Quick Study: The IT Hiring/Talent ChallengeQuick Study: The IT Hiring/Talent Challenge

So, you told a friend that you need to hire more IT folks. The friend replied, "Hah, good luck!"  

Circumstances dealt IT leaders a challenging hand over the past few years, from the great resignation to executive demands for digital transformation, and onward to corporate fascination with artificial intelligence, hiring and keeping IT talent requires new strategies. 

There was no single cause of today's hiring challenges, and there's no single, easy answer short of hitting the lottery and retiring. However, contributors to InformationWeek have shared their experiences and advice to IT leaders on ways to staff up and skill up, all while staying under budget and keeping IT operational lights on. 

In this guide to today’s IT hiring and talent challenges, we have compiled a collection of advice and news articles focused on finding, hiring and retaining IT talent. We hope it helps you succeed this year. 

A World of Change 

Help Wanted: IT Hiring Trends in 2025 

IT’s role is becoming more strategic. Increasingly, it is expected to drive business value as organizations focus on digital transformation. 

IT Security Hiring Must Adapt to Skills Shortages 

Diverse recruitment strategies, expanded training, and incentivized development programs can all help organizations narrow the skills gap in an era of rapidly evolving threat landscapes. 

Top IT Skills and Certifications in 2025 

In 2025 top IT certifications in cloud security and data will offer high salaries as businesses prioritize multi-cloud and AI. 

How To Be Competitive in a Tight IT Employment Market 

A slumping economy, emerging technologies, and over-hiring has led to a tight IT jobs market. Yet positions are still abundant for individuals possessing the right skills and attitude. 

The Soft Side of IT: How Non-Technical Skills Shape Career Success 

Here’s why soft skills matter in IT careers and how to effectively highlight them on a resume. Show that you are a good human. 

Salary Report: IT in Choppy Economic Seas and Roaring Winds of Change 

Last year brought a sustained adrenaline rush for IT. Everything changed. Some of it with a whimper and some of it with a bang. Through it all IT pros held steady, but is it enough to sail safely through the end of 2024? 

Quick Study: The Future of Work Is Here 

The workplace of the future isn't off in the future. It's been here for a few years -- even pre-pandemic. 

10 Unexpected, Under the Radar Predictions for 2025 

From looming energy shortages and forced AI confessions to the rising ranks of AI-faked employees and a glimmer of a new cyber-iron curtain, here’s what’s happening that may require you to change your company’s course. 

Finding Talent 

AI Speeds IT Team Hiring 

Can AI help your organization find top IT job candidates quickly and easily? A growing number of hiring experts are convinced it can. 

Skills-Based Hiring in IT: How to Do it Right 

By focusing directly on skills instead of more subjective criteria, IT leaders can build highly capable teams. Here's what you need to know to get started. 

The Evolution of IT Job Interviews: Preparing for Skills-Based Hiring 

The traditional tech job interview process is undergoing a significant shift as companies increasingly focus on skills-based hiring and move away from the traditional emphasis of academic degrees. 

IT Careers: Does Skills-Based Hiring Really Work? 

More organizations are moving toward skills-based hiring and getting mixed results. Here’s how to avoid some of the pitfalls. 

Jumping the IT Talent Gap: Cyber, Cloud, and Software Devs 

Businesses must first determine where their IT skill sets need bolstering and then develop an upskilling strategy or focus on strategic new hires. 

Top Career Paths for New IT Candidates 

More organizations are moving from roles-based staffing to skills-based staffing. In IT, flexibility is key. 

Why IT Leaders Should Hire Veterans for Cybersecurity Roles 

Maintaining cybersecurity requires the effort of a team. Veterans are uniquely skilled to operate in this role and bring strengths that meet key industry needs. 

How to Find a Qualified IT Intern Among Candidates 

IT organizations offering intern programs often find themselves swamped with applicants. Here's how to find the most knowledgeable and prepared candidates. 

The Search for Solid Hires Between AI Screening and GenAI Resumes 

Do AI-generated job applications gum up the recruitment process for hiring managers by filling inboxes with dubiously written CVs? 

3 Things You Should Look for When Hiring New Graduates 

Each year, entry-level applicants in IT look a little different. Here’s what you need to be looking for as the class of 2023 infiltrates the workforce. 

Why a College Degree is No Longer Necessary for IT Success 

Who needs student debt? A growing number of employers are hiring IT pros with little or no college experience. 

Recruiting Talent 

In Global Contest for Tech Talent, US Skills Draw Top Pay 

After several years of economic uncertainty and layoffs, US talent is once again attracting good pay in the global competition for tech skills. But gender disparity continues in many job categories. 

Hiring Hi-Tech Talent by Kickin’ It Old School 

Using elements of a traditional approach to recruiting IT professionals can attract and grow the modern workforce, but it's the soft skills shown during an interview that make a big difference. 

The Impact of AI Skills on Hiring and Career Advancement 

Demand is high for professionals with knowledge of AI, but do such talents really get implemented on the job? 

How to Channel a ‘World’s Fair’ Culture to Engage IT Talent 

Even the most well-funded and innovative companies will fail if they lack one thing: A diverse, united team. A CEO shares his experience and advice. 

Bridging IT Skills Gap in the Age of Digital Transformation 

Innovations in automation, cloud computing, big data analytics, and AI have not only changed the way businesses operate but have intensified the demand for specialized skills. 

5 Traits To Look for When Hiring Business and IT Innovators 

Hiring resilient and forward-thinking employees is the cornerstone to innovation. If you’re looking to hire a “trailblazer,” here are five traits to seek, as well as questions to ask. 

CIOs Can Build a Resilient IT Workforce with AI and Unconventional Talent 

As the IT talent crunch continues, chief information officers can embrace new strategies to combine traditional IT staff with nontraditional workers and AI to augment the workforce. 

Pursuing Nontraditional IT Candidates: Methods to Expand Talent Pipelines 

Employers winning in this labor market know how to look at adjacent skills and invest in upskilling their internal candidates while creating alternative candidate pools. 

Hiring with AI: Get It Right from the Start 

As organizations increasingly adopt artificial intelligence in hiring, it’s essential that they understand how to use the technology to reduce bias rather than exacerbate it. 

Secrets to Hiring Top Tech Talent 

To hire best-in-class IT talent, your company must have interesting technical problems to solve. 

Keeping Talent 

Meaningful Ways to Reward Your IT Team and Its Achievements 

A job well done deserves a significant reward. Here's how to show appreciation to a diligent staff without busting your budget. 

Recognize the Contributions of ‘Average’ IT Performers 

Every IT department has its marginal performers. How do you get the most out of them? 

How to Manage a Rapidly Growing IT Team 

Maintaining IT staff performance and efficiency during rapid growth requires careful planning and structure. Here's how to expand your team without missing a beat. 

Do Women IT Leaders Face a Glass Cliff? 

Are organizations more likely to promote women to top IT management posts during hopeless crisis situations? Apparently, yes. 

Skills Gap in Cloud Tools: Why It Exists and Ways to Address 

As enterprises shift to modernize applications, a company’s most important asset is talent performance to back it up. 

Addressing the Skills Gap to Keep Up with the Evolution of the Cloud 

As cloud adoption increases, companies must focus on upskilling employees through continuous learning to maximize cloud and AI potential. 

The AI Skills Gap and How to Address It 

Workers are struggling to integrate AI into their skill sets. Where are we falling short in helping them leverage AI to their own benefit and the benefit of their employers?