Many companies depend on tech talent to continue having a successful performance. That’s why companies that don’t have qualified tech talent are at risk of getting out of the game. It is so vital to hire tech employees, but not everybody is a tech professional, so hiring this type of talent might be challenging for them.
The number of
tech jobs has increased to over 200,000 per year since 2010, according to CyberStates. The American economy has become very reliant on this industry. So what can you do as a non-techie employer to hire and retain tech talent? Here we’ll show you a complete guide on how to attract and retain tech talent.
What Techies Look for in a Company
- Tools. Techies look for companies that harbor tech professionals. Your company needs to give them all of the tools they need to work on their projects. Whether you’re hiring a software developer or a data scientist, it’ll be good to buy all of the gadgets and programs that’ll make their job more optimized.
- Good salaries. Tech talent has a considerably high salary rate, so you should be prepared to pay extra for having them. This is because there’s a high demand for tech workers, but not a high volume of professionals available in the job market.
- Work/life balance. Work/life balance is a pretty important factor that attracts tech talent. According to a recent StackOverflow survey, having the possibility to work from home is something that tech talent considers when choosing a company to work for.
Profile Tech Professional You Need
This step is crucial when hiring tech talent, but you’ll need some help here to start building the profile you need for the tech professional you’re looking for. However, since you don’t understand the technical language, you may not know what traits you’re searching for. That’s why it’s so important to consult with an expert.
Explain to that expert what you’re trying to achieve with this project, your goals, and your limitations. They will guide through the process and show you which professional you should be up to. For example, if you’re trying to create a mobile app for
iOS, you should look for someone familiar with programming languages like Swift or Objective-C.
Get an Advisor
When recruiting tech talent, you don’t only have to check their resume but also test their skills. And if you’re not a technical recruiter, it’ll be hard for you to tell whether aspirants are a good fit or not. So, the best way to approach a technical interview is by getting the help of a tech professional. Make sure they understand what your project is all about, and test them with problems that your employees face in your projects.
Broaden Your Network
Traditional recruiting usually has the same process, which consists of filtering resumes and selecting candidates that will have an in-person interview. However, with tech talent, you broaden your network to other locations. This is the benefit of recruiting tech talent; you’re not limited to an area, and in fact, you can make tests online.
Ensure Compatibility
Many companies fail to complete this step because they consider it secondary. However, it can be decisive to retain tech talent. So this is something you need to check during the interviews. Be transparent with aspirants; let them know about company
values, vision, and what type of soft skills you expect from them.
How to Retain Tech Talent
In this competitive industry, retaining tech talent is a massive challenge for most companies. There are so many great opportunities for tech employees that they can just quit their jobs one day to boost their careers at other companies. Christy Whitehead, the chief data scientist and talent economist at Workforce Logiq, commented something about this in an interview with CNBC:
“The market for software engineers is robust, and they are smartly taking advantage of the market demand to increase compensation and move up the corporate ladder.”
So, how can you, as an employer, retain killer tech talent? Let’s find out.
Learn Tech Terminologies
There is a high possibility that tech workers may leave if they feel misunderstood at work. Lack of communication can lead to employee dissatisfaction. So the best thing to do is understand what they’re trying to say and speak their language. You don’t have to become a programmer or get
a bachelor’s degree in computer science but understand the basic terms. This will also benefit your company because having excellent communication will improve the development process.
Benefits VS compensation
Despite what you may be thinking, salary doesn’t necessarily beat benefits. Having a good salary is extremely important for tech employees, but this isn’t all. There will be several other companies offering the same amount as you do, but they won’t have the same benefits. So you could offer them career advancement, the ability to work remotely, and career development, which is also essential.
Being able to provide them with capacitation or training that will improve their skills is also something they might be looking for. You can invest in
coding bootcamps or bachelor’s degrees for them. This will also enhance your company’s performance because you’ll have more qualified professionals than your competitors.
In Conclusion
To hire talented tech professionals, you must not forget about their soft skills. This is a crucial factor that will determine their ability to connect with your company. So make sure they’re able to meet deadlines,easy-to-talk-to, and passionate about their job. A passionate worker is more likely to develop an excellent job than someone who’s just working there for the salary, so keep this in mind when recruiting.
Remember that to maintain your tech employees’ happiness; you need to know their value, provide them with the tools they need, and help them boost their careers.
Artur is Founder and CTO of CareerKarma, helping people that want to become software engineers by matching them with the right coding bootcamp and supporting them throughout their careers. Follow him @ArturMeyster!
