How to Adjust Your Hiring Strategy for the Skills Shortage

In today’s increasingly advanced and data-driven age, data engineers are more sought after and essential than ever. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts huge growth in jobs for computer and information research professionals, with growth anticipated at 15% between 2019 and 2029.

This growth in jobs is likely to come from all types of businesses. From startups to large corporations, business strategies are being shaped by the data that is collected, collated, and analyzed. And cloud-based data solutions offer many benefits, including:

• Enabling organizations to streamline their operations
• Allowing essential information to be accessible on demand, and in real time
• Information can be accessed regardless of location, enabling improved collaboration and efficiency

To access such benefits, and ensure that customer data is as secure as possible, it is crucial to hire the most talented cloud data engineers. They will help you stay abreast of the latest developments, meet customer expectations, and maintain the highest level of security and professional sophistication.

However, it appears to be more difficult to hire talent for cloud data roles today. There seems to be a scarcity of skilled candidates available.

Are you suffering from the skills shortage in the market? Do you find it hard to attract, hire, and retain the most talented cloud data engineers? If so, here are three reasons why this might be the case.

Your Salary Range Is Pitched Too Low

With the high demand for cloud data engineers, and the relative shortage of candidates in the market, there are fewer candidates to attract. Employers are doing all they can to retain their most talented employees, and there has been an upward pressure on salaries in the sector.

According to salary.com, cloud engineers make around $122,444 per year on average. Of course, the more experience and range of skills a cloud data engineer has, the higher the salary they are likely to earn. A compensation package totaling $150k and more may be required to entice top talent away from their current role – depending upon location, of course.

If such earnings are outside your budgeted salary range, you might consider workarounds. For example, and especially for projects that require specific skills for shorter terms, contract jobs can be an attractive strategy.

Nonetheless, there’s a decent chance that your struggle in hiring a talented cloud data engineer could be because you are not earmarking enough of your budget for the task.

Your Hiring Process Isn’t Specialized

If your company doesn’t have a lot of experience or expertise in hiring cloud data engineers, it is possible that your existing hiring process is flawed with regards to this role – and just doesn’t account for certain important variables.

It is possible, for example, that a cloud data engineer might be highly-talented in their field, but might not have achieved the highest education standards. A conventional approach of discounting a candidate based on their conventional educational credentials might, therefore, unnecessarily thin the available talent pool.

One of the key benefits of using specialist third-party recruiters and talent agencies when hiring for specialized roles such as a cloud data engineer, is that those staffing agencies will have designed effective approaches when hiring for specialist roles. They also have access to a wider pool of both active and passive talent. This advantage is passed directly to you, helping to reduce time to hire and ensure that the candidates you are presented are ‘role ready’.

You Aren’t Pitching Your Job Description Correctly

Cloud data engineers are frequently highly specialized and sought after in particular capacities. Therefore, it is critical that you have a clear idea of the role you are hiring for. It is essential to pitch to the skills, experience, and cultural fit you need. Your job description should engage the talent you require from the very first word. This is harder than many believe (but is a process with which we have exceptional experience).

In short, identify the criteria you should hire on and compose a job description that attracts the most suitable and talented candidates to the role and your organization.

In Summary

Of course, salary is a crucial factor when hiring for cloud data engineers. However, it is essential that you pitch your role perfectly and then employ a fit-for-purpose hiring process.

Here at Irvine Technology, we help our clients by providing meaningful market insights, streamlining the hiring process, and introducing you to a large pool of talented candidates – both active and passive. To learn more about our services – which include contract placement, direct hire, and executive search – contact us today.