The not-so-secret secret to success in any project or process is in the planning.

I know it, you know it, we all know it.

One person working without a plan is a bull in a china shop. A whole team of people working without a plan is, well, multiple bulls in the same china shop.

The same can be said for your hiring practices.

Without coordination between teams and individuals you don’t know when and where you need cloud engineers, project managers, solution architects… it’s all a bit of a mess.

Want to know how recruitment agencies work? Simple. It’s all in the planning and strategy.

Check out our video series on “Recruitment Strategy” here

So what can you do to improve your recruitment strategy? How do you increase return-on-investment in the hiring process? How do you strategise finding a new role?

Our specialist cloud & IT infrastructure recruitment consultants are on hand to help you get the most from your strategy. Whether you’re looking for top cloud engineers or your next cloud job, we’ve got the insights you need to succeed.

Imagine for a moment you’re a football manager.

In order to win the game, do you:

A) Get all 11 of your players to run aimlessly after the ball or,

B) Set your players out in a tactical formation, each with specific roles to fulfil?

Unless you’re the overly-ambitious coach of an U-9s football team, you’re probably choosing the latter.

This is the difference between working reactively and proactively, a topic into which our Co-Founder Tim Cazemage has great insight.

To grow your solutions provider business you need the best cloud & IT infrastructure talent, but top engineers, architects and managers come on and off the candidate market fast. Businesses are looking for the best talent with in-demand skills, which sometimes seem few and far between.

By working proactively, you can change this outlook.

You should always be interviewing top talent. If you have a strong business growth plan in place, it should be simple to see where individuals can fit into your teams and add instant impact to your offerings to your customers.

And as employees averagely stay with an employer for around 5 years, it’s easy to see how planning your hires ahead of time and proactively interviewing the best cloud talent on the market could pay dividends to your business’ bottom line.

Do you have a proactive recruitment strategy? - Tim Cazemage | InfraView from InfraView Recruitment on Vimeo.

Of course it isn’t just enough to offer interviews to the best cloud engineers.

The interview stage isn’t just an opportunity for the candidate to sell their skills to you. It’s vital you sell the USP’s and benefits of working for your business as well. It takes two to tango, as they say.

Will Martin has some great advice when it comes to selling your business to candidates.

As an ambassador for the organisation you know the ins and outs of why working for this managed services or IT solutions provider is so good. How do you put that across?

You want to share the energy and enthusiasm for working for your business at all points of the process. From job specifications and adverts, through to video interviews, face-to-face interviews and negotiations. These are all a shop window for you to showcase what working for your business is really like to a candidate.

Think about the unique selling points of working for your business. What makes you different to other IT solution providers? What benefits do you offer which set you apart from the competition? What are the company values and culture? 

Painting a vivid picture of all of these elements will help you attract and retain the best cloud & IT infrastructure talent on the market.

How to sell your business to a great candidate - Will Martin | InfraView from InfraView Recruitment on Vimeo.

You’re a candidate looking for cloud jobs.

Where do you start?

Whenever you work, improvised or planned, you strategise in your own head what you should do to achieve your goals, this example being finding a new cloud role.

Your first port of call is usually job adverts and specifications.

Read the job specification carefully to avoid disappointment and time wasted, says Owen Harris.

Make sure you read the job advert and ensure you tick the boxes for the fundamentals.

If the role needs an individual to work from a certain office for some time during the week, it’s likely they will be looking for those people who have those skills and are close to that location.

Look at the skills needed for the role. Do you have demonstrable experience in these? Is that experience clearly visible on your CV? A hiring manager or recruiter receiving your application will be looking for those skills in order to advance you to the next round.

As Jimmy Hearne points out, your unique candidate skills are the key to job search success.

Cloud & IT infrastructure candidates in this space have very similar profiles, so it’s imperative you show hiring managers and recruiters what sets you apart from the pack.

Do you have very niche cloud skills? Have you earned niche accreditations? How do you align with this prospective employer’s company culture and values?

It’s all about standing out from the crowd.

If you need advice with this, lean on your recruitment consultant. (Blowing own trumpet in 3...2...1…) We’ve got great insights into what employers are looking for in a cloud candidate.

How to sell your candidate USP's and read job specs properly - Jimmy Hearne & Owen Harris | InfraView from InfraView Recruitment on Vimeo.

When you’re looking for a new role, it can become draining. 

Day in, day out, looking for new roles which suit your skillset, experience and values.

Remaining proactive in your job search will help strengthen your outlook and boost your chances of success.

Ryan Curtis has some great advice on how to be a proactive job hunter.

Make a plan and stick to it. You’ll be advised to ‘treat your job search like a job’, which is pretty unhelpful when you’re wanting insight as to how to go about doing it. It is important, however, to strategize how you’re going to go about searching for new roles and ensuring your CV lands on the desk of the hiring manager and recruiter towards the front of the pack.

Set up job alerts on recruitment websites such as ours, or job boards and LinkedIn. You can tailor what you’re looking for so you receive jobs which match your experience and skills. Also get into the routine of checking these at a time that suits you. Whenever you work best, schedule a bit of time into your diary to go through your favourite job websites to check for the latest postings.

Looking after your mental health is so important in your job search. Having a structure to your day will keep you focussed and give you a sense of purpose while you wait for your next cloud role.

Finally, and our top choice, you can chat to a specialist recruiter. We know the ins and outs of the industry, and so can help you find a cloud job that suits your skills, experience and career/life goals.

How to stay proactive in your cloud job search - Ryan Curtis | InfraView from InfraView Recruitment on Vimeo.

Conclusion

The key to almost anything succeeding is strategy. Without it you’re like an octopus in a library; not quite sure where you are.

Dedicating time to your cloud & IT infrastructure recruitment strategy will help you find the best candidates on the talent market, and to boost your chances of success in your cloud job search.

If you need more help with your recruitment and job search strategy, give our team a call on 020 3617 1040, email hello@infraview.co.uk and follow us on LinkedIn.