Josh TolanSoftware engineers, mobile developers, data scientists, front end engineer: these are the “hot” roles companies have been battling for talent to fill. And while it’s unlikely it will get easier to find these types of employees, there’s a real need for non-tech talent that’s been overlooked for too long.
That’s about to change. Glassdoor’s 2019 Annual Job Market Trends report predicts the demand for non-tech employees will increase this year. However, many of these job vacancies will be different than traditional non-tech positions.
Just as companies have evolved with advances in technology, so have the roles that support tech development. These employees will have new responsibilities and will have to solve new problems.
To better understand what types of non-tech employees companies should focus their talent acquisition strategies on, we talked to four hiring experts. Here are the roles they predict are about to become incredibly important as well as how to find them:
1. Customer success employees
I think, sometimes, employers don’t recognize the value of their customer success team. We’re a technology company but we recognize that one of the best ways to keep customers and grow our customer base is by making sure they’re satisfied.
Right now, customers have a lot of choices, and if they’re not happy, they’ll find a new solution. We often win new business when someone doesn’t feel like they’re getting good service from their current provider. They come to us, and our customer success team members build and maintain relationships with them and keep them happy.
A really good employee referral program is a great way to find these employees. By offering internal employees incentives to refer open positions through their networks, and having an awesome culture that gives cause for employees to want to refer, we’re able to find and hire more great team members. Even if their previous employment experience isn’t an ideal match, if referred candidates are adaptable, have good listening and communication skills, and a helpful, positive attitude, I’m confident they’ll be successful in the role.
Mikaila Turman, VP of People at GoodHire
2. Social media and community managers
A social media/community manager is especially crucial at young startups because engaging your community gives you a level playing field with the megacorporations. Perhaps, even an unfair advantage. Getting your company known when nobody cares about you is incredibly hard. However, being creative and standing out will make people notice
Many people think you can hire just anyone to post on Twitter or Facebook. Finding a voice and engaging with your audience requires an expert who cares deeply about the brand. The first step to assess for this role, however, is to see how passionate candidates are about understanding the space you’re in. If you’re hiring for a blockchain company, and the person doesn’t know how to send and receive BTC, ETH, etc., they’re probably not the right person.
Sherman Lee, partner at Zeroth.AI
3. Content creators
I find copywriting and digital content creation is one field that’s constantly undervalued in organizations in favor of flashier roles. But the fact is, these roles are essential to SEO performance, in generating backlinks, and in driving converting traffic to your website.
Good copywriting is so important now because of the sheer amount of content that currently exists and is vying for attention. Cutting through the noise with your own content is more essential than ever before if you plan on making your business a success. You can spend a fortune recruiting the most experienced web developers and tech specialists to your company but if you can’t master the power of the written word to actually sell the product or service that your business is providing, you’re doomed to failure.
The key to finding a decent content creator is through a portfolio of their most recent work. First of all, if the candidate is unable to provide one, steer clear. You need to read their relevant original content so you can get a feel of their writing style, their grasp of language and SEO, and their research skills.
Stephen Hart, CEO at Cardswitcher
4. Business sustainability specialists
Trends, such as artificial intelligence, universal internet penetration, global connectedness, and environmental change will continue to affect how companies do business and subsequently, the job roles they offer. One position I see as non-technical but vital is a business sustainability specialist.
People in these roles will be increasingly essential in helping organizations navigate a world in which consumers are demanding more accountability and transparency in the wake of trends such as climate change and calls for sustainable supply chains.
Many of the newer non-tech roles companies will need to be filling do not have a traditional academic path. Therefore, when assessing candidates for such non-tech roles, a recruiter will have more success finding those hidden gems by focusing less on academic qualifications and more on skill.
I have found, in addition to behavioral and situational interview questions, skills-based tests are an excellent way to test a candidate’s creativity and ability to provide solutions to complex problems, especially in recently created roles the company does not have precedent with.
Chris Chancey, founder at Amplio Recruiting
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