Tech candidates are driving the hiring market.
The Great Resignation has solidified the strong position that skilled tech candidates have in the market, in part due to the high demand for their skills across industries, and also due to the vast range of tech companies that they have to choose from.
UK tech employs 2.93m people, with demand for tech jobs 42% higher in June 2021 than at the same time in 2019.
For mid-market tech businesses and startups, this means contending with competitors that often have higher budgets and more resources.
Marketing and branding have never been more important.
So, how can you market your company to stand out to top tech talent?
Venture Capital (VC) investment in tech in the first half of 2021 exceeded any annual records to date, with over $18bn raised by tech firms and nearly 3 million people working in the digital tech economy.
Not only are tech companies pioneering change and innovation, but they are also distributing wealth through job opportunities and investment across all areas in the UK.
There is a continuing trend of demand outstripping the supply in tech – tech vacancies make up a higher proportion of all vacancies in the UK post-pandemic, at 13% in H1 2021, compared to 12.3% over the same period in 2020, according to Tech Nation.
Where other markets are still recovering or stalling due to the pandemic, tech has proven to be resilient and has acted as an important cornerstone to the vitality of the UK economy.
An important area of note for tech businesses is that the average tech salary is up to 50% higher than the average for all vacancies in the UK (and is increasing still).
Beyond traditional monetary incentives, the responsibility is now on tech businesses to focus on their branding and marketing to attract tech talent… but how can they do this?
Whether you’ve focused on your branding consistently and wholeheartedly before or not, it’s an essential part of how candidates view you and your organisation, making it an integral element of your attraction and retention efforts.
An employer brand:
Much of what contributes to a strong employer brand comes down to company culture, whether employees feel valued, and how much an employee (or candidate) feels their career and skillset can progress.
After all, individuals with tech skills have never been in higher demand, which means that they have a long list of organisations to choose from – what makes yours different?
In your recruitment efforts, you should emphasise benefits such as:
These are the benefits you can offer, but it’s important to first align your employee benefits offering with what it is that makes your company different to then align it with your value proposition.
In other words, match together your mission statement, core values and culture with the benefits that you offer to create the most well-rounded employer brand.
Part of any successful marketing strategy is defining your audience.
Each group of tech candidates will have different goals, needs, pain points and characteristics – if you want to have a successful recruitment strategy, you need to define your candidates into groups.
For example:
Experienced candidates
Candidates with 10-20 years in tech.
These candidates will be focused primarily on having a greater work-life balance due to multiple personal commitments and want a job that aligns with this need for greater flexibility and better working conditions.
Additionally, experienced candidates will be attracted to a role that helps them to remain competitive (e.g., offers additional training, certifications, or upskilling opportunities).
Mid-level candidates
Mid-level candidates have likely been in the industry between 4 and 10 years.
These candidates are looking for more meaningful work and higher compensation, having spent some time considering their options in terms of promotions and career skills.
For mid-level candidates, the potential for further training and certifications, meaningful projects, and a strong culture of recognition is important, as these candidates want to be recognised for their accomplishments and not feel as though their career is stagnating.
Entry-level candidates
Usually, entry-level candidates will have spent between 0 and 3 years in tech.
Entry-level candidates are often looking to prove themselves in their role and gain new opportunities and experiences.
Benefits such as gym memberships, commute reimbursement, and a clearly defined career roadmap are very attractive to entry-level candidates, who also want to stay up to date with the fast-changing nature of tech.
Naturally, depending on the nature of the role(s) you’re hiring for, these overviews of each group of candidates might change.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that each candidate will have different priorities for their career and what they hope to get from it depending on their level of experience.
Using your branding, benefits, and targeted approach will make a strong foundation for your recruitment strategy.
Finding an external, specialist recruitment partner is equally important to ensure that industry knowledge and an understanding of the competitive hiring market can be utilised properly.
Being able to access passive candidates and handle the recruitment process efficiently and effectively is what a specialist recruitment agency is for – you can also free up more time to focus on your branding and marketing, too.
Get in touch with the Remit team today to discuss your tech recruitment needs and make your recruitment process more efficient and effective.