| Recession or no recession, fresh reports suggest | | | | countless CVs. Equally, you may not happen to have |
| that now is a far better time than you may have | | | | the extensive interviewing skills which someone |
| thought for the information technology job market. | | | | working for a recruitment agency will have. |
| According to one survey, permanent private sector | | | | IT job agencies are also equipped with all the right |
| jobs in IT across all sectors are growing at the | | | | technical skills to identify the best candidate for an |
| fastest rate since 2007. Salaries are at their highest | | | | information technology job. Indeed, agency staff |
| levels for more than 18 months, signalling a new | | | | may well have previously worked in the industry |
| upsurge in employer confidence. | | | | themselves. |
| In fact, with 110,000 people needed to fill jobs in | | | | Agencies are aware of all the latest industry trends, |
| Britain's technology sector each year, renewed | | | | and know exactly what to look for so that selection |
| efforts are now being made to attract young people | | | | is as accurate as possible. If you just place adverts |
| into the industry. | | | | yourself, the adverts can be hit and miss. |
| Despite reports of overseas outsourcing and | | | | Rather than going through a jobs board, specialist |
| potential public sector cuts over the next 12 months, | | | | agencies will go directly to the people they know, |
| and a possible dip in the number of temporary posts, | | | | making the whole process much quicker and more |
| there are still plenty of opportunities for anyone | | | | reliable. By the time you meet candidates, the agency |
| looking for a job in IT, and strong technical skills will | | | | will already have interviewed them personally. |
| always be highly sought after. | | | | Like any business, an IT recruitment service needs to |
| If you're an employer and have an information | | | | charge for what it does. But consider the potential |
| technology job to fill, there are many benefits to | | | | cost to your organisation of hiring someone who |
| using a specialist IT recruitment agency. One of the | | | | simply isn't up to the job. It can be a disastrous |
| biggest advantages is the hours an agency can save | | | | waste of time and money. Most agencies only seek |
| an organisation's managers or human resources team. | | | | payment once someone is in post for a few months |
| HR staff already have many conflicting demands on | | | | and doing well. |
| their time, and may not have specialist IT knowledge. | | | | A good recruitment agency will be with a client every |
| In particular, if you're a small business looking for | | | | step of the way, from drafting the advertising to |
| someone to fill an IT role, you're probably already | | | | advising unsuccessful applicants. With some reports |
| stretched, and your time will be doubly precious. | | | | suggesting it can take 12 hours of effort just to get |
| There may simply not be enough hours in the day to | | | | someone into your office for an interview, you can |
| write and design job adverts or sift through | | | | see why employers turn to recruitment agencies. |