The possibilities that technology can create for today’s businesses are endless – that is, if you have the right people to bring them to life.
The companies that are able to turn their technology position into a differentiator are those that can consistently execute on their IT projects on time and within budget. This takes hiring and retaining a strong tech workforce, something that is harder than ever in today’s volatile labor market.
Cost is a big issue. Despite a significant number of IT resources losing jobs in 2023, demand still outweighs supply. Employee costs are also skyrocketing. The cost of engaging, developing, and retaining employees today adds up. This is especially true of IT resources, who need to stay current on tech trends and skills.
Success today requires capitalizing on alternative talent sources to avoid the pitfalls of our current labor market, drive higher ROI on talent, and better align business needs with skill needs.
The Hire-Train-Deploy (HTD) approach is one alternative talent source that allows companies to expand their access to net-new IT resources. HTD companies find and hire early-career tech talent for a specific client, train them in the exact skill sets required for the job, and deploy them accordingly.
4 benefits of working with an HTD provider
Here are a few reasons why an HTD approach makes sense.
1. Resource cost
With the HTD model, businesses gain access to a pool of newly skilled talent available for significantly less than market rates. There are no outside pressures driving up competition for talent and candidates’ salary expectations.
Another perspective worth mentioning is the cost avoidance opportunities with HTD talent. Companies are able to completely avoid the burden of finding under-skilled or non-traditional resources and taking on training internally.
2. Time-to-productivity
Training cohorts develop a skill set in 12 weeks that equates to 2-3 years’ industry experience. This immersive and intensive program ensures each resource gains the skills needed to contribute on day one.
Because training is specific to a client’s exact needs and tech environment, the newly skilled resources are able to transition quickly to projects. As a result there is little-to-no learning curve to accommodate or other onboarding burdens to overcome.
3. Access to talent
Since HTD partners are able to train talent to exact client specifications, companies aren’t limited to the finite pool of talent available right now. Through connections with universities, veteran organizations, and other programs, HTD partners have unlimited access to early-career or high-potential talent.
HTD companies recruit net-new resources, including some of whom may have previous experience as developers, and deliver last-mile training to up- or reskill them. The curriculum ensures training cohorts are learning modern clean coding techniques and best practices. This solution eliminates the hiring friction that internal recruiting teams are up against.
4. Hiring predictability
IT and Talent Acquisition leaders are at the mercy of the market – and their recruiters – to fill roles quickly and effectively. There are many unpredictable variables that stand in their way, including talent availability, competitive offers, and more.
With an HTD approach, businesses dictate exactly how many resources they need and when they need them. Looking for 16 resources for a Salesforce implementation project in April? No problem. The only caveat is that they must finalize their talent needs in advance to accommodate the 12-week training timeline.
Grow your IT team with alternative talent sources
Digital transformation isn’t a one-time event. It’s a continuous process to implement, upgrade, connect, and optimize the technology backbone of an organization. And, it’s critical in today’s business world. Finding alternative access to talent is the answer. The labor market is tight, and so is IT’s budget – consider how an HTD partner can help.