September IT Recruitment: Is Your Business Ready for the Hiring Rush?

September Is Here: Why IT Hiring Suddenly Gets Busy Again

There is something about September that changes the recruitment market.

The summer holidays are over, people are back at their desks, businesses are looking ahead to the final quarter of the year and suddenly those conversations that were put on hold in June and July start happening again.

"We will look at it in September."

Well, September is here!

For businesses recruiting in IT, this can be one of the busiest times of the year.

So, what happens to IT recruitment in September?

During the summer months, recruitment can naturally slow down. Hiring managers are away, interviews are postponed and candidates are enjoying some well earned time off.

But come September, things start moving quickly.

IT projects that have been delayed need to get back on track. New projects are starting. Teams realise they are short staffed and businesses begin looking at what they need to achieve before the end of the year.

That can mean a sudden increase in demand for IT professionals.

I am talking about roles across the board, from IT Support and Helpdesk through to Software Developers, Cloud and Infrastructure professionals, Data specialists, Project Managers, IT Managers and senior technology leadership.

The challenge is finding the right people

The IT recruitment market remains competitive.

The reality is that many of the strongest IT candidates are already employed. They are not necessarily applying for every vacancy they see online.

They may be happy in their current role but open to the right opportunity.

This is where specialist recruitment can make a real difference.

Rather than simply advertising a vacancy and waiting for applications, I can actively approach candidates who have the experience and skills a business is looking for.

Sometimes the perfect candidate is not actively looking for a new job at all.

Are you prepared for your Q4 hiring?

September is actually a great time for employers to take a step back and look at their IT teams.

Ask yourself:

Do we have the people we need to deliver our projects?

Are there skills missing from the team?

Have we been trying to fill a vacancy for too long?

Are existing employees carrying too much of the workload?

Do we have plans to expand the IT team before the end of the year?

If the answer to any of these is yes, now is the time to start the conversation.

Waiting until a vacancy becomes urgent can make recruitment considerably more difficult.

Salary is also part of the conversation

One of the biggest changes I see in recruitment is that candidates are much more informed about their market value. If you are looking for an experienced IT professional, salary expectations need to reflect the current market.

Of course, salary is not everything. Candidates also look at flexibility, career progression, company culture, technology, management and the overall opportunity.

But getting the package right from the beginning can make a huge difference to the quality of candidates you attract.

My advice to employers this September

If you know you are going to need someone, start looking before you desperately need someone. Give yourself time to find the right person rather than simply the first available person.

A good IT hire can make a huge difference to a business. Equally, the wrong hire can be expensive, frustrating and time consuming.

That is why I believe recruitment should be about more than matching keywords on a CV.

It is about understanding the business, understanding the role and understanding the person behind the CV.

Planning to hire in IT?

At MPG Recruitment, I specialise in IT recruitment across Ireland and work with businesses recruiting at all levels, from junior IT professionals through to senior IT management and leadership positions.

If you are planning to grow your IT team this autumn, or you have a difficult IT vacancy that you have been struggling to fill, I would be very happy to have a conversation.

Sometimes a quick chat in September can save a lot of time in October.

September is here. Is your IT recruitment ready?

Margaret Parker Grimes
Founder, MPG Recruitment