IT head-hunters reject 'open' recruitment report

Specific skills still required for majority of tech jobs

The suggestion from an influential think-tank urging firms to take a more strategic approach to recruitment probably would not work for many technology-focused vacancies, say IT recruitment specialists.

The recently published report from the Ochre House Network think-tank, which includes members from more than 650 major employers including Nokia, O2, Aviva and GE Capital, recommends that HR departments shift their hiring methods from a current focus on skills and abilities to more general behaviours and attitudes.

The report is seen as a criticism of the ‘cardboard cut-out' approach to recruitment which precisely matches the requirements of a vacancy with the qualifications and experience of candidates.

Often this results in firms limiting recruitment to candidates who have done exactly the same job at a competitor, ruling out any opportunity for change or development.

But the rapid pace of change in the business world means that HR departments can no longer realistically predict the nature of the workforce more than 18 months ahead. So they should "attract and retain individuals who have ‘future-proof' skills and behaviours", the report advises.

However, that approach would not work in the IT sector, say technology recruitment specialists.

"IT is different from other business support functions in that candidates need experience of the systems you have or they cannot add value," Oliver Gibbons, director of recruitment firm Twenty Technology, told Computing.

"For example, if you recruited a C++ developer to a Java environment, it would be difficult to see how they could be functional," he added.

But where candidates are recruited to more strategic positions, a broader approach to recruitment can pay off, said Gibbons.

"In organisations undergoing change, you need a mix of core technical skills to support strategic and analytical people," he said.