candidates are tech savvy, meaning most are able and keen to work remotely, provided employers can provide support when needed for team culture building, collaboration, and mental health.

Skill Diversification & Professional Development:

The continuous and rapid evolution of technology requires IT professionals to possess diverse skills and to be continuously learning and upskilling. To embed new systems, technologies, and processes within a business, employers are constantly looking for candidates who are up to date with the newest and most efficient technology and programmes.

From a candidate perspective, this has its challenges. Always staying up to date with technology in an ever-moving industry is a challenge. Our advice is to find your niche and passion within the industry, and this will show through when you are applying and interviewing for new opportunities.

For clients, it’s important to work with a specialist (recruitment or internal) when looking to hire in this sector, as knowing which the newest technology and skillset and how to ask the right questions from candidates is a full-time job.

There is also an increase in employers investing in training programs and professional memberships for employees to upskill their existing workforce to bridge the gap between demand and available talent in a tight market. Continuous learning and development opportunities contribute to employee satisfaction and retention.

Diversity and Inclusion:

Companies are recognising the importance of diversity and inclusion for fostering innovation and better decision-making. Recruitment processes are allowing for this by being designed to reduce biases and promote equal opportunities for candidates from different backgrounds, resulting in companies building diverse teams.

Diverse teams create a competitive advantage for both employers and employees alike, as having diversity in a workforce is seen as an edge in addressing complex challenges, often resulting in better productivity and lateral thinking, but also acting as a positive attractor for candidates of all backgrounds to join the team.

AI in Recruitment:

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way every business operates, and IT is certainly no different. The recruitment industry is slowly adopting AI through various aspects of the recruitment process, such as resume screening and candidate matching, helping recruitment teams make informed, data-driven decisions.

In the sector itself, AI is revolutionising the IT industry by introducing unparalleled efficiencies and transformative capabilities. Employees and employers will be able to streamline processes and develop strategies for using AI technology to support their workload.

There are of course challenges with AI that will develop with time, including privacy, monitored use, and legal permissions to keep in mind as this technology develops and infiltrates the working world.

Candidate Experience – Attraction & Retention:

In an industry where it is always a challenge to find skilled candidates, improving the overall experience for job seekers needs to be a priority for businesses.

Streamlined, transparent, and easy-to-follow recruitment processes not only enhance the employer brand but also contribute to a candidate onboarding experience, which ultimately affects retention overall. Companies that leverage technology to enhance communication, provide feedback and work through processes as quickly as possible, create a positive impression on candidates.

Gig Economy and Freelancing:

The gig economy, freelancing, and contracting options are influencing the IT recruitment market, with professionals opting for this level of flexibility to take ownership over their time and the types of work projects they involve themselves in.

This trend benefits both employers and employees, as skilled employees can pick and choose the types of assignments and projects they want to take on, and employers can access specialist skills for short-term initiatives and can scale their workforce depending on need.

Overall, job seekers and employees need to keep their finger on the pulse in this fast-changing sector. With the pressures of new technologies, changing ways of working, and global talent acquisition, it’s important to stay up to date to stay competitive. Employers are also encouraged to stay on top of these same trends, keep improving and streamlining candidate experiences, and think outside the box to attract top talent to their business. Most importantly, utilise support such as IT specialist recruiters to discuss these trends with and see how you can best grow your team.