Next-gen tech talent in Czechia must have these 'soft skills,' recruiters say

While IT skills needs are evolving faster than ever, and specialized technology talent is at a premium, critical soft skills, also known as “power skills” are being neglected in the recruitment and resourcing process.

Despite continued talk of the crucial nature of upskilling and reskilling, latent potential remains untapped among workers in the middle of the tech talent pyramid.

“The New Age of Tech Talent,” a report from Experis, a global leader in IT professional resourcing and managed services and part of ManpowerGroup, finds that employers need to be more creative and agile in their talent strategy – both inside and outside their organizations.

The research suggests that HR leaders should be guided by workforce data, a clear talent philosophy, and a willingness to experiment.

When asked why they were having difficulty filling tech roles, 34 percent of hiring managers said candidates did not have the right technical skills, 32 percent said they didn’t have the right relevant experience, and 27 percent said they didn’t have the right soft skills.

The research also cites that 22 percent of hiring managers have the greatest difficulty finding IT project managers, followed by cybersecurity analysts, software developers, and AI/machine learning specialists (all 20 percent).

The top soft skills employers report are in demand for tech roles include critical thinking and analysis, creativity and originality, reasoning and problem-solving, reliability and self-discipline, and resilience and adaptability.

Regardless of sector, the conversation about the technology skills gap often focuses on the most senior and junior roles and ignores existing talent who have strong technical skills and an intuitive sense of the business but may lack exposure to emerging technologies and a roadmap for their future career development.

With so many organizations competing to recruit IT workers from the same talent pool, there is a golden opportunity for employers to look further afield. Often, candidates are overlooked because they lack traditional qualifications. Further, recruiting strategies that embrace greater gender and ethnic diversity are also significant in the search for the right IT talent.