Today, the technology industry is faced with a war for skilled talent.  This lack of skilled talent is a critical impediment to the growth and threatens the vitality of not only the high tech industry but, the nation as well.  To run businesses competitively, high tech organizations have to value non-traditional engineers and manage this workforce effectively so that they can capitalize on the full potential of non-traditional (i.e., diverse) human resources to address the industry’s demand for skilled talent.

Twenty years ago, there were abundant numbers in the traditional workforce and the technology industry’s’ heavy reliance on foreign labor.  In essence, the industry did not need to seek applicants from the non-traditional (i.e., diverse) engineering applicant pool.  For example, in Silicon Valley one-third of the engineering workforce was foreign labor with Visa’s in hand.

The technology industry cannot continue their reliance of foreign labor to cope with the scarcity of potential engineering employees.  Today, there are limitations on foreign labor; especially since the 911-tragedy. Thus, the technology industry needs to critically examine their recruiting strategies and techniques. 

Technology industry leaders should make it a priority to create the kind of workplace environment that will attract and retain the best new (i.e., non-traditional) engineering talent.  A conducive work environment makes it possible for these new engineering faces to make their fullest contribution.  

Better insight into the perceptions of effective recruitment strategies as viewed by non-traditional engineers could be the first step in creating a blueprint of the best ways to address the needs and concerns of the technology industry’s new engineering workforce.

New recruitment strategies and techniques focused on attracting non-traditional engineers to the technology industry can address their demand for skilled talent.  The effective utilization of ‘all’ potential human resources can ensure the technology industry is not attempting to win the competitive recruitment race by recruiting only a fraction of the nations’ existing human resources; thus utilizing ‘all’ skilled human resources.

In essence, the technology industry can no longer afford to operate in the traditional mode of recruiting; the traditional labor force is no longer available.  Now, there is a compelling national need for the technology industry to increase its investment in national talent; therefore, alleviating the technology industry’s’ workforce shortage.