To Keep The Best Talent, Be The Best Company
In today’s age, tech companies that want to retain top tech talent need to do more than offer free donuts in the breakroom. Top-tier tech professionals are in high demand, and businesses and recruiters never stop looking for the best people to bring into the fold. That means right now, one of your competitors has got their eyes on your rockstar employees, and those employees may be keeping their eyes open for better career opportunities.
Unless you take affirmative steps to retain top tech talent, you will spend a lot of time, money, and effort trying to replace them.
Here are five things your company can do to keep the best tech employees from taking the next job offer that comes their way:
Listen to What People Are Saying
People like to be heard. Employees want to know that their interests, concerns, and goals matter to their employers. Each employee has different thoughts about what matters to them, what troubles or concerns them, and what they want to get out of their job.
Pay attention to what your employees are telling you – and telling each other. By understanding what they like and don’t like about their current responsibilities, managers, colleagues, and workplace, you can make the adjustments needed to make them feel more content, respected, and motivated. Set up individual meetings with your top performers and encourage open communication without fearing negative consequences or reprisal. Listen carefully and make sure that each employee’s concerns are also yours.
Offer Career Development and Advancement Opportunities
Career development is the most crucial feature that top tech workers look for in an employer. A recent LinkedIn study found that 59% of employees join a company because they believe it will offer them more growth and advancement opportunities. Accordingly, establish and promote a culture that encourages continuing education and provides chances to expand hard and soft skill sets.
Related Reading: How To Promote Having A Friend At Work
Build A Positive and Enviable Corporate Image
No one wants to work at a tech company that consumers and competitors look down upon. No IT professional wants to be ashamed to say where they work. If you’re going to retain tech talent, that talent needs to be proud of where they work and be happy that they’re there.
That involves creating a supportive, creative, and collegial company culture. Establish and promote your company’s brand in the marketplace, the industry, and among tech professionals. Enhance your company’s presence at tech industry events and use your current employees as ambassadors to share their personal experiences about how fantastic it is to work at your company.
To Retain Top Tech Talent, Start At The Top
A company’s culture isn’t self-executing. A noble mission statement doesn’t magically transform a workplace on its own. Leaders and managers are the ones who set the tone, and they are the ones who have the most significant impact on employee job satisfaction.
Hire and develop managers who have leadership qualities, management skills, and values that align with your company’s core principles. They should have the soft skills and emotional intelligence to connect with and inspire their team members. Employees should feel like their manager has their back and truly cares about their career development and personal well-being. Few things will have employees looking for a new employer faster than having a bad boss, and few things will keep their feet firmly planted at your company more than a great one.
Accept and Support Changed Expectations About Working Remotely
The last two years have seen a dramatic change in expectations about remote work for employers and employers alike. Tech workers are being asked to return to the office, knowing that they can do their jobs effectively and efficiently working from home. If your company successfully transitioned to virtual work over the past two years, most of your top tech talent likely wants to retain the option of working at least some of the time remotely. Consider being flexible about your remote work policy to retain top tech talent.
To Retain Top Tech Talent, You First Have To Find Top Tech Talent. GTN Technical Staffing Can Help.
While it is up to your company to take the steps needed to retain top tech talent, you have to first find top IT professionals from around the globe. GTN Technical Staffing serves the tech industry by recruiting the best of the best to work for you. Click here to speak with one of our top tech recruiters, and find out why so many top tech companies trust the Go-To Network for their technical staffing needs.
