The tech sector in the UK is booming, with investment in scale-up firms increasing by 61% in 2018 and a 28% increase in IT professionals, and these roles aren’t exclusively reserved for the capital. The North West has seen significant growth in IT, which is good news if you’re recruiting IT sales staff in Lancashire. However, that’s not to say there’s not a skill gap in the north.
As more tech transformations go ahead, skills in areas like Lancashire will increase; however, for IT companies in the North West, competition for talent can be fierce. Access to talent it the most common problem for IT companies, with a massive 83% citing it as an issue. Luckily, IT recruitment agencies have access to IT professionals who may not be actively seeking a new role.
If you want to recruit the best IT sales staff in Lancashire, you need to set yourself apart from the competition. Because of the talent shortage, it may be that you have to target passive job seekers. This article explores what you can do to attract the best talent to your business and why Lancashire is a great place to work as an IT sales professional.
Why Lancashire?
The IT sector in the UK is growing 2.6% faster than the rest of the economy. London is, quite obviously, the centre of the UK tech industry. In fact, it’s the second most tech-connected place, falling behind Silicon Valley. However, the costs of living and running an IT business in London is expensive, which is driving more IT companies to the North West, in Locations such as Lancashire. Lancashire towns such as Burnley have a higher ratio of IT employment to other sector’s employment.
Tech Nation 2018 report cited that UK tech communities value quality of life and sense of place, and with a 54% increase in capital invested in tech companies in the West Midlands, it seems that IT professionals are being attracted to locations like Lancashire. This is reflected further by the CEO of Tech Nation, Gerard Grech, who said “The UK’s tech sector is growing almost three times faster than the rest of the economy. What started as Tech City is increasingly Tech Nation”.
But how do you attract IT sales talent to your firm?
Even with the significant increase in investment and jobs, it takes time for the talent to follow, so you really need to stand out when recruiting IT sales staff. Luckily, sales roles are less technical than most IT jobs because they’re largely customer-facing. Because they’re less specialist, there should be more talent available to fill them. However, you can’t just rely on numbers if you’re going to attract top IT sales talent.
If you’re going to outcompete your competitors in your recruitment of sales professionals, you’ll need to focus on your culture and the ways you convey that culture in your marketing. To find out how to do this successfully, read our article How to attract top sales talent to your IT business. You can also find out what you should be looking for in a candidate with our Top 7 attributes to look out for with IT salespeople. They should provide you with a clear overview of what practical steps you can take to find the best IT sales staff in Lancashire.
Conclusion
It’s clearly a profitable be growing an IT company, whether you’re based internationally or in North West locations like Lancashire- if you’re doing it right. Employing the right people, from your technical roles to IT sales staff, is integral to your level of success. Using an IT recruitment agency that has access to exceptional pools of talent who are ready and waiting for an attractive job offer is one of the best solutions to tracking down your perfect candidate. If you are looking to hire talented IT sales staff, get in touch.
At GK recruitment, we have over 20 years of IT recruitment experience. If you need help recruiting successful IT salespeople, we can help you find your perfect match. Contact us on 01257 429 499 or email us at info@gkrecruitment.com.
