5 Advantages of Outsourcing Your IT Department

Every modern business will require an IT department at some point, especially if they plan to grow exponentially and serve a broader client base. However, creating an in-house team has its challenges. It requires a significant investment in hardware, software, and computer networks and the hiring of competent staff.

Although having IT specialists is crucial for a 21st-century business to thrive, not many enterprises have the budget to build an entire team, especially if they’re just starting. Fortunately, outsourcing an IT department is entirely possible, allowing small and mid-sized businesses to enjoy all the benefits of an in-house team without having to pay for the overhead costs. 

Here are five advantages of outsourcing your IT department:

1. It Helps You Save Money

Many people mistakenly believe that outsourcing any kind of service is more expensive than having an in-house team, but this simply isn’t true. Working with IT staffing agencies to outsource your team can ultimately be cheaper since they already have the equipment and training to serve your needs. Since you don’t have to invest in additional hardware or software, all you have to do is pay for their services, which means the only thing you’ll have to worry about is a flat monthly rate. You’ll get what you need without worrying about the logistics of ordering equipment, having them installed, hiring the right people, and training them accordingly!

2. It Keeps Your IT Solutions Updated

Outsourcing your IT department means that you’ll always have access to the most up-to-date solutions. Having an in-house team means staying on top of the latest developments and technology, requiring team members to devote their time and effort to the IT world. However, if you manage a small team, you can’t afford to lose them to something easier to outsource.

By hiring a third party to take care of your IT needs, you won’t have to worry about the latest technology solutions and the expertise needed to implement them. They’re essentially going to be plug-and-play, which means you’ll always have the newest, most effective technology.

3. It Tightens Security

As technology grows more sophisticated, so do hackers. That means you’ll need to tighten your IT infrastructure and security, which can be challenging if you don’t have an expert on the team. Additionally, if anything goes wrong, it’s up to you to figure out how to solve it, which is often expensive for SMBs.

Luckily, outsourced IT services know how to address these risks and avoid them entirely. If you run into any hiccups, they’ll work on the problem and have your IT back up and running right away, eliminating concerns about potential business disruptions.

4. It Offers 24/7 Monitoring

It takes many resources to monitor your IT environment around the clock, but with an IT service, it is much more affordable. They’ll take the reins in surveilling your IT and identifying any issues before they worsen, effectively nipping them in the bud. It will also help prevent significant downtime from occurring, which can result in lost revenue.

5. It Allows You to Focus on Running Your Business

Lastly, by entrusting your IT solutions to a third party, you can focus on what you do best—running your business. You no longer have to worry about solving the IT challenges that come your way since a team of experts will handle them. With more free time and resources, you can focus on funnelling them into improving and growing your business.

Conclusion

IT departments are an essential part of businesses nowadays, especially in those with an online presence. An in-house team is often costly and time-consuming, so outsourcing has become a more popular option. With these five advantages of hiring IT services, you’ll enjoy bigger savings and more success.

Technical Paradigm is an IT staffing firm in Chicago offering recruitment-as-a-service to startups and large corporations, helping them fill IT roles with highly skilled professionals. We are also an outsourcing partner, ensuring that we meet your IT needs with only the best IT experts. Contact us today to find out more about what we can do for you!

4 Crucial Mistakes You Should Avoid When Choosing an IT Staffing Firm

In recent years, the demand for hiring IT professionals has skyrocketed, especially with more companies transitioning to fully remote setups. The challenge now is finding the right people to fill the rising demand.

For business owners, you may come to the decision of working with IT staffing agencies to fill in your company’s needs. These staffing companies are a worthwhile investment as it puts all the burden of recruiting to them. However, you need to make sure that you’re working with an agency that can deliver qualified candidates to you. To make sure you partner with a trustworthy IT staffing firm, consider these common mistakes and try to avoid them.

1. Relying Solely on Experience

There are many IT staffing firms out there touting their decades of experience. While experience does matter when looking for a firm to partner with, you can’t exactly gauge their ability to recruit quality talent just by looking at that parameter. An agency that’s served clients for more than 15 years but has failed to adapt to new technologies and trends wouldn’t be a good fit for your business. You need to look past the experience and look at how much success they’ve earned in those years in business.

2. Wrong Cultural Fit

The biggest mistake you should avoid is partnering with a firm that doesn’t share the same values as you. Your organization’s values and culture should always be taken into consideration when hiring a staffing agency. Your chosen firm’s lack of cultural harmony with you will impact your organization’s relationship with its partners and even your customers. If you value timeliness and quality above all else, but your staffing agency doesn’t consider that when recruiting, you’ll end up with personnel who don’t respect your culture.

3. Setting Low Expectations of Communication

Who would want to work with a firm that pesters you with play-by-play updates on their recruitment process? Getting calls from recruiters trying to fill their quotas can be quite a nightmare for any business owner. However, a staffing agency that does the exact opposite is even worse.

You need to hire an IT staffing firm that is willing to provide regular and substantial feedback at reasonable intervals. They should communicate with you effectively regarding schedules and provide timely follow up after interviews. If they think their recruiting strategies aren’t working, they should be transparent with you and give you updates on how they’re going to fix it.

4. Hiring Generic Staffing Agencies

There are many businesses that commit the mistake of resorting to generic recruiting agencies instead of industry-specific professionals. While some recruiters have the capability to work across numerous industries, agencies that specialize in a single industry have a better chance of understanding your needs. They dedicate their time and attention to satisfying bringing the right kind of talent to their clients. These specialized recruiters are more likely to establish long-standing relationships with thousands of IT candidates over their terms of service.]

Conclusion

Hiring an IT staffing agency will probably be one of the best decisions you can make as long as you find the right firm to partner with. A competent and reputable staffing firm will ultimately ensure that you get diverse IT talent with the right qualifications, mindset, and values.

If you’re looking for the perfect IT staffing agency in Chicago to work with, then look no further than Technical Paradigm. We offer innovative IT staffing solutions to support your company’s growth. At Technical Paradigm, we leverage our wide-ranging network to satisfy your technology and staffing requirements. Contact us today to get started!

How Long-Term Partnerships Improve Workplace Productivity

Companies are facing a greater need for developing stronger digital infrastructures, partly due to the pandemic’s effects. Since most establishments need a robust IT system for internal and external operations, it only follows that workplaces need to have reliable IT teams.

Reinforcing your IT infrastructures is necessary to make the transition toward digital transformation. With consumers expecting more reliable and secure interactions through online spaces, businesses need to strengthen their digital process. For companies that don’t have an in-house team of IT experts, this can be a tall order to fill.

Outsourcing regular IT consultants

Companies that hire IT professionals need the level of tech expertise and on-the-job engagement for their internal and external processes. However, outsourcing an individual contractor does come with a few risks. It’s a typical experience for a tech consultant to fall off after or even mid-way through a project. This is why business owners must know how to improve their rapport with their IT consultants. Fostering better long-term relationships will lead to beneficial partnerships for the company’s growth.

In this article, we’ll share three benefits of improving your rapport with your IT consultants:

1. Creates continuity and consistency

Like any output in your business, it’s beneficial to have the same quality of work with interrelated projects. Because of this, hiring managers should be reluctant with hiring job hoppers who are more focused on deadlines and deliverables. This reflects a sense of loyalty that starts and ends with an individual project.

Instead of limiting the grounds of your contract with an IT consultant, you can foster the opportunity of a long-term partnership. Although some contracts are brief by nature, there’s a lot of merit in having the same person work the intricacies of your business’s IT needs. One potential solution is to connect with an IT staffing firm.

2. Promotes consistency in output

As mentioned above, working with an IT staffing firm can streamline the act of finding and hiring an IT consultant. Instead of waiting for several business days to amass a pool of applicants, you can conveniently connect with a roster of credible and certified professionals for your IT needs. This reduces the time spent screening, interviewing, and orienting your prospects. Keeping in touch with them enables you to rehire former consultants that you’ve worked with from the same firm. This enables you to keep in touch with them and involve them in future projects that require a similar level of care and precision from past collaborations.

3. Gives you more opportunity to focus on your company’s growth

Maintaining connections is not just about getting consistent output for your money’s worth. Remember that the onboarding process for any business partner requires a rigorous process of sifting through applicants and orienting company procedures. You could have used this time for other essential tasks like expanding your operations or investing in your marketing goals. Working with professionals in the long-term allows your hiring managers and other project managers to continue moving forward instead of lagging behind against competitors.

Conclusion

Fostering healthy relationships with your staff is a vital component of any sustainable business. To avoid any bumps on developing your company’s growth, working with long-time partners is an excellent way to expand your reach and optimize your work practices. This is why it’s valuable to develop stable partnerships that will pay off as ideal investments for your company’s longevity.

Finding the right recruit for your company prevents you from dealing with complex retainment issues down the line. Technical Paradigm is a Chicago-based IT staffing company that can supplement your needs for a robust IT infrastructure. Onboard the ideal IT employee through us today!

3 Career Advancement Strategies for IT Professionals

The competition can be challenging in the IT industry. You have to do more than just pursue new skills through gaining certifications, learning new tools, and joining training sessions to advance your career. You need to truly stand out from the rest of the candidates, attract IT staffing agencies, and become a team player to stay engaged at work. Here are some strategies to keep you motivated:

1. Reflect your organization’s core values and mission statement

Many organizations’ core values and mission statements are written just for the sake of placing them on their websites or social media accounts and then eventually get forgotten. In your case, you can embody these qualities by living and breathing them. For instance, print them out, pin them up on the wall next to your workstation, and actively incorporate them. At the end of every workday, look at these printouts and reflect on how you represented these values and qualities.

On the other hand, if you notice that your company’s mission and vision statements, and core values lack meaning, consider approaching your manager to discuss ways to improve them. Meanwhile, if your ideas don’t get put in action, you don’t have to worry. You did your part to be proactive, and you attempted to become instrumental in changing your organization for the better. Showing how engaged you are to your bosses and colleagues is already impressive.

2. Practice positivity

It’s easy to be an optimist when you are new at your job, but staying positive gets harder with time. For instance, if you have an IT staffing role, the never-ending cycle of searching for top candidates can eventually become monotonous. As a result, you may tend to focus more on your losses than your wins.

To stay positive during your day-to-day grind, remind yourself that your work is not your life, and your career is not your entire identity. Remember, being passionate about your job is not a bad thing, but if it stresses you out too much and burns you out, it can take a toll on your mental health. Therefore, focus more on your achievements and determine the ways to deal with your challenges at work.

3. Be a proactive employee

Being stuck in an office all day and never leaving your cubicles can make engaging with your workplace and teammates difficult. It is more challenging nowadays because you are probably working from home due to the pandemic, and you only get to meet your co-workers virtually. 

If your organization holds activities for team bonding opportunities, consider participating more. You can share your ideas, ask questions, and even volunteer to lead meetings or presentations. This way, you can get to know your colleagues better, learn new skills, and take a break from work.

Conclusion

As an employee, you spend most of your waking hours at work. Make every second in your office or at-home workstation meaningful by following the strategies listed above. Once you learn to participate actively and stay engaged at work, you can advance your career and achieve your other goals.

If your organization needs IT staffing solutions, reach out to Technical Paradigm. We can help you identify and hire top-notch candidates. We can also assist you in finding the right position for you and connect you with tech companies. Browse available job opportunities by location and job type!

The 4-Part Criteria for Hiring a Tech Staffing Company

Tech businesses of every size may find that they have their hands full with their operations all the time and that they require extra hands. The tech industry is broad and competitive, with its specialists and freelancers who are multiple candidates for almost every line of work these days, making it a little harder to narrow down. 

As an alternative, employing a staffing agency can help you with this predicament. With a staffing agency’s recruitment, your business is gaining the ability to hire plenty of employees for a period while having fewer legal responsibilities in the whole ordeal and contract.

However, much like hiring someone new for your company, there should also be a list of requirements and specifications that every tech staffing agency should meet. Here’s what excellent tech staffing companies should possess.

1. Feedback 

Knowing former clients’ feedback of a tech staffing company gives you some insight into their experience and reputation. There’s also a lot of reviews available on the internet that you can freely look through. If they’re overwhelmingly positive, you may want to take a step back and take everything with a grain of salt, though.

You can ask for references and contact a past customer. The conversation may just verify if the staffing agency you’re eyeing to work with will actually bring wonders to your tech company or if it will be a blunder.

2. Workforce

Another thing to eye is the size of a staffing agency. Although it isn’t necessary to find a large one, it’s a great plus to have a large pool of options. You need to assess if that pool has tech specialists that provide quality services, though.

Question a staffing agent about how they would describe their candidates in terms of skills and credentials. Be a little more careful if they aren’t able to provide specifications about the skills and experience the specialists have, as it could be a sign of poor management.

3. Procedures

An in-depth understanding of their hiring process may give you enlightenment on whether or not they’re the right company for the job. The ideal tech staffing company has comprehensive screening and hiring of candidates.

They should also have procedures for what happens to a staffer when the placement and assignment don’t have a good outcome. You want a company that can still treat and take care of staffers if problems arise and you don’t find them qualified.

4. Best Field 

If you have specific needs, include expertise in your criteria. There are specialized tech staffing companies that may be able to help you and appeal to your requirements a whole lot more. You’ll find it easier when outsourcing as it narrows down your options.

Just be sure to verify and check their credentials before handing out a contract. You want to ensure the legitimacy of a service provider and that you get what you’re paying for, especially if it’s a complex area of expertise.

Conclusion 

It’s vital to keep an open mind before deciding on a final staffing agency. Take time if you can afford it so you can compare what a firm can offer and the possible setbacks of hiring them. You’ll be able to find someone worthwhile to work with. 

Looking for IT staffing with the best practices? Technical Paradigm offers recruitment services to help you fill your IT positions. Get in touch with us!

6 Effective Tips for Managing a Hectic HR Workload – Our Guide

Working in the HR department can be both rewarding and stressful. There are days you may need to deal with a hectic workload and some other unexpected issues. Despite all the stressful workload, how can an HR manager still handle it all while still being efficient?

Experiencing a hectic HR workload can be common; thankfully, there are effective tips that you can apply to manage it effectively:

1. Create a plan for forecasting future hires

One of the most challenging times in an HR manager’s job is an unexpected influx of new hires. This can be daunting from your regular tasks and hiring routine. Without a comprehensive process, chaos can happen in the office. This is why creating a good plan with forecasting future hiring requirements must be considered. 

Perform an assessment every few months to know if there are tweaks and adjustments needed with the hiring process. When you follow an effective hiring process, you will save money and time in the long run.=

2. Develop a Recruiting and Hiring Process

It is crucial to develop a clear process for hiring and recruiting. Not only that, but you should also consider evaluating and changing some parts of the existing approach to promote a more efficient system. This will help organize different processes such as hiring full-time/part-time/contract workers, training, orientation, and onboarding.

With the help of today’s emerging tools and technology, dealing with HR concerns can be a lot easier. There are various platforms, tools, and apps that can help ease the hiring and onboarding processes.

3. Delegate

Proper task delegation can be an answer on how to lessen the stress due to a hectic workload. This is highly essential, especially in the HR department. Make sure to surround yourself with individuals committed to their jobs and are willing to offer help when everyone gets overwhelmed. Do not be afraid to delegate; this will not only lessen your stressful tasks but will also provide other employees learning and career growth opportunities. 

4. Get Rid of Procrastination

There can be times that your to-do list is already full, and you can’t work on every task promptly. The result: an overwhelming accumulation of things to do. Procrastination can adversely affect the overall job performance of anyone. This can be fixed by changing your work routines and attitude. Also, delegating tasks to other HR personnel can be a big help. Learn to apply an effective time-management strategy, as well as learn how to prioritize tasks from the most urgent to the least important.

5. Pull in Other Management Expertise

An HR manager doesn’t need to cover and do everything. Learn the different skills and expertise of your employees. Help them unleash their potentials. Coach and train them to help in handling the full workload during busy days. Not only will they contribute to the company’s success, but they will also develop a sense of responsibility and credibility.

6. Consider Outsourcing

Outsourcing is getting popular nowadays among workforces. To better handle your HR workload, hiring a reliable staffing agency can be helpful. There are also professionals out there who have the skills for recruitment, bookkeeping, customer support, and others. They can aid in taking a massive burden off you to have more time for other tasks. Keep in mind that the most effective way to handle hectic HR tasks is to delegate and not force yourself to do everything.

Conclusion

Managing your HR workload is no easy feat, especially when there’s a large volume of positions to fill in. Hiring new people in the organization can be a great sign that the company is heading on the track of success. However, this can also be overwhelming, and you will need help along the way. 

Find the best individuals for the job with help from Technical Paradigm. We offer high-end IT staffing solutions in Chicago, IL, and provide recruiting-as-a-service (RaaS) in the area. Contact us today to know more!

3 Simple Ways to Attract and Hire Diverse IT Talent

A diverse workforce is happier, more productive, and comes up with more innovative ideas that take IT companies to a higher level. In 2021, hiring and retaining diverse talent is more critical than ever across all industries.

Implicit bias is challenging to recognize, let alone get rid of. IT staffing agencies and internal HR offices all want to believe that they are already as open-minded and welcoming as possible. The truth, however, is that there is always room for improvement. Creating a diverse workforce goes beyond just words and policies. It’s a proactive process that requires genuine commitment from the top down.

Here are three simple ways you can attract and hire diverse IT talent:

1. Do an Internal Check

Before you can seek out diverse talent, you have to take stock of what you already have. Many offices are loaded with employees who encompass a limited demographic. The more aware you are of the problem that you need to fix, the better you will be at creating solutions.

After this internal check, you need to define what diversity means to you. Don’t limit yourself to race and gender—though, of course, both are important. Unfortunately, many companies focus so much on race and gender that other underrepresented groups are overlooked. Physical ability, gender identity, and other intersectional traits should be included in the conversation, too.

Diversity and inclusion are crucial at every level of your company, so you need to be conscious of how you fill all those positions.

2. Address Existing Diversity

Another way to take a long, hard look at your internal processes is to consult with the underrepresented groups you already have in your company. Diversity should not start and end with the hiring process. It should exist and thrive in the day-to-day running of your company, from upper management to the entry-level employees.

You should ensure that you have an environment that’s welcoming to your new hires, no matter their demographic. Believe it or not, this is not automatic in every workplace. This is something that requires conscious choices and thoughtful decisions.

If your organization takes good care of all workers, it becomes a much more attractive option for prospective candidates. It’s not all about policy. It’s about building relationships, too.

3. Remember Inclusive Touchpoints

All potential hires have very limited touchpoints with your company. They have to make decisions based on the wording of your job post, your company website, and your existing social media channels.

One of the simplest ways to attract diverse talent is to be as inclusive as possible regarding your company branding and the language you use for these touchpoints. Simple things like diverse stock photos on your website and inclusive language on your posted job descriptions go a long way in showing employee candidates that you are committed to building a diverse workforce.

Conclusion

Diversity is crucial for any business or organization to thrive. Before you can hope to attract diverse talent, you have to take a good look at what your company looks like today. You need to make sure that your new hires come into an environment where they feel supported and reflected.

Internal policies and external branding will help tremendously in bringing in the new, diverse workforce that will help you succeed.

Are you looking for IT staffing solutions for your company? At Technical Paradigm, we’re more than just an IT staffing agency. We take a strategic approach to your workforce needs. Our recruiting experts have a systematic and comprehensive search process designed to match candidates with our client’s exact needs. Contact us today! 

3 Effective Strategies to Recruit the Right Tech Talent

The past few years have been good to the tech industry. When most industries were terribly affected by the global pandemic, the IT industry was still able to thrive and had been one of the “pandemic-proof” fields. Needless to say, the career opportunities in this industry are plenty. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that they expect the computer and IT space to grow by at least 12 percent by 2024. 

This presents amazing opportunities for recruiters, but not without a few challenges at the same time. For one, better compensation is available for most IT professionals, but on the other hand, there may not be enough talent for all the roles available in the tech industry. This means that the best candidates can be quite selective with the jobs they apply for.

Because of this, hiring IT staffing in competitive areas can be doubly hard because most of the talents in the area are already employed or are there with a specific company in mind that they want to work with. As such, here are three effective ways to help you attract the right tech talent:

1. Get the help of a well-versed recruiter

Suppose you are not that familiar with their line of work. In that case, you might find it difficult to discuss the IT staffing requirements that applicants need to complete, the responsibilities expected of them, and the benefits of getting the job. It’s going to be easier for both you and the person you want to hire if you have someone who can speak their “language.” A recruiter whose specialization is hiring tech talent has a higher chance of getting the talent that you want. 

Technical Paradigm offers strategic IT staffing recruiting services that can help you find the talent you need in your company. Our team can also personalize the service according to your needs!

2. Establish your presence in the community

One of the best ways to get the interest of local tech talent is by putting up an event where you can invite the local talents to socialize with them, have workshops, or hackathons, any event that you think will engage them. If throwing an event is too much for you, you can simply have your expert recruiter attend similar events to do some scouting.

3. Nail your marketing strategy

It’s going to be so much easier for you to catch the interest of talents you want to recruit if they already know about your company. By strengthening your marketing strategy, you don’t just get the benefit of reaching more people and acquiring more customers but you’ll also get the attention of tech people who will be checking out career opportunities with your company. 

Likewise, you can focus on your local SEO to raise awareness in your specific area. Also, let everyone know that you are hiring because it wouldn’t hurt you to cast a wide net and then narrow down your choices later on. The important point now is to show the tech community why your company is potentially the best place to work!

Conclusion

IT staffing can undoubtedly be challenging. As much as you need to carefully choose the candidates you want for the open positions in your company, you know that local talents are also being careful with the jobs they apply to. On top of that, it’s possible that the tech people who are interested in working with your company are currently working with another one, and you might have to wait for them to be available. 

This is why you need the strategic IT staffing approach that Technical Paradigm has already mastered. Our team understands the challenges you are facing, so get in touch with us today and tell us your goals so that we can tailor a solution to bring you the best talents for your business!

Busting 4 Common Myths About Staffing Agencies and Recruiting Firms

The concept of outsourcing a professional to hire a candidate for your company seems counterproductive and expensive, but many businesses fail to recognize the complexities of recruiting. The Human Resources department often has plenty of key responsibilities on its plate, so hiring becomes a means to an end. 

Meanwhile, staffing agencies specialize in seeking the right talents that would suit your company, turning the recruitment process into a means to a beginning. Recruiting agencies can be the missing link that can help bridge the gap in your recruitment process, but the following misconceptions often prevent employers from reaching out to recruiters: 

Myth #1: Outsourcing Recruiting Firms can be Costly

Understandably, employers think recruiting in-house can save them more money, but the reality is that the process of hiring the right people takes plenty of time, money, and resources. Most recruiting agencies offer contingency-based searches, which means you can only pay them until the job-seeker they find is qualified and the position is successfully filled. 

As for employees on the hunt for the next best job in town, you can apply to most staffing agencies without having to pay a dime! 

Myth #2: You Lose Control of the Hiring Process with a Recruiting Firm On-Board

Contrary to popular belief, working with a recruiting firm means you can have an extra pair of expert hands to help streamline your hiring process. They can work in conjunction with your HR department, and while they serve to guide you to the best talent pool in your industry, you still have the final say regarding the hiring decisions for your company. 

Myth #3: Recruiting Firms Only Provide Temporary Positions 

Recruiting firms strive to offer a wide range of hiring solutions, but there’s growing misinformation that these agencies can only find part-time or temporary roles. However, recruiting firms deal with flexible demands from part-time, project-based, full-time, and direct-hire services, so every hire should fit your bill. 

Moreover, candidates that they hire who fail to stick around for the long haul can be followed up with an additional recruit as part of their contingency-based benefits package. 

Myth #4: Recruiting Firms Only Hire Less-than-Ideal Job-Seekers

Naturally, companies will think that only they can understand what their business truly needs, but recruiting firms work hard to get to know your core vision, mission, and needs so they can better vet potential talents in your niche. 

The Bottom Line: How Recruitment Firms can Be the Answer to Your Hiring Problems 

Gone are the days when your HR would have to squeeze in the few hours they have left for recruiting. With emerging staffing and recruiting agencies, you can work with professionals who can fully commit to helping you find high-qualified applicants that are guaranteed to provide value to your business. 

How Can We Help Bridge the Gap in Your Recruitment Process?

Applicants come and go, but our IT staffing agency in Chicago, IL, can help offer technical recruiting solutions to help start-ups and fortune companies find the perfect talents that suit your business. Get in touch with us today at (1-833-877-8253) to see how you can expand with Technical Paradigm! 

How IT Staffing Firms Help Create Diverse, Inclusive Offices

Workforce diversity has become a buzzword today, with organizations wanting to emphasize their inclusive hiring and management practices. These changes are significant in STEM fields like information technology, traditionally dominated by white male professionals of a specific socioeconomic background. Though well-intentioned, companies might find it challenging to execute genuinely diverse and inclusive practices. IT staffing requirements sometimes exhibit unconscious bias— the underlying, often negative stereotypes people have of other cultures.

How Do You Remove Unconscious Bias?

Getting rid of unconscious bias involves being mindful of everything from assumptions about another person to immediate reactions to their behavior. It does not happen overnight since unchecked biases affect various aspects of running a business.

For instance, the wording on job descriptions or websites can telegraph a culture of unconscious bias. The words one uses reflect beliefs and lifestyle, and candidates with diverse backgrounds will be especially attuned to wording. People who feel excluded through the language the company uses might look for other employers, so hiring managers might want to review their job postings to prevent this from happening. Here are some of the first things to reconsider.

Requiring Certain Levels Of Education

Tech employers that only hire applicants with a specific degree level, Ivy League graduates, or candidates from well-known programs reduce their number of potential hires. An organization that accepts applicants with gaps in their resume or are from lesser-known institutions expands its capacity to hire talented individuals; skills aren’t exclusive to persons with prestigious backgrounds. 

A company or department that wants to improve its diversity can accept informal training or education requirements. Including certificates from both in-person and online training programs will also enable them to be more inclusive.

Requiring Background Checks

An employer can use a background check to screen for individuals with driving records or criminal histories that render them unqualified for the job. However, doing this for all types of vacancies can create unnecessary barriers for professionals from diverse backgrounds. 

IT staffing solutions can ensure that screening processes aren’t discriminatory to people for mistakes they committed in the past by reviewing their policy. Besides, several states and municipalities limit the use of screenings because they have historically limited upward mobility and can lead to discriminatory work practices.

Ensuring A More Inclusive Workforce

Organizations can also promote inclusivity by examining their current population and setting goals based on this information. A company can team up with a staffing agency to determine how many of its candidates are from particular populations or groups. Agencies like these can identify roles that don’t bring in enough diverse candidates, and they can provide recommendations that can help attract and retain such professionals.

A staffing agency with a diversity-first approach meets people where they are. They belong to networking groups, join community activities, and are part of organizations that specialize in placing diverse professionals. Since they have links to various spaces, agencies also have access to a diverse talent pool. With the help of agencies like these, HR teams can become more aware of the possibilities they’re overlooking when filling a role or position.

Conclusion

Many tech organizations have made headway into becoming more sensitive to cultural differences and discrimination in recent years. This mindfulness will lead to even more diverse and inclusive communities and spaces, but this progress is far from satisfactory. Many people still have an unconscious or implicit bias against diverse backgrounds, so hiring managers and culture officers must try and minimize it in a company.

Find the best people for the job when you hire Technical Paradigm. We provide unique IT staffing solutions in Chicago, IL, and are the only firm offering recruiting-as-a-service (RaaS) in the area. Contact us today for more information!