How Neotalent is investing in innovation as a way to respond to trends in the tech talent market

The global talent ecosystem is – today more than ever – subject to extreme complexity. If we focus on the IT industry, the difficulty of finding talent for the market opportunities is even greater.

Among the multiple variables that govern this ecosystem, we highlight:

• The acceleration of digital transformation (greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic);
• Candidates’ attitude towards their professional career;
• Matching recruitment processes to the expectations of candidates and clients.

What opportunities are there, then, for companies to differentiate themselves and find the right mission for the right person? Is the way we recruit and manage people appropriate to current and future market requirements? How will digitalization continue to transform the talent market?

Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence or Blockchain can help us develop solutions to these issues, and that is precisely what we are aiming to do.

IT talent: a changing market

It is no news that the Information Technology market is very active.

With technology increasingly central and decisive to the success of businesses in any industry, the demand for professionals with digital skills has escalated to unprecedented heights. The current COVID-19 pandemic has further amplified this reality and forced many organizations and businesses to put digital transformation on the agenda.

On the other hand, there is a new attitude towards work. A career becomes a rapid sequence of multiple experiences that are not subject to the predefined paths of companies. This reality puts enormous pressure on organizations: those that do not find the right challenges at the right time for their people will sooner or later have to replace them.

Additionally, organizations’ recruitment, selection and talent management process is out of step with the reality of the sought-after candidates’ journey.

The 6 recruitment trends for 2021 that are redefining talent attraction and recruitment (read article).

Decisions are often made on the basis of data that is difficult to validate or not relevant to determine the potential for the role. There are too many variables to process, far beyond human capacity, and it is easy to introduce bias – consciously or unconsciously. As a result, the person’s experience takes a back seat and they have to overcome too many steps, over and over again, along their career path.

Neotalent’s vision for the future

A growing – and unprecedented – demand for the right talent is colliding head-on with a growing – also unprecedented – demand for the right mission. The way companies create, manage and adapt their workforce has to change. New tools are needed to enable access to talent.

Against this background, Neotalent has formulated a new vision.

We want to transform the talent market and the way the various parties relate to each other. We want to give a better experience to everyone involved (talent, talent providers, hiring organizations, talent managers, universities and other training companies).

A new talent ecosystem

This is how the Digital Talent Ecosystem (DTE) project was born.

The DTE platform is part of Neotalent’s innovation and transformation journey. It is a Research and Development project co-funded by the Lisboa 2020 program, Portugal 2020 and the European Union, through FEDER, with the participation of ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa and Instituto Pedro Nunes.

The DTE will provide a recommendation tool, based on Artificial Intelligence, able to suggest talents, team composition and career paths. It will also provide a mechanism for registering and validating career events (academic and professional path, skills acquired) using Blockchain.

What will change with the Digital Talent Ecosystem (DTE)

Through this platform, the talent will have at their disposal a portfolio of services capable of helping them manage their path and will allow them to:

• gain a better understanding of yourself and identify areas for improvement or investment;
• find ways that can go beyond the traditional ones;
• keep a validated and secure record of your reputation and professional references that you can use with any entity, among others.

Our recruiters and talent managers now have a tool to support the management of their teams, capable of suggesting paths that enhance development, retention and impact on the organization.

Our clients will have a new channel to access talent. They will be able to look beyond the CV and assess potential for the assignment, reducing bias and opening the door to more diverse sources of talent.

The first step in the planned DTE roadmap will be taken with Neotalent’s ecosystem of talent, managers, recruiters and clients. In the future, as the tools and innovations we introduce become more mature, we expect to make DTE available to the world.

Neotalent DNA

The vision and ambition we have to make it a reality is only possible thanks to two major factors: our technological base and our more than 20 years of experience in hiring, managing and finding the best fit between person and mission.

We believe that potential should be developed.

We believe that the person has to be at the center and in control of their course.

We believe in equal opportunities.

We believe in diverse and inclusive organizations.

And we believe Neotalent has an important role to play in making this vision a reality.

We count on you on this path.

Paulo Almeida
Head of Innovation & Transformation

Archer, amateur photographer and manager. I believe that knowledge should be expanded and shared. I enjoy discussing new ideas and helping others grow. I get energy from positive environments, open to experience and with the purpose of leaving a positive mark on the world.