7 Ways to Overcome Talent Gaps in Your App Development Project

Is there a talent shortage that is creating a “war for talent” among companies, especially in the app development niche? Perhaps, there is, and the industry is already feeling the pinch of a shallow talent pool. With thedemand of mobile apps rising more than what could be provided, companies are clamoring over each other to find the best talent to suit their needs. Hiring inexperienced people can be more detrimental than hiring no one at all. Companies that hire developers who have very little experience in coding will actually compromise the company’s reputation when they create sub-par apps and release them into the market.

Why is there a talent gap in the first place?

The behemothic changes happening in the field of mobile technologies everywhere are keeping the demand for talented developers very high. Most of the time, demand exceeds supply, making if difficult to find experienced mobile developers. This is probably because companies want their developers to:

• Have experience in creating apps for various platforms, thereby leading to hybrid and native apps
• Mobile apps that run without a hitch on all the devices used by the target market
• Capable of providing technical support to the user
• Design front end user interface
• Oversee testing as well

Here are some ways your company can overcome talent gaps in an app development project.

1. Make Use of Applicant Tracking System

When it comes to talent management, you have to focus on three main areas - short-term, long-term and mid-term. You can try applicant-tracking systems to meet your needs in all the three streams. Through this, your HR team can stay on the top of talent requisition and sort through thousands of applications that come through. You must be aware of the usual message that goes across to employees:

“Thank you for submitting your application. If your qualifications meet our needs, we'll contact you. Otherwise, we’ll keep your resume on file for 12 months.”

All the people that apply for your job will receive such an email. Additionally, you can also make use of predictive analysis or people analysis to get the right people. Many companies have already started using sophisticated data analytics in the field of talent management. This gives them a huge competitive advantage as well.

2. Proactive Training

The best companies of today insist on constant learning to improve the expertise and skills of their employees. Workplace learning is usually done by third party companies and would be built around the skills you expect the employees to be extremely good at. It may also involve the skills they need presently for a project, and for those in the future. In fact, the success of the company is directly proportional to the skills of the employees, hence, skill shortages must be met and countered with targeted training. Make use of e-learning portals, mentoring programs, communities of practice, face-to-face trainings, EPSS (electronic performance support systems) to impart training to them.

3. Convert Project Managers into Talent Managers

Another way to overcome talent gaps would be to convert your project managers into talent managers. Invest in good managers today, and they will be able to fulfill needs of the future by identifying the high performing employees in the team.

4. Partner with an Offshore Provider

You can fix the talent issue by partnering with an offshore provider who provides the talents whenever you need them. The best thing about outsourcing your app development requirements is that you don’t have to go through the hassle of hiring, nor get tangled in the strings attached to keeping a regular employee.

5. Rewrite the Job Description

Perhaps, the talent gap is caused by the way the job description is prepared. Maybe, if you work on that you can increase the size of your talent pool and gain access to more people. Do a revamp of your job description by highlighting the benefits of working in your company, especially if you are targeting a top mobile programmer. Offer a few perks, perhaps the opportunity to work from home, and free training – whatever could be interesting and appealing to them. It is also important to be reasonable. Sometimes, you may not get a developer who is unequivocally good at all the skills, though he may be proficient in them. If you are willing to give a likely candidate on-the-job training for something he is not very proficient at, then it might be a good thing, because you are widening the talent pool even further.

6. Recruit Outside the Box

Sometimes, scanning traditionally will not give you the right people. You may have to tap other resources like LinkedIn groups, collaborative communities (like Github, for instance), referrals and so on. These resources open up huge number of options for you, and you are most likely to find a candidate who will fill the gap.

7. Crowdsource the Talent Search

The demand for mobile apps is moving at an accelerated pace and it is predicted that by 2017, the demand for apps on these 5-inch screens are going to be at a 5:1 ratio. This means it is going to become even more difficult to attract and retain talent, and to overcome this challenge, you can start incorporating crowdsourcing into your hiring strategy.

In Closing...

These methods, combined with training programs can drive up the skills of the employees. If you feel the training programs are getting too clichéd or boring, you can spice them up with gamification, and that would definitely improve engagement levels. If you have identified talent gaps in your app development projects, we can fill them in for you.

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