The IT branch has a great need to recruit employees, and students on IT programmes therefore have good chances of finding attractive employment after finishing their studies. What is important to employees and how does that correspond to what the branch has to offer?
On 21 September, a little more than 100 IT students and around 20 business representatives met for the annual IT dinner of the Snits network that links industry and IT students. The dinner gives students the opportunity to meet IT companies and to establish contacts in the business world during their student years, so that they hopefully will be able to find good jobs after completing their degrees. The IT dinner is arranged by the Snits network, and this year’s theme was recruitment.
Before it was time to mingle and enjoy dinner, student and business representatives spoke about important aspects of recruitment. Three of the students described what they desired from their future employers, and this included good opportunities to develop, openness at the workplace, and varied work duties.
“An open environment is the most important to me. There should be room to express one’s opinions and an open environment in which everyone can reflect together,” said Malin Sannerstedt, a student on the Enterprise Systems and Economy programme.
“I think it’s important that there are opportunities for further development and to be involved in influencing things. It is also important that the job does not only become work, but something you look forward to,” said Tobias Bernström, a student taking the master’s programme in Information Systems.
Värmland businesses have a great need to recruit employees
Compare is a cluster organisation comprising around 100 IT companies in Värmland. In a 2016 survey, the stakeholder enterprises in Compare indicated that around 500 new employees need to be recruited. Tieto, one of the 100 stakeholder enterprises and one of the large regional employers, has recruited offensively and also started working with recruitment agencies.
“We have worked a lot with recruitment companies. We employ someone for six months and if it works well the position becomes permanent. I recommend that students get in touch with recruitment agencies. They have a good idea of our needs,” said Johnny Kristiansson, who represents Tieto. “For us, it is important that employees are motivated, that they dare to question, that they take initiative and that they are not afraid of making mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and mistakes can help to develop operations further.”
Snits, Samverkan Näringsliv och IT-studenter, is a network that links industry and IT students at Karlstad University. Snits arranges study visits, guest lectures, lunch meetings, a mentorship programme, practical placements and degree projects for the university’s IT students.
The Snits group comprises representatives of local IT companies, Compare, the subjects Computer Science and Information Systems at Karlstad University, as well as the student association LINDA.
