Is hiring tech talent your main priority? If so, you should not only know how to find and hire tech employees but also how to retain them. Here’s your guide.
CompTIA expects a 2% increase in tech workers in 2022 for the $1.8 trillion technology industry. With the rise of technology and the increase in demand for tech talent, companies are having to get more creative than ever with their recruiting efforts.
So, how do companies attract and retain the top talent in the technology industry? What strategies are necessary to ensure companies source the best of the best?
Keep reading for tips on recruiting tech talent. You’ll also discover how to retain them once you’ve hired them.
How to Recruit Top Tech Talent
Getting top talent interested in your company starts with your recruitment strategy. Many companies have outdated recruitment cycles that are lengthy and don’t generate enough qualified candidates. You can make a few small changes and see a big impact on how to better recruit top talent.
Focus on Experience, Not Education
The internet and the rise of educational sites have made it more accessible than ever to learn new skills. This is especially true for the technology industry. Many tech experts do not have traditional education credentials and are self-taught.
Sites like Coursera and Udemy allow users to complete college-level courses without obtaining a degree. Sticking with outdated recruiting concepts that require candidates to check off certain marks on the checklist could mean your company misses out on top talent.
Built a Network of Professionals in Higher Education
Building a network with decision-makers in colleges and universities will give you access to upcoming graduates. There are tons of talent looking for jobs right after graduation, so this would give your company access to them before they start their job search.
If you want to take it a step further and get to know talent yourself, you could create programs for college students. Allowing students to shadow your team in an internship can show you the potential value these people will bring.
Understand Your Competition
You should know what your competitors offer and make your offering better. Money is a driving factor in many candidates’ decisions, so make sure you offer fair wages and a great benefits package. If you make your offering one that leaves them wowed, you’ll be at the top of every candidate’s list.
Update Your Recruitment Strategy
The interviewing and hiring process is an important part of getting qualified candidates. But…there are better ways to do these tasks. Having a proactive, personalized approach to recruitment will go a long way in getting applications from top talent.
Technology professionals want to know exactly what type of job they are applying for and what the expectations will be. So, get creative with your job descriptions. You can also automate many aspects of recruiting to greatly decrease the cycle.
How to Attract Top Tech Talent
Once you have a solid and innovative recruitment strategy in place, you need to figure out how you will attract the top talent you seek. How can you communicate the value your company has and reach the greatest candidates?
There are a few different ways to attract top tech talent, but the most important is to focus on them. The recruitment experience is just as much theirs as it is yours, so make it a positive one. Knowing where to find top talent and how to attract them is key in obtaining the best candidates.
Overcome Challenges and Obstacles in the Tech Industry
Many companies struggle with attracting top talent due to a few industry roadblocks. But these roadblocks are easy to overcome if you change your strategy a bit. Common issues that arise include:
- Talent shortages
- Long hiring processes
- Technology innovation
- Wage inflation
- Geographical limitations
Three of the five issues are easily resolvable by most businesses. Offering remote work eliminates geographical limitations and opens your talent pool open to global talent. Technology changes often, but continually training your team members will ensure they stay on top of it.
Long hiring processes are a drain on both companies and candidates. You can quickly shorten this process with automation and new processes. An update in your hiring process may mean the difference between getting the top candidate or losing them to a competitor.
Interested in learning about the best cities for tech talent acquisition? Check out our services for more information.
Emphasize DEI
Diversity is a key part of many candidates’ job requirements. When searching for employers, job seekers want to see the company values diversity and inclusion. And this is true in the tech industry.
It’s important organizations make it clear that a diverse and inclusive culture is what they facilitate. Job seekers don’t want to have to search and dig through pages of information to find out if the company values diversity. Make it clear in your job announcements.
Offer Flexible Work
The COVID-19 pandemic proved many jobs are able to be done remotely. Candidates took note and many people will not return to the way people worked before the pandemic. If you want to attract top talent and open your recruitment pool, you want to offer flexible or remote work.
Flexible working is a positive for companies, too. With remote work environments, companies have lower overhead and happier employees without a negative impact on productivity.
Communicate Your Company’s Mission
A technology professional who feels like a part of the team and is inspired to make a difference is a happy technology professional. When you publish any recruitment materials, including job descriptions, it’s important you communicate your company’s mission.
When candidates understand the “why” and what impact they will mean, it creates a strong connection. This will help your company to attract people who want to be a true part of the team and make a difference through your company.
How to Retain Top Tech Talent
Once you have recruited and attracted the top talent in the technology industry, you have to make sure you retain them. This is true during the recruitment cycle and once hired. If you want employees to feel loyal to your organization, you must make them feel valued and appreciated.
Creating a culture that allows your team to be authentic is a step in the right direction. It’s also important that companies give employees great reasons to choose them over competitors.
Create a Strong Benefits Package
Workers in the technology industry want a strong benefits package. A few common benefits that mean a lot of employees include:
- Flexible work arrangements
- School loan repayment assistance
- Continuing education stipends
- Trendy perks (pet insurance, laundry service, catered lunches, ping pong tables)
Promote Professional Development and Career Growth
No one wants to feel stuck in the same job for years upon years. Defining clear career paths and helping your team to achieve the milestones needed to advance will retain more of them.
Allowing your workers to develop professionally is also important. This could mean yearly workshops, conferences, or other types of training. Employees want to feel valued and like their employer cares about their career. Helping them to develop new skills gives your employee an advantage that will in turn help your organization grow.
Transparent Leadership Practices
Employees who have open and communicative relationships with their leaders are merely likely to stay with their employer. When an employee feels lied to or led on, they are more likely to look elsewhere for employment.
Train your leaders to be open about salaries, promotions, and priorities. This ensures there isn’t confusion or a lack of communication.
Improve Your Company’s Culture
The environment one works in is an important factor in maintaining satisfaction. When you create a culture that values diversity and inclusion and promotes work-life balance, you’ll create an environment that which employees thrive.
Eliminate toxic work behaviors, like bullying or discrimination. It is important each employee feels valued and safe in your workplace. Many women in tech are bullied or harassed to the point of quitting, so make sure your company does better than others.
Get Started With a Tech Talent Agency Today
We covered how to attract, hire, and retain top tech talent in today’s demanding environment. We hope this article helped you understand what moves your company needs to make to get the best of the best in 2022.
At Recruit PNW, we leverage over two decades of HR expertise to source top talent for your organization. We believe the hiring experience should be a great one for both the company and the candidate. By forging lasting relationships, we create an extensive network of candidates with desired credentials.
Are you ready to get started with recruiting tech talent? Contact us today for more information and to get started.
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