How Tech Companies Can Attract Game-Changing Talent [STUDY]

How Tech Companies Can Attract Game-Changing Talent [STUDY] Close to 8 percent of all workers in the UK are employed by  tech companies, however the future growth of the industry is under threat, due to a shortage of skilled professionals in the sector. There is a similar deficit across the pond in the US, and in 2012, the  President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology predicted a shortage of one million workers over the following 10 years. There are some however, who have a slightly sceptical view on these figures and believe that this talent gap has merely been invented by technology companies as a ploy to relax immigration rules and attract lower-cost talent in the industry. Whichever happens to be true, the same issues still stand when hiring into technology companies, such as finding talent who can have the right skills to compete in tomorrows technology market, expecting much more of them than in the past. Millennial workers are more likely to prefer flexible work arrangements than older employees, meaning a lot are choosing to work as independent contractors.  A 2014 Millennial survey from Deloitte found up to 70 percent of graduates would reject traditional businesses to work independently. Over recent years attention has been drawn to the lack of women working in tech companies.  In 2014, Google, Facebook and Apple (among others) released data showing men outnumbered women two to one, and in technology roles the ratio rises to four to one and higher. But what can tech companies do to attract these millennial and female employees  to their organisations to close the talent gap? Universum completed a study investigating what it is that university students are looking for in future technology employers and how companies can take their responses on board when recruiting graduates. What are university students top career goals? Universum asked university students planning to work in the tech industry what their top three career goals are. The most frequent responses were work-life balance (56%) and security stability (41%). Ways  that some companies are trying to address the demand for work-life-balance, is by building a fun company culture and offering flexible work hours. Respondents were asked whether they prioritise being competitively or intellectually challenged, which received a varied response, depending on region. It was found that students in the US, for example, are much more likely to choose intellectual or competitive challenges over their peers in the APAC countries. Those looking to enter a career in the tech industry did not respond much differently to those in other sectors, other than that they have a desire to become technical or functional experts and are more likely to want a job that allows them to be entrepreneurial or creative. What qualities do university students want in an employer? Students surveyed were then asked what attributes  they look for in a future employer and it was discovered that those aiming to work in the tech industry place the highest level of importance on innovation and attractiveness of a companys product/service lines. Universum’s Iris  is a  Social Media Stock Index named that tracks the social media activity of the 400 largest companies in the US and can help to identify themes in what employer branding messages are sent out from the organisations. It was found that GE use quirky humour in their social media content that will appear to their target market; for example a Badass Machines Pinterest board and Slo Mo channel on YouTube. What do university students look for in a future job? The top response when asked about what would attract them to a job, is the opportunity for training and development (50%), followed by secure employment and challenging work. Secure employment was found to be much more important to students in the US than those in APAC countries, who look for flexible working conditions. A variety of assignments was something that those in Europe and the US think is important in a job. When it comes to those wanting to enter a career in technology, more than half want a creative and dynamic working environment (55%), followed by a friendly work environment (49%). It looks like the pressure is on for tech companies to ensure the workplace is a fun environment to attract these millennial candidates. What channels can employers reach new talent on? The top three channels used by students to learn about potential employers are their website (65%), social media (60%) and career fairs (51%). It doesnt come as much of a surprise that students seeking tech industry jobs  use social media to research employers more than those looking to enter other industries. Though building a social media presence is very important with the rising number of people turning to these channels to find information on the company, the company website is still the first point of call and should not be forgotten about and should still be used to create a positive employer brand that will attract talent. What does this mean for employers? To fill the talent gap, technology companies need to look ahead and identify what skills they will require from their employees in the future and how they would like the company to grow. Employers need to improve their use of digital channels, as this is where they will attract a diverse base of talent. Strategy should vary depending on the region being targeted, as students in different parts of the world consume information in different ways and seek different qualities in employers.  The future of these companies does not just lie on new talent however, and organisations should also focus on training their existing workforce to introduce new skills that will be needed in the years to come. In order for tech companies to optimise their talent attraction on digital channels, they must ensure that their HR and recruiting staff are proficient in using the right tools and skills to carry out the task successfully. In order to create a great employer brand online, there must be collaboration between HR and the marketing team, as they will have the best idea about how to engage the organisations  audience through social media. Image: Shutterstock

Why Cheating is the Secret to Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Why Cheating is the Secret to Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A whole lot of people are making resolutions right now, and not one of those goals is: I will master the art of cheating. Yet the truth is, all high achievers are expert at cheating, because cheating is the secret to success. When you shadow leading entrepreneurs, CEOs of Global 2000 companies, world class athletes, master mechanics, and prolific inventors: you see them cheat constantly. That is, they spare themselves any extra work, when less will do. They spare themselves the stress of winning popularity contests, unless the prize is big enough. They often ask forgiveness rather than permission, because it’s faster that way. This doesn’t mean they cheat on their taxes, partners or exams. Psychologist Albert Ellis calls their systems “elegant.” They are free of unnecessary psychological or physical strain, as it relates to the process of getting things done. Their actions are streamlined, and wherever possible, they have ritualized what works best into a set of procedures or criteria. They avoid revisiting old drama, feeling stuck, and negativity. They constantly listen to their own insights, rather than the opinions or judgments thrown their way. They’re not addicted to positive regard and they’re not deterred by unconstructive criticism. Consistently high achievers look like they are cheating, because they work faster and produce more and better outcomes. That’s because they observe and measure themselves at the same time they take action, which takes incredible stillness of the mind while the body is at work. Surfers, extreme downhill mountain bikers, and other successful athletes have this mind-body synchronization down pat. That’s why when we watch them perform feats beyond what most of us believe is possible, we often say: “he cheated death.” In fact, these elite athletes make corrections in flight, because they are so deeply in flow they somehow bend the rules of physics a bit. After staying in control of a bad trip, you might hear them say, “I cheated the landing.” They may pull up short or come down with their equipment and body in a less than picture perfect pose, but they continue to devour the course, get big air or tail whip with as much speed as a body can bear (and then some). Successful people in business do the same kind of cheating. They avoid perfection, they go even when they don’t know all the right answers and they don’t strike poses. Do you need help with your resolutions? Do they need to be more adventurous or less conventional? Whether it’s your weight, career or relationship, let me mentor you. Send me your top three resolutions and I’ll give you some guidance.   Email: Nance@NanceRosen.com. Subject line: Resolutions.