It’s no secret in Australia at the moment that employees have the upper hand when it comes to job selection. With a large shortage of qualified workers in the technology industry, it is important that you position yourself to attract the best of the best. 

Successful companies have been defined by many things in the past - financial figures, leadership, years in business, and innovation, to name a few. 

Rather than just focusing on these aspects, reflecting on how well your company manages recruitment and retaining good quality employees is the symbol of success that will define your company in the coming years. 

Here are 7 areas you need to focus on to attract and retain top talent: 

Low staff turnover

Employee turnover is the highest in the tech industry and has become even more challenging with increasing paychecks and more demand. Having a good level of communication with your staff on their professional development pathways, transparency around counter offers coming in from competing companies, and flexibility of work structures can reduce turnover. Having a good recruitment process to ensure better employee/employer fit is a strong foundation to support this. 

Empowered & happy employees

Employee empowerment might seem like an impossible task, but in essence, it is simply giving employees the autonomy to make decisions on matters related to their work. This kind of freedom to drive their work and manage it in a way that works best for them promotes productivity. Happy employees… happy employer! Win! 

Good training

There is no surprise that any employees you hire that work with information technology will need ongoing training opportunities. Technology is changing at such a rapid rate that it works in your favour to support ongoing quality training to keep upskilling your staff which ensures your company is operating on the cutting edge of technology. Younger employees (typically those who are being hired in the tech space) value ongoing professional development and a clear pathway to the ongoing advancement of their careers. When recruiting, you can clearly communicate that an added bonus for joining the company is a training allowance for full-time employees. 

Paternity and maternity leave

Forget free beer or pool tables in the office. One of the biggest carrots that employers are using to attract and keep top talent is generous paternity and maternity leave policies. Spotify this year was highlighted as a leader in this area giving its employees around the world access to six months of fully paid leave regardless of gender or how they become a parent, with the time able to be split into separate periods up to a child’s third birthday. 

Flexible working arrangements

The last 2 years have changed working environments significantly with many people now wanting to have flexible working arrangements. The pandemic has shown us too that it is possible when managed correctly. Consider structuring your role with the option to work from home and in the office, or fully remote. Even flexible hours or part-time options are highly desirable, especially to those juggling families. 

Hiring grads and juniors

These guys will stick around and could eventually be team leads in years to come, they will have a strong sense of loyalty towards your business. Don’t shy away from hiring people who have recently graduated or are still considered juniors. You’ll find their keenness to learn & their fresh thinking may become a real asset to motivating the rest of the team too!

Addressing your online ratings

A lot of candidates look online for reference points like Glassdoor, for example, to get more insight into the businesses that are advertising for staff. Be sure to consider your online reputation and how this might look to future candidates. In the instance you have a less than positive review, be sure to take these responses back to management and address them. Also, reply back to people that have given your company bad ratings and address these potential talent blockers.

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