Finding & retaining employees in the IT industry How to score in the "war for IT talent"!
Finding and retaining brilliant minds? This is essential for sales optimization, but it's not that easy - especially in the IT industry. IT experts are needed not only in development, but especially also in sales. The shortage of skilled workers in this field is enormous and the "War for IT-Talents" is in full swing! But what is the best way to counter this?
We would like to provide you with some approaches for finding IT employees and also reveal how you can retain them in the long term. Otherwise, the search for IT experts will become an eternal cycle - and not only will sales optimization fall by the wayside, it will cost real money! Let these figures sink in for a moment:
- 38 to 128 thousand euros is what it costs to replace an employee.
- On average, it takes 8 months until a new employee is working productively.
- Even before the pandemic, 124,000 IT jobs were unfilled across Germany.
Finding IT experts
When looking for IT employees, many companies turn to headhunters for support. This is a very good idea, as most of them have excellent networks. But you can also make a significant contribution to bringing the best on board:
Offer freedom!
The home office is now an integral part of the new working world. Even before the pandemic, IT specialists were flexible in terms of working hours and location. They are aware of this and demand this freedom. Think outside the box! Why only offer home office and not go for remote work altogether? An IT expert from Cairo does not have to live on site in Hintertupfingen to work for the employer there.
Communicate exceptional benefits!
To convince IT employees, you have to offer more than just a fruit basket. Can they quickly take on more responsibility at your company? Or perhaps a new department is to be set up? Does your company offer continuing education opportunities that employees can even choose freely? Especially for computer scientists, the latest programming languages, frameworks and tools are essential work tools.
Does it always have to be the best degree?
The IT industry is ideal for career changers! Because: Even someone who deals with IT security or software topics in their free time can do an excellent job, even though they lack the appropriate education. So don't just look at certificates! Often, a motivated candidate without a degree is a better choice than a grumpy one with a corresponding degree.
Retain IT specialists
While many companies spare neither expense nor effort to find their desired candidates, many still do too little to retain them. This not only means that knowledge is lost, but also immense costs (see above).
But where can you start to retain these sought-after IT professionals?
In general, the needs are hardly any different from those of other employees. Whether manager or temporary employee, everyone wants to know that their work adds value, that it is important and indispensable. In any case, this should always be clearly communicated!
However, two aspects play a role with computer scientists that are often forgotten ...
Social responsibility
Social responsibility and sustainability are high on the scale of values for computer scientists. So if your company is committed to the environment or society, you're not only making the world a better place, you're also scoring points with coveted IT employees.
Salary
According to numerous studies, salary tends to play a minor role when it comes to sustainable employee retention. But, IT people can simply afford to pay attention to appropriate pay as well. Experts are already predicting that IT salaries, which are already high, will rise because of the high demand. So adjust the salary accordingly before your employee takes a better paying job.
Granted, finding and retaining IT talent isn't easy. But it's not rocket science, either. And in the end, good as well as loyal employees are the fuel for effective sales optimization after all.
