South Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa: IT Talent Recruitment Logs in to Meet Rising Demand

The Covid-19 global health crisis catapulted one group of professionals into great demand – the IT workers who could digitize processes for big and small companies. Remote working was the need of the hour even for those businesses that were not used to a work-from-home culture. 

Businesses had to urgently upgrade their technology infrastructure to navigate the sudden need for remote working to keep work afloat. In South Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa, ICT, financial services and FinTech companies, especially, needed top quality IT talent (and quickly) to navigate the transformation brought on by the pandemic. 

As companies now lean into the inevitability of investing in technology-infrastructure and talent for business growth, the importance of cross-functional skills in IT to take on hybrid roles will become increasingly important. Robyn Stainbank, Senior Consultant – Technology for Michael Page, Africa, shares an example. “DevOps is a hybrid role that combines software development, operations and quality assurance. Similar IT roles that can combine IT with other crucial skills for the business are in demand.” 

Other skills that have grown in importance for IT talent are information security, data privacy, SAP, Java, Python, cloud computing, data analysis and artificial intelligence skills. “Apart from these technical skills, combined project management capabilities are in demand,” says Robyn. 

Strategies to attract top IT talent

The importance of the IT team in the health of a business cannot be underestimated. The technological and digital industry is at the forefront of constant change, creating a demand for talent that is not just right-skilled but also can adapt to innovative and forward-thinking environments. Tech industry leaders can source the best talent by using four strategies. 

Firstly, it helps to identify the IT skills needed, which will be unique for every business. “These skills may not necessarily be defined accurately by a job role or title itself. So, elaborate on the skills. The additional challenge is the lack of talent in STEM skills across the African continent,” says Robyn.  

Secondly, there will be higher chances of hiring right if the company engages the wider team in the process. Involving key team members ensures that the recruitment process does not rely on the judgment of one or two senior members but also on the team that can gauge how a new recruit will fit into the job role.

Thirdly, an IT team is useless if the company hasn’t upgraded its technology. What will people do without the tools to do their job? Also, the best IT workers move to companies with the best infrastructure. “MNCs in ICT and FinTech, and some companies like TakeALot.com and Jumia in the retail sector look at technology as an enabler of their business, and it is such companies that will remain desirable employers to top IT talent,” says Robyn. 

Fourthly, a strong training and development plan to enable IT talent to keep up with the constant changes in the industry and to contribute to their dynamic skillsets is a requirement today, not an option. This is also a cost-effective talent retention strategy. 

Assessing a candidate’s competence 

Companies can learn a great deal about a candidate’s skills and aptitude even before he/she is invited to an interview. Preliminary online coding tests reveal a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, which can be verified with his/her CV. These online or offline tests can be made fun through gamification. Hackathons are another way to test a candidate’s ability to work under pressure, and while being observed. 

Technical skills are important but so is communication. IT candidates don’t work in isolation. Moving up the managerial ladder would mean that they also need leadership skills and soft skills to manage consultant-client relationships.  

“Soft skills play varying important roles for IT candidates based on their level and function. Employees should be communicative, organized, bring a problem-solving mindset and be open to constructive criticism. Senior levels of managers should be able to implement ideas, take swift decisions, be good at change management and risk management,” says Robyn. 

Technology often crosses international borders through meaningful knowledge sharing. A great asset in this era of globalization and international cooperation is a diversity mindset that is inclusive of different worldviews and managing multi-cultural teams. 

What it takes to hire right 

IT is a competitive, candidate-led market. Companies must have a finger on the pulse of the salaries being offered so that they can create the right remuneration strategy. “Companies must be updated of the remuneration trends as new roles are constantly being created with technology advances. Michael Page can partner with companies here to offer detailed salary benchmarks for specialist IT roles,” explains Robyn. 

But offering a competitive salary is not enough to attract the best IT talent -- the quality of engagement, work environment and the long-term incentives are equally important.  

Michael Page Africa, a brand of leading FTSE-listed recruitment company PageGroup, helps companies address the challenges of rapid change that is inherent to the IT industry. When companies need to make decisions quickly, a trusted partner with the knowledge of industry trends can ensure success.

Apart from this, Michael Page uses leading recruitment technology with high visibility of vacancies, high response speed from quality candidates, and high advertising and engagement with candidates. 

Entrenched in the market, Michael Page also brings unique market data and insights like salary benchmarks and location-focused searches while catering to a company’s specific strategies during talent search. These can be immensely helpful to companies looking to save time and hire right for their IT needs.  
To learn more, download the ebook: How to find the right IT Talent for your Business 

Apply now for the IT jobs we are currently recruiting for in South Africa and Sub Sahara Africa.