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Australia – IT talent shortage could derail projects

03 June 2015

A shortage of IT talent is impacting Australia’s ICT industry, with warnings that the implementation of projects could be delayed by the lack of talent, according to research from recently acquired ICT recruitment firm Greythorn, reports itwire.com.

With the government, ICT, and finance sectors set to embark on large projects, the search to find top IT talent in the Australian market is becoming highly competitive. However, Greythorn Managing Director, Richard Fischer says employers can use market mapping to ensure projects aren’t derailed by the talent shortage.

According to Mr Fischer, in the face of a tightening market, employers need to partner with recruitment suppliers who can proactively map the IT skills market. 

“Suppliers and employers will need to work more closely than ever to ensure projects aren’t delayed by a lack of talent. Greythorn’s survey showed one in five projects fail because of these kinds of delays.”

Mr Fischer explained that a proper market mapping exercise enables recruitment companies to “analyse the backgrounds of successful existing employees and track professionals in certain skill sets, knowing when they are coming off projects. In doing so we are able to build three, six, and 12-month talent pipelines for client projects”.

And, Mr Fischer warned, it is critical to begin early or face the consequences: “With current contract recruitment times sitting in excess of 40 days starting recruitment when a project is due to begin is too late.” 

Mr Fischer cited an Information Technology Contract & Recruitment Association (ITCRA) report that showed that the number of days it takes to fill positions has risen considerably. Research from Greythorn’s also showed that 71% of candidates have lost interest in a role because a recruitment process was taking too long.  

“Time to hire is a unique competitive advantage in this market. Those with specific projects set to launch will need to pre-plan and engage with an agency that can map the market prior to this ensuring availability of top talent,” Mr Fischer concluded.