Why tech employers should focus on brand AND experience

Employer brand is one of the hottest topics in the HR world right now. Especially in relation to attracting and retaining the best technology talent.

Every business is heavily-reliant on tech and the people required to drive innovation.

But it’s not all about looking good. You’ve got to walk the walk too.

And this is where we introduce the other half of our dynamic duo. Enter stage right, employee experience.

Getting people through the door is hard enough. So why waste all that time and money on brand but fail to invest in a great employee experience?

I’ve looked at a few ways technology employers can enhance their attraction and improve their attrition rates, simply by paying more attention to both brand AND experience.

We’ll run through:

• Who’s available?
• It starts with your brand
• Offering a great experience – every time

Who’s available?

It’s tough out there. A 2017 survey by Tech Nation found that 50% of the UK’s digital tech community are concerned about a lack of highly-skilled employees. A quarter of those surveyed listed sourcing talent as a ‘major challenge’.

Meanwhile, only 11% of developers are active job-seekers, according to Stack Overflow’s Developer Hiring Landscape report

It’s a candidate’s market. And with most of them passive, you’ve got to work really hard to stand out from the competition and entice them to your business.

It starts with your brand

Defining You

Do you know the one key quality that marks you out from everyone else? Getting key stakeholders to agree on your differentiator is THE place to begin when thinking about your employer brand.

From there you can build out your messaging, look and feel and tone of voice.

Ultimately, you need to nail what’s going to attract future employees.

If you’re struggling to pin it down then ask your greatest assets – the people who currently work for you.

They’ll give you an unfiltered view of your company, whether that be via an internal survey, through your Glassdoor account or whichever engagement tools you’re using.

Playing to your audience

Tech talent knows what it wants.

So, your messaging around what your company stands for, what it does, the specifics of the role and how your recruit will make a difference needs to be clear.

Aside from the detail around job location and salary, potential hires will want to know what technologies you use.

They’ll also be interested in the skills required and how theirs will match-up. Or better still, how they’ll be developed while working with you.

Oh, and don’t forget about the perks and benefits too.

To get this right it’s essential to create properly thought out candidate personas. That way you’ll understand your candidate’s strengths, goals, likely objections and where they spend their time.

We’ve got a free template you can use here.

Show your best side

Your website and social media channels will likely be your targets’ first port of call.

Showcasing a fun and inclusive office culture is essential here. Use up-to-date images of your employees, incorporate video testimonials and even go as far as building a separate online presence for your employer brand.

Just make sure you’re striking the right balance. People will soon see through anything that looks inauthentic or too stylised.

Offering a great experience – every time

Having great perks is always important.

But what’s going to really make the difference is the way you treat tech talent from the very first interaction.

Show you really care rather than simply offering a sales pitch.

Rethink your application process

Sending your prospective hires to the dreaded ‘Apply Now’ button, only for them to upload their CV and STILL be asked to fill out forms is no one’s idea of fun.

It’s also extremely cold.

A personalised LinkedIn message, a real conversation and offering your candidates something of value (an article about you or a team video) is a far better way to go about your recruitment.

However you make contact, it’s important to get to know your candidates and build a relationship.

Give your interviewees an experience they won’t forget

Show your candidates that the reality of working for you really does match-up to the perception.

Invite them in to meet the team, for lunch, or for a whole day so they can get the full experience.

Treat your candidates the same way you would your customers, whether their application is successful or not.

Now they’re onboard…

Congratulations on making a great hire. Now it’s time to welcome them to the business.

How?

Give them a new starter pack (branded coffee cup, pens, USB stick), make them a Gif or write them a card from everyone in the office, including the CEO.

Aside from the fluffy stuff, plan out their first weeks or month with your organisation and send it across before they start. Your new hire will then hit the ground running.

There’s loads more ideas around how to improve candidate experience in our tip sheet.

Ultimately, looking the part is important. But it’s the environment and support you offer that makes up your complete brand offering.

With the tech talent market so competitive, a focus on both brand and experience is essential.

If this blog has struck a chord, then get in touch with me via james.potter@bps-world.com and we can discuss what your business is doing.