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The LLoyd blog: hidden talent.

Innovation & Excellence in IT Talent & Technology

October ended on a high note when myself, along with LLoydIT’s Vice President, Brian Green, CSP and Executive Director Joe Davis, CSP, attended the National TechServe Alliance Conference in Boca Raton, Florida.

The purpose of this event is to offer a forum where IT and Engineering staffing and solutions firms, as well as clients, consultants and suppliers can brainstorm, strategize and advance excellence and ethics within our respective industries.

We returned from this conference motivated and impressed with the caliber of Staffing and Solutions firms that represent our industry and help clients like our, implement and innovate their Talent and Technology platforms. It has been some time since I attended an event that has so energized me about our own mission and our peers in the field. I feel compelled to communicate some of the trends and data that was presented, and to validate for our clients and talent alike, that members of this Alliance are truly dedicated to ethics, best practices and deeply care about the clients they serve.

Taking a step back, TechServe Alliance was founded 1987, then known as NACCB. Its’ mission is simple: To advance the excellence and ethics within the IT and Engineering staffing solutions industry. TechServe is also the voice of the industry when it comes to policy and press. This year’s conference was attended by more than 800 executives, recruiters, account managers and leaders. There were more than three days of workshops, coursework, collaborative forums and speakers that included George Bodenheimer, 
Former Executive Chairman of ESPN.

Besides the constant chatter about the impact and confusion of the Affordable Care Act…there were other important take-aways from the front lines of recruiting and talent that I thought I would share…

Did you know ESPN’s first live telecast of a sporting event was Women’s Softball?

Ok, something more relevant…a 360 degree survey was performed by an independent organization of clients, staffing and solutions partners and consultants and the findings included:
• Client priorities continue to be retaining talent and attracting highly qualified talent.
• Staffing and Solutions Partners concern themselves with growing to match the talent demand while a consultant’s priority is to stay technically relevant.
• Clients look to staffing providers to help them reduce risk, increase flexibility and supplement their core competencies with specialized skills.
• Though some firms get high marks—with 15% to 20% of clients extremely satisfied with their providers—overall, client satisfaction is mixed.
• Clients believe staffing firms deliver great talent; however, clients are not fully satisfied with their staffing firm’s understanding of the job order, their culture or the time it takes to recruit and place resources. The hires however, do get high marks.

There continues to be a strong demand for IT and engineering professionals. Most survey respondents (84%) found their latest position in three months or less with about one third of those (32%) landing their position in just two weeks.

Sandra Burns with easyBackgrounds, Inc. with Joe Davis & Jason Banks in the Conference Exhibit Hall.

The message to clients and staffing firms is clear:
you must move quickly to engage talent in this marketplace!
What Candidates Want:
• More job opportunities
• Greater stability
• Speed of placement
• Better quality opportunities
• Access to exciting work

Another take-away from the event…across the US, client companies are seeking consultant/project talent that not only have a pure technology skill-set but a business and analytics skill-set as well. Not only “white-boarding” talent, but those who can intelligently communicate the business impact and potential outcomes.

And the always present on-boarding seems like it will continue to get longer…regulatory and co-employment and screening processes will become even more prevalent for consultant and direct hires; however, technology efficiencies are being presented by vendor software companies that can help expedite some of these processes.

Again, my point was to emphasize not only LLoyd’s involvement in best practices, ethics and knowledge, but to share with you that this industry has a strong alliance of highly professional firms that you should have confidence in and not take for granted. We strive to be better for our client employers and for our consultant talent every day. I hope by sharing this with you. we gain your confidence in our industry and help you accomplish your priorities.

If at any time we can provide you with industry data, or if you want to learn more about Techserve, connect with me and I’ll get you started.

Jason Banks, CSP, EVP, LLoyd Staffing

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