IT tech spending is expected to grow by 2.4% in 2023 despite reports of tech layoffs. Businesses must work to attract top tech talent because demand is still outpacing supply in the industry. To appeal to the best talent, HR teams need to align with the needs of these professionals and leverage recruiter resources adequately.
HR professionals can do a few things to attract the tech talent their employers need to exceed expectations, fill skill gaps and help spur growth. We’ll be discussing tips and strategies that position your company as a top destination for these professionals.
Build a Strong Employer Brand
- Employer branding, or its reputation and identity, can do one of two things:
Organically attract top talent - Push potential talent away
Successful recruitment teams build brands that employees want to be a part of and help grow. Prime examples of companies with strong branding include Google, SAP, Salesforce, and HubSpot. Google alone receives 3 million resumes per year. Many of these applications are from the best-of-the-best talent in the industry.
Building a strong employer brand is possible if you do the following:
- Improve company culture: Start within and ask employees what you can do better. Ask if employees are happy with benefits, growth potential, pay, leadership, and more. Use these suggestions to create an internal company culture that people want to join.
- Content strategy: Create content about your brand demonstrating what it’s like to be a part of your team and show tech talent what they gain by being a part of your company.
- Invest in your team: Your employees are your greatest asset. Invest in these professionals, and offer opportunities for growth, training, and advancement.
Branding is only part of the puzzle. You also need to offer competitive pay and benefits packages.
Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits Packages
Review the best resources for recruiters, and you’ll quickly find that top talent often follows the money. If you want to work with the smartest minds in tech, you need to offer compensation and benefits that match their skill sets.
LinkedIn, Microsoft, Google, Qualcomm, and Facebook are the top-paying tech companies for early career pay and even for mid-career pay. The benefits of these companies are also exceptional. You need to offer competitive compensation, which means:
- Matching or going above the market in your area
- Offer competitive benefits packages, going beyond just healthcare and paid vacation time
For example, Google has assistance programs for mental health and wellness centers. They used to supply snacks and food to employees as well. Severance packages of 16 weeks plus an additional two weeks every year are another benefit.
You’ll need to find the happy medium for tech workers in your area and try to think “outside the box.”
Provide Opportunities for Growth and Development
If you want to attract and retain top tech talent, you need to provide opportunities for professional growth and development. In fact, 49% of employees expect their employers to support career growth.
Implementing a professional development program can help not only attract talent but retain it and improve job satisfaction along the way.
SAS, a business analytics software and services company, offers several opportunities for growth, including:
- Career mentoring
- Emerging leadership programs
- A career resource center
Offer Flexible Work Arrangements
Today’s tech workers want flexibility in where, when, and how they work. A recent survey from Slack found that a staggering 94% of workers wanted more flexible work schedules.
Giving employees the option to work remotely or set their own schedules can help appeal to the top talent looking for a better work-life balance.
Many companies in the tech industry are offering flexible work options, including:
- Dell has been allowing employees to work remotely since 2009.
- DuckDuckGo has a “work wherever, whenever” policy, so employees are free to make their own schedules.
- GitHub offers remote work options as well as unlimited paid time off.
Leverage Social Media and Networking
If you want to recruit top talent, then you need to be where your ideal candidates are – and chances are, they’re on social media.
An estimated 4.9 billion people worldwide are using social media, which means some of the most talented tech professionals are likely using these platforms daily. Many of these individuals are looking for job opportunities.
Social media is one of the best resources for recruiters, but networking can be just as effective. Recruiters should leverage both to attract talent.
Use these tips to succeed with social selling:
- Define your ideal candidate and appeal to them by giving them a glimpse of your company culture, unique offerings, and team.
- Focus on the big 3: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. These are the platforms your ideal candidates are most likely using.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with YouTube and Instagram to highlight what you offer as an employer.
Salesforce uses the hashtag #SalesforceOhana when posting content about employees on social media. Their social recruiting strategy is all about positioning themselves as a fun place to work and encouraging employees to serve as brand ambassadors.
Bottom Line
You must take a comprehensive approach to attract top tech talent. Implementing the tips and strategies above are a step in the right direction.
Click here to discover how ScaleFront can help bring top talent to your business.
