How to prevent your competition from stealing your best tech candidates
Beat the competition with these in-depth strategies for attracting and retaining tech talent.
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We’ve previously discussed the ongoing war for creative talent but one of the major challenges facing CIOs and businesses today is the increasing competition for high calibre digital and tech talent. Driven by businesses undertaking digital transformations across multiple industries, demand for tech talent is increasing, with US employers posting 1.1million tech vacancies in the first quarter of 2022. Attracting and retaining digital employees in such a competitive world requires organisations to rethink how they appeal to tech candidates and build adaptable recruitment strategies that can keep up with the fast pace of change.
What is today's tech talent looking for from their workplace?
Critical to beating the competition when it comes to tech talent is understanding what tech candidates are looking for from employers which often centres' around:
Career growth
Tech companies continue to dominate LinkedIn’s list of the 50 Best Companies To Grow Your Career, and with good reason. 63% of tech candidates say they are more future focussed than ever when it comes to their career but only one in five think their current employer is delivering clear career progression. Those businesses that can offer clear career paths and growth opportunities will win when it comes to attracting and retaining tech talent.Empowerment
Contrary to popular belief top tech professionals are not the wildcard, over-confident lone wolves portrayed in the media. The best tech talent is conscientious, organised and a team player but they often struggle to thrive under overbearing micromanagement. Experienced developers and engineers work best as part of small, agile teams with the autonomy to make their own decisions and motivate themselves.Projects with a sense of purpose
Tech professionals are extremely aware of the impact technology is having on the wider society. They want to work for organisations that are changing the world for the better. In fact one European public service provider was able to fill 400 roles in a matter of weeks by focusing its mission on improving digital services for the community.
3 strategies to help you attract and retain the best tech talent
Understanding what tech talent needs to thrive means you can focus your efforts on building a workplace culture that champions career development designed with tech talent in mind, craft your benefits to appeal to directly to them and concentrate on communicating to technology candidates through strong employer branding.
Here are three strategies for ensuring you always beat the competition when it comes to attracting and retaining tech talent:
Offer world beating training and development opportunities
Tech skills are in high demand, but it can be difficult for employers and employees to keep up with the pace of change. An increasing number of digital natives are entering the workforce and ensuring you offer a comprehensive career development plan that continues to shape their skill-set is key to attracting next-gen talent.
More experienced tech professionals are also looking for training and development opportunities that keep their skills sharp and up-to-date and the chance to work with new technologies throughout their career. An added benefit to you as an employer is the chance to hire for potential and direct training to focus on the skills you need for the future.Streamline your hiring for the best candidate experience
With so many options available when it comes to employment tech talent has their pick of job roles. This means that the longer your hiring process, the more chances there are for faster competitors to snap up the best candidates. Added to that candidates are more likely to stick with employers who communicate well throughout the process and offer them the most efficient and welcoming experience.
Make sure your application process is quick, simple, and accessible on multiple devices. If you ask for a CV don’t make candidates engage in repetitive form-filling. Remember tech candidates know what makes a good website. Ditch the lengthy interviews and unnecessary assessments. Above all communicate, communicate, communicate!Build your mission into your employee value proposition
According to a recent McKinsey study 70% of employees believe they find a sense of purpose in the work they do. Potential employees want to work for employees who can offer them meaningful work that impacts the world around them. This is great news for tech roles. Technology has had and continues to have a huge influence on the way we live. The trick is to communicate to tech candidates that you can offer them interesting problems to solve and inspiring products to work on. The best way to do this is to make sure your company mission, values and purpose are built into everything you do particularly your employee value proposition (EVP) and employer branding.
How can DMCG help?
If you are looking for advice on how to create a recruitment strategy that attracts the best digital and tech talent available, we can help. Our global talent consultancy at DMCG Global can connect you with talented individuals anywhere on the planet. Get in touch below to find out more.
