22 September 2022

Tech recruitment: five key skills employers want

While the ONS reported that “hiring in the UK has slowed amidst uncertainty over the economy” at the start of last month, demand in the tech job sphere is as buoyant as ever with rewarding opportunities across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.

So if you’re looking to make your next career move, or perhaps take your first steps on the career ladder, what are the most attractive skills employers want to see on a CV?

Communication

There are several stereotypes and cliches surrounding tech professionals and their communication skills, and few of them are complimentary. However, the stereotype of ‘the IT person’ being the sullen unsocial individual of the office has gone, and employers are increasingly looking for tech workers with good communication and collaborative skills.

Depending on the exact sector, employers may be looking for tech professionals who can explain complex technical concepts clearly and concisely, while avoiding the use of jargon. And candidates who can work well with professionals from non-tech backgrounds.

Time management

Good time management is always going to be a skill on any employer’s list, no matter what the job. However, it is particularly important in the world of tech. This is because in the modern workplace employees across the board rely on the technical infrastructure working to full efficiency – if a system goes down or a new feature is not implemented on time, it can impact every part of a business.

A level head

‘The ability to stay cool under pressure’ is a long-standing staple of recruitment requirements. It’s not just applicable to jobs in busy kitchens, sales floors and hospitals – it counts in plush tech offices too. The ability to stay calm and positive are increasingly desirable skill sets for those in the tech sector.

This is because the IT and tech departments of any business are often the first port of call when it comes to solving a crisis. Let’s not forget that just two years ago businesses had to look to their IT departments to quickly develop work from home solutions during the coronavirus pandemic. Employers learnt from this and now want to see tech candidates with a demonstrable history of staying cool, calm and collected.

Proactive problem-solving

One of the core reasons people become tech professionals is they have a love for problem-solving, whether that’s developing new code or detecting and eliminating vulnerabilities in data security.

This means employers already expect a good tech professional to be a problem solver as an absolute minimum. What they’re really looking for is good, proactive problem solvers.

By this, we mean candidates who can prove they have experience in actively seeking out problems and inefficiencies, identifying potential issues before they arise, and presenting solutions to these problems.

Creativity

A LinkedIn survey a few years ago stated that creativity was the most in-demand skill worldwide, for any job, and tech is no exception. Adobe similarly found that employers who invest in creativity boast higher satisfaction for both employees and customers.

With the exception of a few fields such as development, we might not think of most tech jobs as creative. But employers will be excited by candidates who can demonstrate a creative approach to their work — thinking laterally to find simpler, more cost-effective and superior ways of working.

Looking for your next job in tech?

Click here to see if we can help you find it.