As the demand for tech talent continues to rise to meet the growth of a digitized industry, it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to attract top candidates. In today’s job market, a strong culture can make your company an appealing destination, differentiating you from other employers. In fact, 56% of candidates said that company culture is more important than their salary when it comes to gratification at work. Now more than ever, it is vital to invest in your company culture to make sure it meets the expectations of the modern tech employee.
Below, we have identified and broken down five key aspects that your company culture can demonstrate to attract the best potential tech candidates.
Transparency from Leadership
Organizational transparency is vital for both a successful company and a healthy culture, and it is also one of the leading aspects prospective employees consider during their search. A survey conducted by Indeed found that 89% of tech employees care about transparency from leadership, making it the highest-valued characteristic in a company. Transparency fosters internal trust and credibility, increases engagement from employees, and displays accountability among leaders.
Flexibility and Opportunity
Scheduling Flexibility
In the post-Covid work environment, schedule flexibility has taken on a whole new meaning. Research has found that more than half of tech employees value flexible work hours over other scheduling opportunities such as remote work and working from home. Offering flexibility in scheduling is a huge indicator of a considerate work environment that values its people, not just its workers.
Growth Opportunities
Tech candidates are actively seeking out companies that provide opportunities for growth within the organization. Growth is commonly understood as opportunities for upward mobility and career progression internally, but it can also come in the form of your company offering training to provide employees with new skills and knowledge. Opportunities for constant growth within your company will prevent feelings of stagnation and keep the culture vibrant.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE+I)
This component of company culture should come as no surprise, as diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, programs, and initiatives have become mainstays in companies across all industries. However, less well known is the importance of DE+I in attracting top talent. According to the Harvard Business Review, companies with clear commitments to improving their diversity and inclusion are twice as successful in attracting and retaining tech candidates. Your company can elevate its commitments through clearly stated DE+I goals and by providing opportunities for expression and open dialogues to take place.
Innovation and Growth
Commitment to Innovation
In an industry as ever-changing as tech, companies need to invest time, effort, and money into staying attuned to the latest tech happenings and trends, such as AI/ML, IoT, Cloud computing, AR/VR, and more. Research has shown that more than 80% of tech employees say that using modern methods and tools is very important to them. By openly committing to innovative practices, your company can attract top candidates seeking a challenge on the evolving tech frontier.
Risk Taking
A commitment to innovation inherently has some risk-taking associated with it. To progress the firm and challenge its employees, a healthy tech company culture encourages smart risk-taking, adapting to mistakes and breakthroughs as they come. Candidates actively seek a company that trusts its employees, and committing to innovative tactics and taking risks are great ways to display this. In the tech space, risk could mean investing in emerging AI/ML opportunities, but it could also come in the form of modifying employee training to equip your team with more applicable skills.
Unified Purpose
Company culture means little without direction, ambition, and intention. Working towards a unified goal is something that tech candidates are actively seeking in their job search. Additionally, having a strong and clear purpose will attract individuals seeking a close-knit team atmosphere, in turn increasing the fulfillment they derive from their job. Today’s tech candidates do not necessarily want to hear that they are working for someone. Instead, they want to be working with others, towards something, together. Studies have found that fostering belonging in the workplace increases productivity by considerable margins. Put another way, employees want to feel that their work plays a valuable role in contributing to the company’s purpose.
Next Steps with Momentum
As our above insights have demonstrated, your company needs to invest in its culture to attract the best talent and stay ahead of the competition. It is vital to consider what candidates want to see from your company and to incorporate these characteristics in the recruiting process. To learn more about providing your team with training opportunities or for any questions related to attracting top talent, contact our team at Momentum today.
Contributions by Aaron Messer
