There is no denying that chief information officers have to juggle a number of tasks when it comes to implementing and managing their businesses’ tech tools. Although this fact alone makes their jobs a challenge, their load could be lightened if they were to have the staff to support their efforts. Unfortunately, pinning down the right representatives – those who have the specialized skills required to keep companies competitive in terms of their IT use – is becoming increasingly difficult. With climbing demand for candidates who boast advanced tech capabilities, organizations are scrambling to secure the talent they need and resorting to new means of recruitment to avoid falling into the growing skills gap.International skills gap poses problemCompanies around the globe are trying to keep up with the continuous progress made in the world of IT, which means they have had to adopt a number of revolutionary tools just to stay on pace. The key to rendering real results from these solutions, though, is to have the manpower who can take this tech and apply it in a practical fashion. Because so many organizations are searching for professionals with these new skill sets, who are still few and far between, there are many instances when they cannot find the individuals to meet their demands. This leaves expanding IT departments with job vacancies and holes throughout their operations, which ultimately holds them back rather than encourage advancement.A prime example of a market in which this unfortunate phenomenon has been occurring is the U.K. – namely, London. According to Computer Weekly, companies throughout the city are encountering issues with regards to recruiting viable IT talent. Due to skill shortages, a share of organizations undergoing the most rapid development have reported that they have an average of seven job vacancies. In light of this shortfall in applicants with the right tech training and experience, 43 percent of London businesses believe that this widening gap is the most significant obstacle expected to hinder long-term IT growth.Expanding must-have lists are to blameThe situation in this U.K. metropolis is hardly an isolated incident. Businesses throughout the world are faced with similar dilemmas. By and large, these hurdles have risen as CIOs have started equipping their companies with sophisticated solutions that require a wide range of complex competencies.For instance, Forbes shared a list of some of the most coveted tech capabilities that businesses expect employees to be able to handle. These skills include those allowing IT professionals to develop mobile applications, collect and analyze big data, leverage cloud computing and keep data safe. As one can imagine, finding candidates with several of these skills can be a tedious task, as that requires people to boast both breadth and depth with their tech know-how.Social media may be the solutionGiven the specific specializations that CIOs are searching for in their staff members, organizations have been forced to overhaul their recruiting tactics. Rather than sitting and waiting for the limited number of viable candidates to come to them, companies are taking an active approach, employing social media to locate and attract desirable applicants from the widest pool of people possible.”Hiring managers are increasingly turning to [social media] to get a competitive edge in identifying potential candidates and broaden their candidate pool across all job sectors,” explained Shon Burton, CEO of HiringSolved, according to BusinessNewsDaily. “The reality is that the job market has completely changed. Unlike previous generations, there is very little loyalty to a single company. Employees no longer stay with a single company for 25 years. Today, everyone is a candidate.”If IT executives want to increase the likelihood of finding the skilled manpower they need, casting a wider net through social media is critical. Not only do these channels allow companies to peruse a higher volume of potential employees, but it also enables them to take a better look at applicants profiles so they can glean a more profound understanding of each person.”If a recruiter isn’t using social recruiting, they aren’t taking advantage of the fastest and most efficient method to find talent,” Burton stated. “A few years ago, all recruiters had to go on was the resume. With social profiles, recruiters have access to a more accurate and updated profile about a person’s expertise, providing a more complete picture of a potential candidate.”