4 Ways to Retain IT Talent in a Competitive Market
There’s no denying the fierce competition for technology professionals in today’s market. At times, this makes sourcing and hiring of the top IT talent extremely difficult. It also places the onus on organizations to retain their current employees, especially when considering the costs incurred during staffing, and a subsequent loss of office productivity.
With a professionally satisfied and engaged workforce in mind, here are a few ideas on how to keep your technology talent in house. Leverage these insights to make your company as productive and successful as possible.
Provide Opportunities for Growth and Development
IT professionals typically want to keep growing throughout their careers. This includes technical development and potentially a move into management. As such, your company needs to provide a robust training program and tuition reimbursement as benefits.
In the case of tuition reimbursement, require employees to sign an agreement to stay with your firm for a period after accepting the benefit. They get the advanced education to develop their skills, while you gain additional certainty when it comes to retention.
A Welcoming Culture Focused on Retention
Fostering an organizational culture focused on collaboration and community also helps keep your best employees professionally satisfied. This dovetails nicely with the Agile and DevOps methodologies currently popular in the tech world. Your onboarding process also needs to reflect this kind of culture, as making new hires feel welcome raises your chances of retaining them.
Two-Way Feedback and Communication is Essential
Maintain an open communication policy when it comes to interacting with your staff. Offering and receiving feedback in real time ensures everyone stays on the same page, with trust and confidence increasing as a result. This approach helps improve the quality of feedback you receive from your team, while letting them feel like they are contributing to the success of the company.
Plant the Seeds of Retention When Engaging your Hiring Process
In essence, a retention strategy begins when your organization starts to look for a new IT employee. Using a well-considered staffing process that focuses on fit, in addition to tech skills and experience, is the smart call. As noted earlier, when a new employee feels comfortable in your office, chances are better they are in it for the long haul.
When you need additional advice on building a great team at your organization, speak with the experts at Digital Prospectors. As one of the top technical staffing agencies in New England, we provide talented IT candidates able to make a great fit in your organization. Connect with our top tech recruiters today.