If you’ve felt like it’s been hard to find new tech talent lately, you’re not alone. IT recruiting has been an uphill battle for employers, with inflation causing increased salary requirements and a high number of competing offers for IT professionals meaning its getting harder to attract top talent.
With increased competition, the benefits and compensation you offer is the first step in getting more candidates in the door. In order to stand out among the pack and provide a compelling offer, you have to bring more to the table than just free snacks and coffee. Candidates are looking for companies with strong values and benefits that demonstrate respect for their employees.
7 ways to stand out and attract top talent
Here are six things to consider the next time you’re looking to bring in and attract top talent in IT:
1) Offer a competitive salary
Salaries will have wide ranges based on numerous factors, such as your location, job title, work experience, and more. Before listing a job, it’s important to conduct a competitive analysis of salaries around your area and within your field to see where you stand.
With sites like Zippia, you can search the job title (along with any other relevant titles) and pull average salary info based on location. Armed with this knowledge, you can make a salary decision that will give you a leg up on the competition.
2) Get creative with your benefits package
When you think about benefits, many companies usually think about the standard benefits packages – health insurance (including dental and vision), paid time off, parental paid leave, and retirement benefits. But, as candidates find themselves with a variety of companies to choose from, a unique benefits package is a great way to stand out.
Some options may include:
- Internet or phone plan stipend for remote employees
- Company-wide mental health days
- Fitness reimbursement
- Ergonomic desk accessories, such as a standing desk
- Annual performance bonuses
3) Flexibility to work remotely
According to research conducted by Bowman Williams in 2021 (PDF), 68.57% of MSPs surveyed planned on embracing the work-from-home model.
This emphasis on remote work is echoed in Owl Labs’ 2021 State of Remote Work report, where we find that 57% of employees that have returned to the office prefer working from home. And 1 in 4 total respondents would quit their job if they could no longer work remotely after the pandemic.
When hiring new employees, it’s important to expand your horizons and open up the potential of remote workers. Plus, as an added benefit to your organization, you have the opportunity to choose from a much wider talent pool and attract top talent.
4) Convey your company’s culture and mission
As the job market becomes a battleground for companies looking for top talent, candidates are looking not only at the benefits an organization can provide, but how the organization operates.
Candidates can be more particular in finding a company culture that fits their morals, values, and needs. With a powerful mission statement and unique company culture, candidates may be more likely to want to invest their valuable time into your organization.
5) Create a plan for comprehensive career growth
Candidates want to know that the organization they’re working for is looking out for their best interest, which means more than just the day-to-day benefits you may provide. Most candidates are looking for opportunities to grow their career, whether that’s through direct promotions or extensive learning opportunities.
Be as transparent as possible about the paths to growth within the company, especially if your organization has placed an emphasis on promoting from within.
6) Communicate any unique on-the-job opportunities available
Does your organization offer training programs or certifications for a very niche IT function? Do you have established, well-functioning workflows that may enhance the IT experience? Will this new hire be able to work with any new and innovative technology?
IT covers a broad spectrum of specialties, from cybersecurity to database administrators, and candidates are often looking for experience that will help them grow within their desired specialty. By providing them a look into the unique experiences that your role can provide, candidates will be more likely to apply.
7) Utilize modern tools
One of the most effective ways to attract and retain top talent is to ensure that your employees have the most effective tools, processes, and systems. This is even more crucial for IT departments as IT management tools that are difficult to use or have performance issues can negatively impact efficiency. High-performing IT talent will not want to work with ineffective tools that will frustrate them and slow down their workflows. Employees who feel discouraged by outdated or ineffective IT tools may be harder to retain.
Why is attracting and retaining IT talent important?
Attracting top talent for IT offers many benefits for IT departments. As an IT Director or similar decision-maker, being able to recruit the best IT talent for your business could go a long way to improving productivity, cutting costs and more.
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Cost-effectiveness
According to a study by the Work Institute, on average, it costs businesses $15,000 to replace workers. Hiring, training, and onboarding new employees are costly and time-consuming. In addition, losing employees leads to other effects, such as loss in productivity and decreased employee morale. To reduce costs, IT Directors should look at attracting and retaining talented employees to ensure they hire the right person for the job and keep them engaged and satisfied with their role.
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Boost productivity
By placing top talent in the role that best fits their expertise, they can do work more efficiently and speed up workflows. Less qualified employees are more likely to make errors and take longer to complete tasks.
Retaining top IT talent is just as important as hiring them. Employees who feel valued will be more motivated and engaged with their role. This makes them more likely to meaningfully contribute to achieving an organization’s goals and elevating its performance standards.
Get additional tips, real-world examples, sample job descriptions, and more
Needless to say, hiring new employees and attracting top talent can be a massive undertaking, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Attracting talent is just the first step in a very long journey. Employing innovative ways to attract talent and finding ways to keep those newly hired employees engaged and happy will go a long way to improving the productivity
If you’re hiring IT talent and looking for more advice, check out our new IT Hiring and Retention Guide.
This guide comes with a variety of tips on how you can attract — and keep — more tech talent along with working templates and resources:
- Example job descriptions
- Sample interview questions
- And more!
