As the technology landscape continues to transform, with new competitors cropping up all the time, companies need a strategy in place for sourcing, hiring and retaining the right talent.
Unfortunately, finding the people you need is often easier said than done. Research released in 2018 found that technology is one of the areas where talent pools are likely to shrink the most by 2030. Additionally, a study from KPMG found that 65% of CIOs are already facing a talent shortage in the industry.
As technology recruitment gets harder, building a talent pipeline with a specialist like Resource on Demand may be the best way to close your skills gaps.
So, how do you develop a technical talent pipeline?
Step 1: Develop Your Employer Brand
Creating a tech talent pipeline isn’t just about looking for people with the right skills to support your team. You’ll also need to make your organisation as enticing as possible to the people with the proper knowledge. Alongside a competitive salary and benefits package, make sure that your employer brand has what it takes to convince candidates that you have the best opportunities to offer.
Your employer brand is a combination of your organisation’s company culture, values, and ideals, to attract future talent:
- Show the meaning behind your company: Many of the most competitive candidates in the technology space are willing to give up their existing roles to work for a business that makes a difference. Are you using Salesforce Customer 360 tech to improve customer experiences, or data analytics to make the service simpler? Show your candidates what makes you unique.
- Prioritise diversity: Diversity is crucial in the technology sector because different backgrounds and insights lead to more innovative discoveries. Alter your job descriptions to remove any biased language which might make your company seem less appealing to specific genders, people from various cultures, or recent graduates.
- Invest in employees: Show your technical talent pipeline that you’re invested in their growth by describing opportunities for development on your website and in your job descriptions. Just cover the basics, you can come up with tailored plans during the induction process.
Step 2: Source Talent for Today and Tomorrow
When you’re wondering how to build a talent pipeline, it’s worth remembering that you’re not just looking for candidates to fill the current gaps in your team. You’ll also be searching for skills that you may need further down the line. That’s why it’s such a good idea to work with a specialist recruitment team like Resource on Demand, that understands both your business and the industry.
Specialist hiring groups can source passive and active candidates that address the needs that your team might have both now and in the future. Remember, you’ll be looking for:
- Competencies that might be crucial to your team in the future: For instance, Salesforce was the number 1 C0M tool in 2018. Even if you don’t use it now, you may need a consultant in the future.
- The right attitude for your company culture: Most high-performers in a technology company need a growth mindset to ensure that they’re ready to adapt to the latest developments in the sector. You may also need people with strong teamwork and leadership skills.
- Emerging skills and talents: As new technologies emerge, consider looking for talent in areas connected to your company. For instance, if you deal with a lot of transactions, you might need an employee that’s well-versed in Blockchain. Some experts are starting to predict that 2019 may be the year that this technology goes “mainstream.”
Keep in mind that because you’re sourcing talent for tomorrow as well as today, that may mean looking at graduates and people without a great deal of experience. Investing in younger generations is a good way to ensure that you are prepared for evolving trends.
3. Make Sure Candidates See a Future with You
Once you’ve improved your employer brand, and you know what kind of talent you’re going to need to fill your current and future gaps, it’s time to make your tech talent pipeline more appealing. The main reason that a candidate would give up an existing role for tech talent pipeline jobs is because they can see a future with your business that they can’t get elsewhere.
Through case studies into employee development, social media messages from members of your team, and more, you can begin to convince people that your company is the best tech group to work for. Demonstrate your commitment to development for your technical talent pipeline with:
- Coaching strategies: Train your business leaders in coaching techniques so that they’re ready to support new and existing employees whenever your business explores different technology. The leaders with the best coaching skills can even act as mentors for team members in need of extra guidance.
- Personal induction and development plans: Customise the educational options and learning opportunities you have available to suit the needs of each staff member. This is a great way to convince people in your tech talent pipeline that you can help them reach their goals.
- Paths to advancement: Show people that they can earn promotions and additional responsibilities as members of your team. Just make sure your leadership development strategy is suitable for the next generation
4. Maintain Relationships with Your Technical Talent Pipeline
Finally, remember that the best candidates can quickly lose interested in your tech talent pipeline jobs if you don’t keep them in the loop. To maintain a valuable pipeline, work with your specialist recruitment company to build and maintain the relationships you have with possible candidates. Have a strategy in place for:
- Sharing regular updates about your company’s growth and the new technology you’ve been investing in.
- Ensuring that your tech talent pipeline candidates are the first to be invited to interviews and screening sessions when new roles arise.
- Being responsive: If anyone in your pipeline has questions about your company or the opportunities that you have to offer, make sure that you respond as quickly as possible.
All the while, work on strengthening your position in the technology landscape by sharing stories on your blog pages, staying active on social media, and connecting with your technology recruitment team.
About Resource On Demand
Resource On Demand is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Company, now also focusing on growth Cloud markets.
We assist innovative and disruptive organisations to grow their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill Cloud roles that span across Digital Marketing, Marketing Automation, Human Capital Management and the growing Salesforce.com suite of skills.
The team at Resource On Demand have access to an extensive database of key talent, registering over 8000 Cloud professionals each year.
To find out how we can support you call us on 01322 272 53