Chicago Staffing Guide: IT
Chicago, Illinois may not get the same press attention for their tech companies and IT talent as New York, or San Francisco, but as the nation’s third largest city, Chicago still has plenty of weight in tech.
Chicago has a large tech industry, with notable names such as Braintree (owner of Paypal/Venmo), Grubhub (food delivery), and Motorola. There are many other companies that provide back-end tech services that aren’t as familiar as brand names, but perform important functions for logistics and healthcare, such as Echo Global Logistics and Rally Health.
If you’re an enterprise company that needs IT talent, or a smaller player looking for assistance on a contract basis, an IT staffing agency gives tremendous value to your operations. Why? Because an IT staffing agency has the time, know-how, and business processes to sort through tons of resumes.
IT staffing agencies can provide you with contract, part-time, full-time, contract-to-hire, or direct hire IT staffing for developers, information architects, and programmers. IT recruiters can source talent, conduct the hiring process, fill open positions, and handle other staffing needs while you focus on the day-to-day operations of your company.
Are IT Jobs in High Demand in Chicago?
As a destination for those that live in the midwest, Chicago has an influx of young, talent workers each and every year. In fact, Chicago’s tech talent has grown by more than 10 percent between 2013 and 2019.
Overall, its commercial real estate is also more affordable than New York and San Francisco which is also a draw. Companies like Salesforce, Google, and Uber have increased their presence in Chicago because of those cheaper, more affordable rates and access to different types of talent beyond what the Bay Area alone can provide.
Two of the fastest growing jobs in Chicago are web developers and software developers, meaning that not only are the large companies adding more talent, but smaller companies are in need of these positions as well.
And if the notable companies continue their operations in Chicago, they will need to acquire more talent to make it work successfully.
What does that mean for companies needing to hire tech talent? The competition for IT staffing is growing, but there is also a significant talent pool to plug into as more and more professionals are brought to the Chicago area and their skills are cultivated. It’s a great opportunity to utilize tech professionals with an IT staffing agency.
How To Choose An IT Staffing Agency In Chicago
Chicago’s most savvy businesses are investing and utilizing IT staffing agencies for sourcing candidates and managing the hiring process. These IT staffing agencies operate regionally across Chicagoland and remotely to provide vetted web developers, technicians, information architects, data scientists, database engineers, and software programmers. Tech professionals choose staffing agencies for a greater pool of employment opportunities and flexibility.
As a recruiting resource, an IT staffing agency will comb through their talent communities and match you with the right IT professional. Tech staffing agencies can often fill the positions faster by tapping into their company relationships, networking events, and their talent pool.
An IT agency may help you find specialists--such as an expert Python programmer, a database administrator, or another specialty that may be difficult to locate on your own.
Key Questions When Choosing An IT Staffing in Chicago
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Where is this staffing agency located in the Chicago area? Location matters, and so do commute times, especially in a metropolitan area as large as Chicago. Consider whether you’re asking employees to commute from the South Side to River North or from Lake View to The Loop. Instead, find an IT staffing agency near your office location. Another option is to hire remote tech talent if nothing suitable is close by to your location.
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What is the staffing agency’s reputation? Think about the agency’s reputation with like minded employers and the recruiting sources the IT staffing agency utilizes.
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What is the size of their IT talent pool of developers and programmers? See if they can help you right away, what types of relationships they have formed, and how they are growing and attracting new talent.