The tech industry is growing at incredible speed, tech startups are booming, and exciting new roles become available all the time. Yet while the demand for tech talent has skyrocketed, the supply hasn’t kept pace.

Tech talent is scarce. Competition is fierce, and without the promise of progression, benefits, and a great working environment, candidates will look elsewhere. The median tenure, even at the well-established tech firms, indeed, can be as little as one year.

With all the options available in the technology space, why would a highly skilled candidate choose your company? The answer is simple: employer branding.

Employer branding to the rescue

More than 70% of job seekers consider an employer brand before even applying for a job. This makes employer branding a core component of every successful talent acquisition strategy.

In the tech talent war, having a clearly defined employer brand can be a huge advantage that sets you apart from competitors.

But first things first: let’s define employer brand. In the simplest terms, your employer brand is your company’s reputation as a place to work and describes the values your company gives to its employees.

A strong reputation can bring many benefits to your business:

  • 28% reduction in the company’s turnover
  • 50% cost-per-hire reduction
  • 50% more qualified applicants
  • 1–2x faster time to hire

But how do you build it? That’s where employer branding strategies come into play.

Know your unique value proposition

The first thing you need to develop a strong employer brand is an understanding of what makes you special. You probably already have a unique value proposition for advertising your products and services to customers. Well, the same strategy applies when advertising your open positions to potential candidates.

The only difference is that, while your customer brand might focus on innovative products and solutions, your employer brand would present your business as a place for highly skilled talent to work on exciting challenges, with opportunities for career growth and continuous learning.

Take Ultime Software, for example. Ultimate Software has ranked #1 on the Best Workplaces in Technology 2020 list by Fortune. The company slogan is “putting people first,” as they believe businesses succeed when employees are respected and have the support and resources necessary to thrive as professionals and people.

Understand what tech workers really want

If you wish to send targeted messages to the candidates that you want to attract, it’s imperative to know what they look for in a new job.

Research shows that when evaluating a new position, “pay and benefits” is still what matters most, cited by almost all tech workers (93%). But several factors follow right behind, including flexibility in hours and location, the opportunity for career advancement, opportunities for learning and education, and whether the company has a reputation for ethical behavior.

Yet, even though “pay and benefits” is the top consideration when choosing a new job, 92% of respondents would be willing to take less money in exchange for one of the other factors listed.

You can find more insights into what motivates a tech team in this article: Tips From Team Leaders on How to Motivate Your Tech Team and Reduce Staff Turnover. 💪

Share your story

Ok, you have well in mind what your company’s values and mission are. You’ve found your strength: the secret ingredient that makes your company a unique employment destination among current and potential employees. Now, it’s time to share your story.

Remember, just as it’s crucial to advertise your products and services in the right places, it’s vital to promote your business to skilled candidates too. This should start with your career site but should extend to cover job advertisements, stories on your blog, videos, and social media campaigns. There are plenty of tools out there to help your reputation gain credibility and weight — make the most out of them!

Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Cisco are leading the way when it comes to making employee perks known and creating an environment where tech professionals can thrive.

Google has an official page dedicated to sharing information about Life at Google. Microsoft Life is an Instagram account where employees can share photos and videos about their work. Cisco is excellent at using the career page and social media to share stories about their employer brand.

Attracting the best talent in today’s competitive marketplace isn’t easy. But with a strong employer brand, you can get your reputation right and improve your chances of finding and retaining the best employees.

UTOPIC0DE is a platform that upskills software developers and matches tech companies with skilled tech talent. If you want to learn more about how we can help you promote your employer brand and attract and hire the best tech talent, contact us at contacto@utopicode.com.

Learn tips from leaders on how to motivate your technical team and reduce employee turnover here.