A good IT recruiting firm’s main goal is to simplify and speed up its customers’ hiring process when filling a permanent or contractual position.

In addition, recruiters specialized in IT need to possess certain qualities. Although an excellent contact network is an essential asset for all recruiting firms, other more specific qualities and abilities set some firms apart from others. Here they are: 

1. A good understanding of the employment contract

The selected recruiting firm must be very familiar with the IT position to fill. It must know the specific qualifications required, the projects in which the selected candidate will take part, and his or her responsibilities.

The recruiter must endeavor to learn as much as possible about the contract and identify what will most likely attract candidates. 

2. The identification and differentiation of mandatory and nice-to-have assets

A firm specialized in the recruitment of IT employees is able to identify the skills necessary for the position and not confuse them with nice-to-have assets. If these two categories are not well defined, one quickly encounters problems in the search and sorting of candidates, which reduces their number and complicates their selection.

This explains why one often ends up with an insufficient number of candidates and has difficulty knowing who has the necessary qualifications for the job or not.

Companies have a tendency of listing far too many required qualifications for the position. An IT recruiting firm’s role is to help companies by identifying those criteria that are truly relevant.

3. The ability to act fast

The IT recruiting process must be carried out quickly, given the high turnover rate observed in the field. One could find a potential candidate one day and then learn the next day that he or she has landed a job elsewhere.

The recruiting firm must therefore act fast so that the customer can too.

4. A genuine interest in the candidates

Good recruiters have a marked interest in social relations and work to help people out. They take the time to get to know the candidates. Here’s why:

• •  So they can better understand the person’s needs and expectations
• •  So they can see if his or her personality fits the position and the company’s values
• •  So they can make sure his or her professional profile meets the requirements.

When the recruiter takes the time to analyze the employment contract, as mentioned in point 1, he or she can easily select the candidate the company is looking for.

5. The ability to summarize the candidates’ profiles in a few key points

A good IT recruiter does not need to divulge a candidate’s whole history in order to introduce him or her to the company. Here is the information he needs to give:

• What stood out during the discussion with the candidate?
• What are his or her strengths?
• What distinguishes him or her from the others?
• Why is he or she recommended to the company?

In short, a recruiter’s role is to identify the best candidates for a given position based on the person’s skills, potential, strengths, and compatibility so that the company can then make an informed choice.

6. Strong marketing and sales skills

This last essential point is too often lacking in IT recruiting firms. Recruiters in this field must be marketing and sales pros in order to attract candidates, trigger their interest in the positions, and “sell” them the job.

Good persuasive skills are useful when the time comes to present the company’s IT projects and the challenges involved in a positive way. Indeed, a good recruiter generates interest in the job offered by personalizing it and highlighting its uniqueness.

Important

In a field where jobs are in as high demand as in IT, it may be beneficial to seek the services of a specialized recruiting firm that uses all its resources to select qualified candidates for your job positions.

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