How To Attract And Retain Information Technology Talent
An effective IT staffing strategy is integral to a business’s success. Without the people behind the technology, and without the technology itself, a company could suffer in terms of financial opportunities, brand reputation, and customer service capabilities.
Identifying and attracting talented IT workers — and retaining them over the long haul — provides an essential foundation for success that can help companies avoid costly mistakes, meet employees' expectations, and maintain a good reputation.
We’ve put together a list of seven creative ways that you can use to attract and retain top IT professionals.
Offer flexible work options and schedules
It's no secret that many employees want to be able to balance their professional and personal lives. It's a significant factor in IT recruiting today, especially with the Millennial generation, who are more focused on achieving work/life balance than any previous generation. Offering flexible schedules and work options will allow you to attract top IT talent and retain them.
Millennials are looking for opportunities that allow them to do their best work in an environment where they can grow professionally, have ownership over their projects, and enjoy themselves while doing it. If you offer this atmosphere, it will be easy for your company to stand out from the competition.
Offer competitive salaries and benefits
Did you know that more than half of IT workers indicate they'd voluntarily leave their jobs for another opportunity with higher pay alone? Offering a competitive salary is essential when recruiting tech talent, and it’s also necessary to provide a comprehensive benefits package.
Offering paid time off (PTO), healthcare coverage, retirement savings options and other perks attract top candidates and make them want to stay at your company long-term.
Offer a clear career progression path.
The best and brightest in software development and IT often have a hunger for a challenging and fast-paced career, so they're so desirable to companies.
Offering a clear career progression path is one way to attract and retain top IT talent. A significant motivator for many workers is the ability to build their skills and move up to higher levels of responsibility within a company.
When you're hiring for a position, it's essential to consider if you'd like to hire that person now and whether they'll develop into someone who can fulfil even more critical roles in the future. Building the structure of your business around this idea will help ensure that the people you bring on board have clearly defined opportunities for growth and advancement.
Pay attention to diversity and inclusion
To attract and retain top IT talent, you must recognize the workplace is changing rapidly. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that companies with more diverse leadership teams have 19% higher revenues due to innovation. Similarly, companies with inclusive cultures have a 1.7 times higher likelihood of capturing new markets.
When you're looking to attract and retain the best IT talent, it's crucial to present your company as one that cares about diversity and inclusion, as the best talent is not made up of a specific gender,race, or background.
The best ideas can come from anywhere—so make sure you listen to everyone on your team. Having a diverse and inclusive team means having a better understanding of your employees, making it easier for them to feel valued and safe at work. You'll be able to provide better service to your clients and ultimately yield better results for your organization.
Develop a culture of collaboration
Developing a culture of collaboration means more than just encouraging teamwork. It's about fostering an environment where employees feel empowered to be creative and innovative and can work together to develop new ideas.
It's about giving them a voice in the company and making them feel like they're contributing to the organization’s success. Giving staff the freedom to share their thoughts and ideas and asking for their input on organizational decisions.
The next time you're thinking about hiring someone for a new position, think about how you can create a collaborative environment that will attract top talent. Developing a culture of collaboration will not only help you hire the right people, but it will also help you keep them longer, which saves you money in the long run.
Provide opportunities for continuing education.
Many IT professionals have already earned advanced degrees or certifications and are looking for companies willing to support their continued pursuit of education. Providing opportunities for continuing education is a great way to show your team you're invested in their long-term success.
Providing tuition reimbursement, sponsoring attendance at industry conferences, or encouraging employees to share what they've learned at seminars with their colleagues are all examples of how you can promote IT professionals' career development.
Incorporate technology into the workspace.
Incorporating technology into the workspace is a great way to attract and retain top IT talent. Employees in this field are often excited to work with the latest technologies, so they appreciate employers who embrace innovation.
Many companies have been slow to do this, but most admit that technological advances like virtualization have made their jobs easier. At the same time, providing employees with telecommuting can increase productivity and decrease turnover.
In short, setting up a technologically advanced workplace is an easy first step toward attracting and keeping highly skilled IT professionals.
Conclusion
Robust recruitment strategies are essential for companies that depend on top IT talent to remain competitive. With the right approach, you can stop scrambling to find qualified candidates and start attracting them in droves.
Remember that planning is critical, and results don't happen overnight. So if you start today and follow the above strategies, you should be able to attract the best IT talent before your competitors.
