The fourth industrial revolution is generating an unprecedented speed of change. As technology continues to transform the workplace at a pace, organizations must understand the tech skills they need today and how their requirements might change over the coming months and years.
Tech Talent is a phrase used to describe the highly sought-after workforce with the skills to drive growth and innovation at technology companies. This could include various roles, including IT professionals, computer science professionals, software developers, engineers, data scientists, and many more emerging positions. Today’s world of rapid digital transformation has created a shortage of key skills in the labor market, with Tech Talent forming a “hot” market. Tech Talent is now sought by nearly every company in every industry. The demand for this skillset overwhelmingly outweighs the supply, driving the growing global technical skill shortage to its highest level. Talent strategies will have to take into account the approach to permanent employees and contingent workers. Retaining the best Tech Talent by preparing the workforce for AI and related technologies can be challenging. Here’s why.
1. The Absence of a Stated Salary
Salary: Depends on Experience
You: “#%&!”
One of the biggest frustrations we hear from job seekers is about job posts that do not include a salary—or even a salary range. There are many arguments why this very common practice is also a bad practice: it wastes both employers’ and applicants’ time, it perpetuates wage gaps, it discourages people from applying, and it minimizes the important financial aspect of work. Tech professionals know they are in high demand and therefore have the upper hand in salary negotiations and selecting the right role for them. Therefore, coming clean about the salary from job postings enhances a company’s employer brand since the organization would be seen as being transparent. Apart from the reputational boost, companies that publish their salary info also receive 65% more applications.
2. A Poorly Designed Application Process
Poor candidate experiences are not exclusive to the interaction a recruiter has with a candidate. Most tech workers hold demanding jobs and often do not have time for the tedious data entry into a complicated recruitment portal. Therefore, employers face the risk of candidates abandoning their applications, dropping out, and moving on to other potential (competitor) job opportunities.
3. Bad Job Descriptions
The impact of writing a poorly crafted job description ripples out to the recruiters trying to find candidates, and to the candidates themselves. Unclear, vague, or confusing requirements impede the progress of finding the best talent. It may reflect poorly on the company brand issuing the job request. And top candidates may be reluctant to apply for a job that isn’t fully explained. Flowery language and excessive adverbs can come off as insincere. Details of the post should include working hours, compensation, and benefits, required tech skills, and duties.
4. Candidates Dislike Long, Irrelevant Pre-Hire Assessments
Tests rarely give the whole picture. Job knowledge tests are good at assessing job-specific knowledge. But they don’t take into account how willing (or able) someone is to learn and improve. Time is precious and it is likely applicants won’t be applying for just one role; if role A involves a lengthy test and role B is a simple form and CV submission, role B will win.
5. Unconscious Bias
27% of candidates quit when they see the job descriptions fail to outline what applicants can expect from the role. Employers need to specify clearly what’s in it for the new hire. Once you effectively describe the job and its required skills, your job posting will clearly communicate the job's expectations to job seekers. In return, the candidates who are right for the position will become more engaged and interested in your job. This will ultimately boost your response quality, and help you get that much closer to finding the ideal candidate you’re looking for.
6. Not Being Flexible
15% of IT talent stated that they would likely ignore job ads that don’t provide post-pandemic flexibility. “Employees’ willingness to change jobs in the current economic environment is a game-changer. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that flexibility can work for both employees and employers, and flexible working is the new currency for attracting and retaining top talent. Employers who want to keep the best people now and in the next normal will need to put flexible working front and center of their talent strategy.
The demand for technology has in turn created an urgent and unprecedented demand for tech talent, and there is a rising requirement for digital skills in every function across an organization. Companies’ increasing focus on digital transformation will drive talent demand and shape the local workforce in 2021. With change and innovation as a constant, companies must stay agile and find new pockets of growth in 2021. As a talent recruitment agency, like Recruit Hero with a strong local market focus, it is important for us to start putting people to work so that we can achieve recovery and growth together. Register today at Recruit Hero and get a 14-days free trial to start posting your jobs. Visit our website and follow our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to learn more.