The UK tech world post-COVID is consistently growing. Insights from the Tech Nation Report 2021 showed that the UK is demonstrating world-leading growth in deep tech investment at 17% in comparison to last year. As a result, the UK tech recruitment market is more saturated than ever before, both in terms of the amount of tech roles available and the number of tech candidates looking for a new role.
With that being said, there is still a shortage in tech talent in comparison to the number of tech vacancies being advertised, meaning it is still a “candidate-driven market” across the country. Businesses all over the UK are competing to be able to hire the top tech talent, and struggling to find a lasting solution to their recruitment problems until more tech candidates become available.
With that being said, it isn’t always the number of tech candidates available that is the main issue. A number of organisations are under the impression that there is no long-lasting solution to finding more tech talent, aside from encouraging more students to study STEM-related subjects for future roles.
But what about the tech roles that need filling now?
Temp and interim tech recruitment
The terms “temporary recruitment” and “interim recruitment” are not often used in the tech world. Permanent and contract recruitment, absolutely - but temp and interim positions are historically more popular in other sectors and industries.
Hiring temporary tech talent can be one of the simplest ways to meet changing consumer demands. One of the best reasons for businesses to consider interim employees is if you’re uncertain how your business may look a year from now. Despite the tech industry as a whole being on the up, this doesn’t always bring certainty for individual businesses and their forecasts - particularly with startups in a post-pandemic world. Therefore, considering hiring tech staff on a temporary basis could be the safety net you’ve been looking for.
This will then also open up your candidate pool as a result. Of course, there will be a large number of tech candidates out there only looking for permanent placements, and that’s okay - because there’s countless people on the temp market too.
For example, candidates who:
- Lost their jobs last year due to COVID and are yet to find the permanent role they’d like to settle with, therefore they are working temporary and interim positions consecutively
- Are recent graduates, yet to find a permanent position and looking to build up their experience in a working environment
- Are considering relocating for other reasons, but need temporary work in the meantime
- Want to build up their CV and/or portfolio of experience in a variety of sectors and industries, therefore build up their tech experience via temp positions
The benefits of hiring interim tech candidates
Hiring managers are becoming more aware of the fact that using temporary and interim workers in tech roles can help to manage changes in online demand, which may not necessarily warrant a permanent employee. Other benefits of hiring temporary tech candidates include:
- It’s cost effective - you can lighten the load for current permanent tech employees by bringing in interim help, whilst also saving money on a long-term member of your workforce
- It enables flexibility for your business - no matter what industry you are in, customer, client or consumer demand is in constant flux. Depending on what your audience needs will also help determine who you need working for you. Interim tech candidates can be the perfect answer to the constantly changing market.
- It allows more projects to be executed - not all organisations need a large, permanent tech team. For more project-based work to be executed throughout the year at varying times, temporary employees are perfect for these tasks, which may only last a few weeks or months.
Should I consider temporary or interim candidates for my business?
If you are looking to recruit tech candidates but you’re unsure who will be the best fit, it’s worth considering alternative solutions. Overall, interim tech recruitment has increased by 5% in comparison to this time last year, meaning companies are becoming more open to it, as well as candidates being interested in alternatives to permanent roles.
Despite the recruitment setbacks caused by the pandemic in 2020, there are a wide variety of solutions available to businesses looking to hire within budget. Contact WSH Recruitment today to discuss the options available to you.