Attracting top tech talent when you are not a tech giant is a challenging process. And retaining them is even more difficult, no matter how big or small the company is. The truth is that tech professionals like to change jobs often. Here are some tips you can follow to improve your techniques on hiring and retaining tech talent.
1. Offer Learning
One of the main things tech professionals look for in a company is learning opportunities. It can be mentorship programs or learning platforms, as long as you offer them opportunities to continue learning.
Another option is to invest in them by paying for a coding bootcamp. This will help you attract the best talent, and, more than that, retain them. Forty-five percent of employees change companies due to the lack of opportunities.
2. Know Their Goals
One thing you should do if you want to retain your best tech talent is to know what their goals are. You should know this from the start. Make sure you give them opportunities that will bring them closer to those goals.
For example, suppose you have a product manager who wants to work on projects that impact society. You should include them in any project where they can do just that.
3. Grow Your Employer Brand
Your employer brand is what people think about your company when they consider working for it. It could make a candidate not apply to a job posting if they think they won’t fit in the company. On the other hand, an excellent employer brand will attract top talent even when you don’t have open positions. That’s what tech giants like Google, Apple, and Amazon rely on.
4. What Are Employees Looking For?
Another thing you can do is to research what employees look for when looking for a new job. It can be things like higher salaries, opportunities to work remotely, or maybe more paid time off.
These benefits and perks may be different for each profession, but once you know, you can work on providing them. That way, you will have a chance to compete with other companies.
5. Be Creative
You can also research what your competitors are offering and find what’s missing from your offer. For example, some companies recently started offering professionals student debt aid. It is a new benefit that one company started, and it has become so popular and sought after by candidates that many other companies began offering it too. Be creative and try to come up with a benefit that is unique in your industry, but that will help you attract better talent.
6. Treat Them as Clients
Understand that you have to treat top tech candidates as if they were your best clients. The talent competition is fierce in this industry, and if you manage to attract a good fit for your company, then you should do everything in your power to keep them. Respect them when doing interviews and make sure you mention how valuable they will be for the company.
7. What Are Employees Saying?
Review sites like Glassdoor have become very common in the last decade. Most employees will look for what reviews are saying about a company before even applying for a job. Remember to monitor what employees are saying and take that feedback seriously. They will help you identify your weaknesses as an employer.
8. Highlight Innovation
Most tech professionals go into their careers because they want to innovate and be free to explore new ideas. Promote an innovative work environment where people can collaborate and come up with creative solutions. A full stack developer will grow bored pretty quickly if they don’t have some creative liberties. Encourage innovation and make sure to highlight this in your social media profiles and website.
9.Look for Candidates that Know How to Code
And last, look for candidates that know how to code. Gone are the days when a bachelor’s degree was the only way to find a tech job. Be flexible and accept candidates without a degree as long as they can prove they know how to code.
There are many free resources out there that allow people to learn on their own. You can find candidates as qualified and with better soft skills.
In Summary
You can offer learning opportunities, know their goals, grow your employer brand, and be creative. You can also find out what employees are looking for and try to offer it to them. Other strategies include highlighting innovation and being flexible when it comes to accepting candidates that don’t have a degree. The most important thing is that they know how to code. And remember, when you find a candidate that fits, treat them as they were your best client.
