In recent years, AI technology has become a necessary part of many businesses and in the years to come, it’s only going to become more popular. Regardless of the size of the company, more and more are now in need of an AI specialist.

Recruiting such a specialist is difficult when you have to compete with top brand tech giants such as Google and Microsoft. It’s impossible for smaller or even medium-sized companies to offer the same salaries and opportunities as AI specialists working for Amazon, for example. Amazon invests the most in AI and machine learning hiring, an average of $227.8 million per year.  Google spends considerably less, however, the average is still $130.1 million.

There is no need to despair. Even if your budget is a fraction of Amazon’s there are still some things you can do to increase your chances of finding the perfect AI specialist.

Emphasis On Experience When Recruiting

AI and ML (machine learning) specialists will have various levels of experience. You need your hiring strategy to include a specialist with the level of experience that meets your project’s needs. On top of that, you need to look in the right place for this type of experience.

If you are looking for a junior AI candidate, you should focus your search on universities, training programs, hackathons, and meetups. Those with more experience ready to fill a senior role can be found by networking and researching academic papers.

Understand What You Need

As with any position you need to fill, you need to have a clear understanding of what you are looking for. Machine learning roles will require a strong background in math and statistics. If you are recruiting for a senior role, you may want someone with a Ph.D. in these fields. These skills are fundamental in problem-solving and identifying the best algorithms for a certain problem.

Another good skill your candidate should have is curiosity, a need to investigate things. This will go a long way when it comes to facing unclear problems. A strong candidate will be able to understand data and quickly catch on to the new concepts of AI and ML, as this field advances very quickly. Many also find it’s beneficial to have someone who s genuinely enthusiastic about their job and the company.

Show That You Have Opportunities Their Current Job Doesn’t Have

Nowadays, people’s priorities are changing and it’s not always about the highest salary. If you want to attract a high-end ML candidate, you are going to have to provide intellectual challenges, a range of problems, expertise in the team, the quality of your brand, and a competitive salary.

If you can’t match the salary of your competitors, try offering other incentives. Flexibility and the ability to work remotely are very attractive to a lot of people.

Offering things that people don’t have but want is an ideal way to attract people who are currently employed and therefore not actively searching for a new job.

Team Up With Universities

This is a case of going straight to the source of machine learning talent. Keeping close contact with local universities allows you to make contact with new recruits before they start looking elsewhere. You could even consider funding school projects.

This method has become very popular and you may find other companies doing the same thing to recruit AI and ML talent. For you to stand out from the rest, make sure your projects, or even competitions, are interesting and engaging.

Contact A Staffing Agency

Recruiting in the IT industry is cut-throat, more so for high-end, experienced AI and ML specialists. Recruiting takes time and money, two things nobody wants to waste.

Recruitment agencies have access to a large talent pool with candidates ready to start straight away. They save you a lot of time by doing much of the paperwork themselves and there is often more flexibility than when you high a candidate.

While recruiting AI and machine learning specialist is certainly a challenge, it’s not impossible. These strategies are some ideas to put into place in order to increase your chances of finding the right candidate for your needs.