{"id":3364,"date":"2024-12-16T14:45:45","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T14:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/?p=3364"},"modified":"2024-12-30T03:56:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T03:56:25","slug":"hiring-in-a-skills-shortage-how-to-attract-great-tech-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/hiring-in-a-skills-shortage-how-to-attract-great-tech-talent\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring in a skills shortage: How to attract great tech talent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia is in a tricky position when it comes to tech talent. We have all the skills we need, but no surplus \u2013 organisations which know how, and where, to look for great people can usually find them, but the options are limited.<\/b><\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not many organisations are hiring, either, so candidates have all bedded down to wait out the market and see what\u2019s coming in the new year. Given these tough conditions, when it does come time to hiring new tech talent, how do you find and lure the best people to your organisation?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Understanding the Australian tech market<\/h2>\n

Shortages in tech talent<\/h3>\n

Australia is fourth in the world for digital skills shortages, with 70% of ICT roles in the country in deficit. Nearly 300,000 more workers are needed to meet the industry\u2019s goals, with some of the biggest need in high-demand roles such as:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Project\/programme managers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Software engineer<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. System engineers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. DevOps engineers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Data analysts\/scientists<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Developers and other critical software roles are expected to remain in short supply through the next 12-24 months, and a lack of internal capability is the nation\u2019s top tech challenge moving into 2025.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Source: <\/b><\/span><\/b>Australian Tech Sector Market Insights Report 2024-25<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Candidates remaining static<\/h3>\n

    Australia is in shortage, but that doesn\u2019t mean there isn’t great talent here. Tech is one of the country\u2019s largest sectors, there\u2019s just no surplus \u2013 nor many candidates moving from one job to another.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    After years of tricky economic conditions, organisations haven\u2019t been hiring as energetically as in previous years (and we all read about mass layoffs in the news). From a candidate\u2019s point of view, it\u2019s not a great market for change \u2013 not many available opportunities, and a feeling of increased job risk. Tech workers are sharing on social media about elongated job search durations and difficult interview processes, leading to a feeling that it\u2019s better to ‘stick with what you\u2019ve got\u2019 and wait out the market.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Unfortunately, this means that for those organisations who do decide to bring on board new tech workers, it\u2019s doubly hard to find great talent.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    How to attract top tech talent in a skills shortage<\/h2>\n

    So, let\u2019s move onto something practical \u2013 the things you can actually do to fill your team with right-fit talent despite the national shortages, and the lack of mobility among great candidates.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    These are some of the quick wins you need to be thinking about:<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    1. Ready to hire? Don\u2019t rely on job ads alone<\/h3>\n

    Advertising job vacancies is the go-to for most hiring managers, but this only allows you to access a very limited talent pool \u2013 those who are actively searching for a new role, in the right place at the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    What you need are passive job candidates<\/h4>\n

    Passive candidates are those professionals who could be lured away from their current employer by a great offer, but who aren\u2019t browsing job boards. In fact, from our own experience <\/span>recruiting top tech people across the country<\/span><\/a>, we\u2019ve found that about 90% come from our network of passive candidates \u2013 not job advertising.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Start dedicating time to networking: hunting for right-fit people online, attending industry events, asking for referrals from current employees, collaborating on community forums, that sort of thing. Or, utilise the services of a specialist tech recruiter who has already built this network.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    This is how you\u2019ll find those ideal professionals who aren\u2019t looking, but could be tempted by your offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    2. Look beyond your own region<\/h3>\n

    The best tech people might not be in your part of the country. And even if you do live in an IT hotspot, your competitors there are also trying to pull from the same market … so what about looking elsewhere?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Relocation and remote working aren\u2019t alien concepts to the modern tech professional. There’s a whole world of high-quality people out there in other cities, states and even overseas. Don\u2019t artificially restrict your talent search \u2013 broaden those horizons and see who else you can find.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    3. Consider internal promotions and skills pathways<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Mentoring, upskilling and career progression are highly desirable perks of the job for people in tech. This is a fast-moving industry, and its best people want to keep up.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    When you need new talent, especially high-level talent, you might find it easier to source from within your company. This won\u2019t always be the case, but promoting someone up the career ladder can help win their loyalty, and it ensures you get someone who\u2019s an excellent cultural fit \u2013 after all, they\u2019re already a part of the culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    4. Get a specialist tech recruiter on your side<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    We know it\u2019s one thing to make all of these suggestions, and another thing to live them. Budgets are always a little tight, and there aren\u2019t enough hours in the day. Plus, with the risk (and cost) of getting it wrong, hiring tech talent in a shortage can be a frustrating, elongated process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    That’s where we come in.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    We\u2019re specialists in tech recruitment across the range of IT, software and project skills, and we\u2019ve already built one of the most expansive candidate networks in the country. You don\u2019t have to go it alone \u2013 we’re a complete recruitment partner, offering an end-to-end service that ensures we do all the heavy lifting, and you get the best candidate available.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Interested? Here\u2019s <\/b><\/span><\/b>more about our tech team<\/span><\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Extra tips for retaining top tech talent<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    The other half of the recruitment battle, especially during a period of shortages, is retaining your best people. Just like you\u2019re trying to win talent from your competitors, they\u2019re trying to win your people from you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    So, what can you do to help ensure their loyalty and keep their employment for longer?<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    1. Ensure you\u2019re paying a competitive rate<\/h3>\n

    You don\u2019t always have to pay the highest rate, but you do need to pay a competitive one.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If we look again at our market insights report from earlier, we see that nearly half of tech workers in Australia are unhappy with their pay rate.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    People generally expect to be paid roughly what everyone else is paid (if not more), and for their pay to grow in line with either inflation, or their peers. Anyone who can\u2019t match that risks losing their people to someone who can.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    2. See what non-cash benefits you can offer too<\/h3>\n

    Money is a big part of someone\u2019s job satisfaction, but it isn\u2019t everything. In fact, in our same report we also saw that higher salaries and higher job satisfaction weren\u2019t always correlated \u2013 factors like wage growth and job benefits contributed to happiness at work as well, and enabled some organisations to offer lower pay while maintaining happy people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The top most common benefits we found in our research were:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Remote working<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Flexible work hours<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Informal mentoring<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Paternal leave<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Policies for dealing with discrimination<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Which of these can you offer too, and can you go beyond? Have a think, look at the budget and see what you can provide your people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n