The job market has definitely changed from the time not too long ago when job seekers wanted more money or a better title. While these may still be somewhat important today, IT professionals are choosing jobs for other reasons. That’s why recruiters need to find out what motivates the candidate before the job search even begins.

First, recruiters must understand why someone is looking for a new job, and the reasons they will accept one job over another. These reasons or “motivators” can offer valuable insight into finding the right job for the right candidate. True, one job seeker may desire a certain compensation package, but that is becoming less the norm.  Today, more and more professionals in the IT industry are willing to take less pay for other perks like flexible work hours, shorter commute times, and less overnight travel.

What this tells recruiters and the staffing industry is that workers are being driven more today by work-life balance.  It’s a fact that everyone is working more hours. A long commute, excessive travel or an inflexible company culture only adds to the worker’s stress, exhaustion and frustration of an inadequate personal life.

Thankfully, technology is enabling employees to work anywhere and anytime. The days of “9 to 5” are becoming a thing of the past, as workers now have the tools to work harder without being tied down to the traditional office and schedule. IT recruiters have come to realize that today’s job seeker is much more willing to be “on” for longer hours in exchange for some flexibility from the employer.

How companies can keep their top IT talent

There is a lot of movement in the Atlanta IT job market right now.  This is slowly bringing back confidence to workers as they are more willing now to make a job change than they were a year ago. Of course, money still talks. Candidates will consider higher salaries because raises and bonuses have been “put on hold” by many companies. But there is more to the equation today than money. If it comes down to two job offers where one pays more but requires a long commute and occasional travel, and the other pays a bit less but provides telecommuting and a flexible work schedule, chances are the candidate will choose the latter hands down.

In this new economy, employers need to realize that the job market has also changed. Money talks, but only to a point. Companies that promise stability, competitive wages and benefits, and options that provide a positive work-life balance (i.e. flex hours, telecommuting, etc.) will be the places top talent flock to.

If companies want to hire and retain superior performers as the job market becomes more competitive, they need to understand the needs of today’s job seekers (in case you didn’t read above -  flexibility, reduced commute and travel times) and deliver innovative employment solutions that meet those needs.

Tags: Atlanta IT Jobs, IT Job Search, IT Recruiter

This entry was posted on Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at 6:06 am and is filed under IT Job Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.