Blockchain: if there’s a buzzword that’s become more prominent for any technologically-driven company over the past few years, it’s this word that is said millions of times daily.

Although many people still associate blockchain technology with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and DogeCoin, many businesses are beginning to display its massive potential for improving processes of all kinds. From healthcare to education, nearly every industry has been affected by the rise of its advancement and the difference it bears for any company that capitalizes on it. 

As your company continues to prepare itself for development and growth in the long run, the prospect of investing in blockchain technology and using it will become even more appealing as time passes. Considering that other competitors in your industry are contemplating the same idea, it’s vital that you take the necessary steps to get ahead of the innovation curve and hire a developer that can help you out.

Yet, this begs the question that you’re bound to ask and wonder about as soon as you start your search: “How do I hire a blockchain developer for my company?”

Everything you need to know

Like any other highly technical technological position, the blockchain developer role that your business is looking to fill bears much difficulty because of the amount of demand involved and high standards for both parties. At this point, you may fall under the category of businesses struggling to find blockchain developers because of how far the task itself is from being straightforward. However, keeping the right points in mind can make all the difference.

If you want to have an easier time hiring a blockchain developer, here are a few key points that you need to keep in mind:

1. Make sure that a potential hiring option has the right knowledge in mind

With blockchain becoming even more technologically advanced as new updates roll out each month, it’s essential that you hire a developer equipped with the necessary skills to craft well-rounded outputs. To ensure that your chosen developer is very much capable of giving your business the leverage it needs to capitalize on the growing blockchain market, here are some of the languages they must know:

• Object-Oriented Programming Structure: Also known as “OOPS,” this tenet of blockchain development is an organized assortment of knowledge concerning the concept of objects. It is vital for developers to know this key skill since any object can be modified without affecting other objects in the program. This makes it easy for developers to quickly update the programs written in object-oriented languages.

• Syntax: This particular facet of knowledge is something any blockchain developer needs to know. With a solid foundation for the syntax for basic programming languages, they’ll be able to use and handle processes such as for loops, while loops, conditional statements, logical operators, arithmetic operators, relational operators, and more.

• Multi-Threading: This relevant development skill is defined as a degree of knowledge concerning the ability of a CPU in a multi-core processor to run multiple threads or processes concurrently. By understanding the implementation of multi-threading in different types of applications, your chosen developer will be able to maintain constant productivity for streamlined results!

2. Look on the right platforms

When it comes to finding a talent worth working with, you must understand that knowing where to look goes a long way. This is why you must conduct your search on the right platforms.

It may seem rather simplistic at first, but knowing where to search for your next candidate will make it far easier to find qualified blockchain developers instead of prolonging your search. By using a service or platform like Technical Paradigm, you’ll get to equip your business with a dependable professional that’s guaranteed to help you advance tremendously with no more than a few days of searching!

Conclusion

While it’s easy to see why your business needs to capitalize on the use of blockchain technology as soon as possible, finding the right professional for the job is a completely different story. By keeping an eye out for the key points mentioned above, you’ll be able to have a much easier time finding a capable professional that is best suited for your needs, budget, offer, and preferences! 

We’re an IT staffing agency in Chicago, IL, that works with companies in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to customer service, technology, engineering, manufacturing, and sales. We aim to fill every IT role with the best possible fit and ensure a positive recruitment experience by working closely with your team. Reach out to us today to learn more about what we do!

Non-fungible tokens or NFTs are on the horizon for changing how digital media is distributed and monetized, representing the new potential for companies to earn a profit. That also means the job market will change due to the new roles that will open up, requiring a unique combination of skills that IT staffing services can help fill.

In part 1 of this series, we explained NFTs, what they’re used for, and how they skyrocketed to fame. This article will focus more on NFT’s ability to introduce new ways digital media companies earn money and how it will change the job market. Here’s what you need to know:

Creating New Monetization Models for Digital Media

The digital content available today is monetized, usually on platforms like Spotify, Netflix, and Facebook. These platforms serve as the liaison between content creators and their target audiences and earn a commission by being the distributor. While creators own the copyright to their content, they must give up a portion of their ownership to the platform owners and consumers once their work is uploaded.

However, NFT adds a unique appeal to the ownership of digital assets. It offers consumers the privilege of owning an asset that cannot be shared with anyone unless they choose to trade it. As consumers continue to trade an NFT and earn cryptocurrency like Ethereum for it, the resale value increases exponentially, opening profitable opportunities for companies who choose to capitalize on it. Much of digital assets’ value derives from their ability to be remixed or copied. NFT harmonizes both non-fungibility and the quality of being remixed by verifying rightful owners and label remade copies of the assets as fan-made. 

Unlocking New Roles for IT Specialists

The financial crisis of 2008 is arguably what fueled the popularity of financial technology, which was made even more valuable during COVID-19, which cemented the importance of technological solutions. NFT can be regarded as a result of this, branching out as an innovative way to use blockchain technology while highlighting the importance of its adoption in enterprises. Gone are the days where IT specialists were hired purely for cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, or other traditional reasons. They’ll become more critical than ever in ensuring a company stays relevant and vital to its target audience.

Prominent financial institutions such as big banks have used machine learning and Ethereum-based blockchains for several years to remove the requirement of a trusted third party for smart contracts. Similarly, new roles will be on the horizon to tackle blockchain and NFT-related responsibilities, such as advancing a company’s brand recognition by minting its digital assets or even experiences as NFTs. Organizations can also take advantage of this new phenomenon by commodifying access to these assets, for which NFT is ideal. It will require a different approach, a multi-disciplinary background, and specialized IT knowledge, presenting a lucrative opportunity for IT professionals who have wanted to explore a new area within the field. Since NFT involves an ever-changing chain of ownership, the creation of digital collectibles, and blockchain technology knowledge, there will undoubtedly be an increased demand for specialists well-versed in these areas.

Conclusion

NFTs are growing more popular than ever. More brands are joining the bandwagon to experiment with its features and launch digital collectibles to earn more income and establish a deeper relationship with their target audience. By finding IT specialists intimately familiar with NFTs, you’ll open up new avenues for your company to succeed.

Technical Paradigm is among the top IT staffing firms that connect the right candidates to suitable roles and companies. We provide innovative IT workforce solutions that drive the success of both our clients and talent. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you!

If you’ve kept up with the activities of celebrities, you’ve likely stumbled across non-fungible tokens or NFTs at some point. They’ve gained traction as various celebrities used the cryptographic token to fund their business ventures. For instance, artist Chris Torres sold a digital version of his Nyan Cat meme for nearly $600,000 through NFTs. The first NFT artwork was unveiled for sale recently at Christie’s, a major auction house. A Cristiano Ronaldo card sold for nearly $300,000.

With all the significant attention NFT is getting, it will revolutionize the job market and change the way people transact. Here’s what you need to know about NFTs, how they work, and what they mean for the hiring landscape:

All About NFTs

NFTs are a type of cryptographic token that symbolizes a specific digital asset. It uses blockchain technology and works like other cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin. NFTs involve networked computers competing against each other to solve complicated mathematical functions to secure and encrypt data and create a private cryptographic key. However, what sets NFTs apart is that they are non-fungible, which means that tokens are not identical or interchangeable, essentially making them like blockchain-verified artworks. All pieces of artwork hold different values both monetarily and artistically, and each NFT is issued a unique digital hash that separates it from other NFTs.

Even though NFTs gained traction recently, they have been around since June 2017. CryptoKitties, a digital cat trading game, was the first initiative that launched NFT to popularity in the crypto crowd when it hit the headlines later that year. People have since spent over $174 million on NFTs.

The Unique Value of NFTs

NFTs change the game by subverting the most widespread use of blockchain and cryptographic ledgers, which is for logging transactions, by marking a specific piece of digital asset and assigning it to a particular cryptographic token. For this reason, NFTs are usually created to represent image files in different formats such as JPEG, GIF, and PNG, although they can also be attached to digital files. Individuals can own and exchange digital assets, which are naturally shareable and thereby easily copied, through NFTs to have the privilege of owning them.

In essence, NFTs function like the serial numbers that tech and designer companies assign each of their products to allow buyers to verify their authenticity. However, in NFTs, there isn’t an authority assigning these numbers, similar to how no central bank issues new bitcoins. Most of the NFTs currently circulating today are built on Ethereum. Each NFT is created to symbolize a specific piece of digital asset authenticated by the network. When people buy and trade NFTs, the token encrypts their unique identifier, specifying who owns it. Then, it is distributed to the entire network, which means anyone with access to the network can view ownership information. However, they cannot access the NFTs themselves unless they have the cryptographic key to them, which only the owner has. 

How NFT Transforms the Value for Digital Goods

Digital goods are incredibly popular given the rise of online technology. However, until the arrival of NFTs, they weren’t valuable to collectors since these goods were easily copied and distributed. With the technology NFT uses, it is now possible to amass digital collectibles since it engineers digital scarcity. Following economic principles, scarcity creates value, opening an incredible opportunity for consumers.

Since NFTs make it easy to trade digital goods without bringing the risk of copying them, they’ll be more likely to shoot up in value, mainly when the history of ownership is visible to everyone in the network. Many companies have begun to capitalize on this by licensing their content and IP to Ethereum and minting them into digital collectibles. NFTs can also be used to include digital assets like real estate, brand licensing, and even event ticketing. 

Conclusion 

NFTs present a world of exciting opportunities that will inevitably change the job market. However, it is still unknown to many people outside the crypto world, although it carries an exceptional potential for revolutionizing many industries. Stay tuned for part 2 to learn more!

Technical Paradigm offers IT staffing solutions to startups and large corporations that need to fill specialized tech roles. Whether you’re looking for a job or the right person for a vacancy, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to learn more about how we can connect you to the right company or candidate!

Businesses in Finance Technology have progressed by leaps and bounds  in the digital era. You would think that such an expansive and well-rounded industry would have no trouble finding employees. However, the more FinTech evolves, the greater the need for more people in the workforce—at a rate with which the marketplace cannot keep up. 

Finding the right person for the job is complicated in these times. While technology is advancing and more people are inclined to take tech-savvy jobs, there are still quite a few challenges even for people that would otherwise fit the role perfectly. Here are three of the most common reasons you might struggle to find the right person for the job.

3 Reasons Your FinTech Company Can’t Find Right Talent

1.  Unreasonable Expectations for Emerging Roles

As FinTech continues to grow and evolve, new roles are created. Specialists have become more in-demand, which makes finding the right talents difficult to find. That is why one of the number one rules of recruitment is setting reasonable expectations for applicants.

For example, it would be quite a reach if you’re looking for a specialist with 10 years of experience in blockchain development plus another 10 years in app development. A specialist cannot be two roles at once if you insist on calling them “specialists.” 

2. Competition with Other Companies is Fierce

This is the problem that most small enterprises are facing when hiring people. There are plenty of even bigger companies with higher pay to attract the candidates you want. The most agreeable rate that a small tech company can afford is that of a fresh graduate, which could mean you need to train them on the job.

But the advantage that small companies have is that there are a select few workers who are tired of working for big companies and want something more manageable.

3. The Pandemic  Both Opening and Hindering Opportunities

The opportunities brought about by the pandemic is that companies can now work remotely, which means now you can welcome talents from across the globe. The FinTech industry is one that flourishes when more customers are online. And where there is a demand, more students would be attracted to pursue the field and join the workforce.

But a health crisis affects different people in many ways. Others have to deal with personal matters. Plus, not everyone can afford the luxury of learning IT courses online let alone afford Wi-Fi and a working desktop. You must figure out a way to address these issues so that you can 

Conclusion

While there are plenty of people out there looking for a job, not all applicants can necessarily fit the role. Competent applicants can also find themselves opting for seemingly better benefits. And with a world health crisis still raging all around us, there are other problems and factors that workers have to deal with. But the search doesn’t have to stop. There are plenty of ways to find the rock star employee you’re looking for. 

It’s difficult to find the most qualified people for IT positions with every factor taken into consideration. To save you time and energy, look for IT staffing services to narrow down the recruitment process for you. Technical Paradigm offers recruitment services for IT roles for startups and large corporations. Find talent with us today!

You don’t have to own a Fortune 500 company to leverage business intelligence strategies. In the golden age of technology, business intelligence and data analytics are crucial to any organization’s success. Whether you have less than ten employees or you’re pushing 1,000, your business has much to gain.

What Is Business Intelligence?

Data means power. The more data you have, the more precise your BI tools will be when they generate insights and solutions for you.

In running a business, you must utilize software for data-driven decision making . Business intelligence (BI) uses business analytics, data visualization, data infrastructure, and other software and services to turn raw data into actionable insights. A comprehensive overview of your business data will help you tremendously in eliminating inefficiencies in your workflow and generating more revenue.

BI software gathers and analyzes data sets, consolidating them as graphs, charts, dashboards, maps. These curated reports inform you of your business’s state., making it easy to collect and merge the data you need to enact intelligent business decisions.

How Does Business Intelligence Affect My Business Practices?

Decades ago, business owners and stakeholders made business decisions based on their “gut,” hearsay, and previous company performance. With the evolution of technology followed more savvy entrepreneurs and business owners. After all, past practices are not an indicator of future results. Consumer preferences are evolving rapidly, and you need more than the previous year’s strategies to make decisions today.

Gathering concrete data and employing a business intelligence strategy will give you a much clearer picture of your current situation. This equips you with the data you need to keep moving forward. You can identify trends and investigate every aspect of your business as thoroughly as possible, eliminating the guessing game portion of being a business owner. With the right data in hand, decision-making becomes much more objective.

How Does Business Intelligence Improve Office Workflow?

Communication is key to any successful business, no matter its size. All departments should be on the same page and share the same data to meet set business goals.

BI tools and software make business data accessible to everyone in the company. By centralizing all data in one platform, you ensure rank-and-file employees and upper management alike are working with a solid foundation of objective data. This encourages minimal risk of miscommunication or information getting lost along your different processes.

How do I find the Right Business Intelligence Tools for me?

Entry-level business intelligence software is very accessible and easy to use, and further developments for these cloud solutions mean that the future is very bright. Here are some crucial features in your BI software you should look for:

1. Custom Dashboard: You should have access only to the data you need, no more, and no less. Your BI tools should be flexible and customizable.
2. Predictive Analysis: Your business decisions will center on these projections.
3. Seamless Integration: Your BI software should integrate with the systems you already have in place, including CRM, finance, and sales management apps.
4. Intuitive User Interface: Most of all, you should invest in software that’s easy to use.

Conclusion

Business intelligence tools are the new frontier and they will help take your business to the next level. However, this is easier said than done. If you want to dip your toes into BI, it’s advisable to have experts guiding you along. They will help make sure you have software that suits your needs perfectly.

Technical Paradigm can help your business leverage BI and analytics to understand everything about your processes. Our BI and Big Data consulting services will take your business to the next level. We are also an agency that offers IT staffing solutions to fill your tech-related needs. Contact us today!

Skilled Blockchain developers aren’t always easy to come by. Their primary role is to enable secure digital transactions by creating systems to record and store blockchain data. Their designs make sure that your data cannot be hacked or compromised. To recruit the best possible candidate, here is a guide on how to find them.

How to Hire a Blockchain Developer

Generally, the ideal candidate or team has years of experience in blockchain development. This lets you know that they’re used to doing the job and will pick up just fine. But if your company doesn’t have the budget for a seasoned blockchain developer team, then the person you need on the job needs to understand the following concepts.

What the Ideal Blockchain Developer Candidate Should Know

Basic Programming Concepts

Different blockchain developers have their own preferences for the tools they use. However, every good developer should understand basic programming concepts, such as OOPS (Object-Oriented Programming Structure), Socket Programming, Multi-Threading, and Syntax. These are basic aspects of programming that are used regularly, so they need to pick up on them fast.

Encryption and Security

To get more specific, blockchain developers should know about encryption and security. 

Your blockchain developer should also be familiar with Secure Hashing Algorithms because their job requires them to understand encryption and decryption concepts. They should know the difference between Private Key and Public Key and how they should be mathematically related. 

Other Questions You Should Ask 

Their Development Process

There is a wide range of development techniques available. You need to find out if they use development techniques such as agile, scrum, or extreme programming. It also helps to know what tools they prefer to use. See if they have any skills that match the following tools:

• Bitcoin Block Explorer
• Metamask
• Composer
• Caliper
• Etherscan
• Explorer

Brands They Worked With

A good work portfolio can help you determine whether or not they actually know how to use their skills. Working for well-known companies is a huge advantage, but working for smaller companies will do just as fine. If you were a small business yourself, it would be nice to know that they have prior experience working with startups.

Years of Experience

Again, having years of experience doesn’t always mean it’s a plus. If you’re not a large-scale company, you won’t be able to hire a seasoned veteran at their rates. Less experienced yet intelligent blockchain developers are capable of the job at lower rates, though the hesitation to hire them is understandable. You need to leave it to your intuition for these things.

Conclusion

While you must hire a team with the best skills for the job, you need to look for a good work ethic. Besides the task at hand, you need people on your team that you can get along with on a professional level. There are plenty of intelligent and capable people out there for this job, but above all, you need them to be reliable and independent workers with the skills to match above all.

Does your business require a blockchain developer in your company? Find your ideal team at Technical Paradigm, a professional IT staffing company in Chicago for startups and large corporations. We can get you some of the most skilled blockchain developers that will gladly work on the projects with you. Contact us now!

Finance and technology aren’t strangers to each other as both help lift the other no matter the industry. Technological advances have helped optimize financial services to the best of their abilities, but this doesn’t exclude the possibility of a few bumps on the road.

Fintech professionals are critical to have in your company to troubleshoot and continuously improve the financial technology you have, especially in a time when financial establishments are on a playing ground that’s evened out for startups and newer businesses that are well-equipped.

There’s only a small pool of such talent, making it a challenge to attract and source Fintech experts. Here are some tips that will help you find good Fintech talent:

Advertise What You Can Offer

Like how employees show in their application what they can offer to a company, employers have to do the same. Fintech talent can have many enterprises to choose from, so you have to ask yourself and answer what you can provide to that professional that others can’t.

Evaluating your employer value proposition and your company’s work conditions might make you realized that you need to adjust and improve your EVP to appeal to FinTech talent. Research what they are searching for in a company and try to emulate such an image in order to signal to a Fintech expert that your workplace is the best for them.

Make Recruitment Easy

There’s nothing more frustrating than a complicated recruitment process. It can give off the impression that your company doesn’t care about punctuality or other people’s time. It’s time to shift that and optimize your recruitment cycle.

Be sure to iron out those issues and make recruitment easy for your Fintech specialist applicants. There are recruitment agencies that make sending in applications and scheduling an interview much more hassle-free. Speeding up the process is best for both the employer and potential employee.

Create Ideal Company Culture

Having a company culture that employees can be proud of and share can help you source interested fintech talent who already has knowledge of your enterprise. They will think highly of your workplace if the company culture is exciting and welcoming to them. 

One thing fintech talents like to see in a company is the possibility of flexible and remote work. If your company can open it for some specific positions where it’s applicable, it can be a catalyst for a fintech professional’s final decision on where they’ll bring their skill set. 

Prepare A Retention Plan

Having an employee retention plan doesn’t have to start after hiring. Instilling amenities and having growth opportunities available can help improve the workplace even more for fintech talent and existing employees who are working in the same branch. 

Improve the technology when you deem it necessary and fit to help out employees. In addition to excellent working conditions, you’ll be keeping everyone satisfied while on the job and showcase care towards your workers. 

Conclusion

Adopting these tips can make quite the difference in drawing out great Fintech talent and enticing them to apply for the role. Not only will you get the best specialists on your team but company image is improved for the better.

Looking for partners in IT staffing in Chicago? Technical Paradigm can help startups and established corporations recruit and fill their IT roles. Get in touch with us today!

An IT workplace should be ideal for promoting a harmonious relationship among employees. However, there are times that no matter how great the rules in the workplace are and how stellar the employees’ qualifications are, there is always at least one who is difficult to deal with. Although they may perform their daily duties, it’s still a challenge to manage them effectively.

Difficult employees to deal with may include an employee who is never around or someone who bullies his colleagues. Yes, employees may differ in personality traits, which can impact the company’s work results.

When there is an employee that is difficult to deal with in the workplace, it can cause decreased productivity, increased stress, negative effects on reputation, and possible expenses on replacing staff.

How to deal with difficult employees

Whenever there is a problematic employee, the best thing to do is address the issue promptly and efficiently. Here are some ways to do that:

Give clear feedback

Giving honest feedback can be a challenging task; however, this is crucial. Make sure to provide clean and specific points of the negative behavior. Let the employee know why the behavior is inappropriate. Help them know how such behavior can be changed to improve work performance.

Criticize the behavior, not the person

When talking to the employee, make sure not to make the conversation too personal. Aim to come up with a solution to the problem and not to worsen confrontation. Focus on the undesirable action instead of attacking the person.

Have documentation of the employee’s problematic behavior

Managers should document every employee’s inappropriate behavior so that they will have a record for proper monitoring. This will also protect the company in case they need to terminate the employee.

Have a joint effort towards a better solution

Both employer and employees need to work together to come up with an efficient solution in developing a more harmonious working relationship in the workplace. Let the negative behavior be discussed properly so that the appropriate actions will be implemented. The employee must also be aware of his/her specific negative behavior, and a chance must be given to improve.

Have comprehensive monitoring of the progress

An integral part of the coping process with difficult employees is to give them time to correct and improve their behavior. Make sure to monitor the progress of the improvement so that issues and positive changes are evaluated. After a specific timeline of observation, have a thorough in-person evaluation to discuss the employee’s improvement progress.

Recognize the employee’s effort to change and improve

Dealing with difficult employees can be both daunting and rewarding. An employee may comply promptly but can also struggle to change the behavior. When managers see that employees are trying to improve their behaviors and start coping well with the other organization members, such efforts must be recognized.

Conclusion

It’s very common for a workplace to encounter an employee who’s difficult to cope with. Thankfully, some ways and strategies can help to improve any negative behavior in the workplace. All these will create and promote better management to improve productivity, boost the morale of employees, and foster an environment where everyone’s happy to work with each other.

If you’re still searching for a reliable IT staffing agency in Chicago, IL to work with, look no further. Technical Paradigm provides innovative IT staffing solutions to aid in boosting your company’s growth. Contact us today to get started!

Many companies face the trouble of trying to find IT professionals to no avail. Some have rather specific needs in terms of the skills they need, while some argue that there is simply a shortage in the field. Is there an actual lack of professionals in IT, or is there something else at play that makes hiring such individuals a big challenge? 

A Case For IT Talent Shortage

For those who argue that the IT talent shortage is a real thing, they say that the increase in the availability of tech occupations is much higher than people actually learning and becoming IT professionals. In other words, supply is unable to meet demand, creating a shortage. Another argument that supports this claim is that technology is evolving quickly. 

In the area of cybersecurity, cybercriminals have greater resources than the average company. Many IT professionals are also generally happy with their job, so only a  few are going around looking for new positions. In fact, the unemployment rate in Tech is around 2.5%—an incredibly small number.

Evidence That It’s Not a Shortage

Those that argue against the idea of an IT talent shortage claim that it all lies in paying the right salary. Tech salaries are rising, and companies that skimp out on the salary and the compensation package are going to suffer. IT professionals understand the value of their work, and many refuse to work for less than what they deserve. 

Another argument made is that companies looking for IT talents are too specific in their search. Many have stringent and unrealistic requirements when many IT talents can do the job well if only these companies adjust their job requirements. 

The last argument is that companies are looking in the wrong places. In many cases, companies look at platforms where there are IT talents actively looking for jobs. This perpetuates the idea that there is a shortage, when in reality, even those that already have a job may still be open to new opportunities. Companies need to be creative with their recruitment strategies to attract more individuals.

Conclusion

People care about whether this is myth or truth because companies want to adapt their recruitment strategies. Unfortunately, the answer is not so clear, and it does not seem like the situation will change any time soon. 

Whatever you might believe, you need to focus on developing the individuals you hire. You also need to adapt your way of attracting professionals to your company. Try different tactics to get your company the IT support it needs. If it’s not working, then you definitely need to try something else.

Are you still looking for IT talents? Technical Paradigm offers recruiting-as-a-service to help businesses, from small to large, fill all their IT roles! If you are looking for an IT jobs staffing agency in Chicago, work with us today to find the right IT talents for your company.