How Small Businesses Can Compete to Attract and Retain Tech Talent

Attracting and retaining top tech talent is essential for any business, regardless of its size. If your company's name is Google or Microsoft, talent will probably come to you, and if you're a large corporation, you can offer big salaries and benefits packages to attract the best IT professionals. But what if you're a small business with a limited budget? How do you compete in such a highly competitive market when you can't offer the same money or prestige as large corporations? Regardless of the size of your business, it is possible to attract and retain top IT talent.

It's Not Just About Salary

There's no denying that salary is an important factor in most people's career decisions. Fortunately, it's far from the only factor. Many job seekers are prioritizing other benefits that promote work-life balance and long-term job satisfaction over an outsized paycheck. A little extra money looks good on paper, but is often poor compensation for a micromanaging boss, unsupportive work culture, or a dead-end job.

Know What Tech Talent Wants

The first step to attracting top talent is understanding what potential employees are looking for. Of course, a competitive wage is part of this, but there are other things IT professionals want when making a career move. The Great Resignation made it clear that factors like work culture, flexibility, opportunities for growth, and the opportunity to do something meaningful are high priority to many potential candidates. Include questions in your interviews to determine what is most important to your top candidates and get insights into the current candidate market from an IT recruiter.

Promote Good Work-Life Balance

In our busy, always-connected world, it can be hard to disconnect from work. Many people are readjusting their priorities and looking for jobs that will promote a healthy work-life balance. This means maintaining boundaries between someone's personal life and career and finding a happy medium where both are prioritized. Establishing a work culture where employees aren't expected to be available 24/7, allowing them to leave early to attend their child's big game or school play, and encouraging them to take advantage of vacation and personal time are just a few ways to promote healthy work habits. Your employees will be better workers and will be more likely to stay long-term.

Create a Positive, Supportive Company Culture

Don't underestimate the appeal of a great work culture. Employees want to feel appreciated and respected by their managers and coworkers. Creating and fostering a work environment that values employee input, promotes a sense of camaraderie, celebrates diversity, recognizes achievements, and supports career growth will make your company more attractive to job seekers while retaining talent you already have.

Think Outside the Cubicle

The traditional office environment is no longer the only option for tech professionals. More and more employees are looking for hybrid or remote work options that will give them greater flexibility. In fact, there are more job seekers currently seeking remote work options than there are companies offering them, so if the position allows, this is an easy way to stand out from your competition. Although managing a remote team might seem daunting, some workers are actually more productive when working remotely.

Emphasize Company Mission, Values, and Impact

In addition to looking for good work-life balance and a positive work culture, many job seekers are also looking for opportunities to make a difference, and they want to work with companies who hold similar values. If your mission includes making a positive impact in your community or on the environment, emphasize the ways the work you do is meaningful on your website and during interviews. If your company has outreach programs or encourages volunteer work, highlight the resources or time your team gives to benefit their community.

Improve Your Vacation or PTO Options

One obvious way to make up for a lower salary is with increased vacation days or generous PTO offerings. Employees are looking for more flexibility, and a better vacation or PTO policy will improve work-life balance and give them time to recharge and handle personal matters. Your team will be less likely to burn out and more likely to stick around long-term.

Support Career Development

Tech professionals want opportunities to grow in their careers. Highlight opportunities to advance and grow within your company so job seekers recognize the long-term potential of the job. Offer to pay for additional training to allow your employees to learn new skills or technology that will improve their performance in their role. Or support them in earning applicable certifications or licenses.

Additionally, make sure your company fosters creativity and innovation. Technology is constantly growing and changing, and talented IT professionals must be constant learners to keep up. Be open to making changes to the traditional way of doing things to incorporate new technologies, systems, or strategies. If you refuse to accept suggestions from your IT team, you may not only miss out on opportunities to improve your company and stay competitive, but you’ll likely find your top tech talent heading for the door.

Provide Alternative Benefits or Compensation

If you can't afford to increase salaries or offer great health insurance, look for other ways to compensate your employees. For example, bonuses, additional paid time off (PTO), a stipend for commuting costs, a 401k plan, free training seminars, or continuing education programs may all influence top candidates to choose you over your competitors.

Office Perks

If your employees work in office, look for ways to improve the workplace. Consider allowing a casual dress code, stocking the kitchen with snacks and drinks, or making your office pet-friendly. Have fun teambuilding exercises, celebrate birthdays and accomplishments, or have an office happy hour every few months. For the health-conscious, offer memberships to the local gym, or organize a walking group during lunch.

Most employees want a comfortable work environment where they can also focus. Make sure your workplace is not only clean and safe, but pleasant to work in with good lighting, comfortable chairs, and up-to-date technology. If you're trying to hire the best talent, offer them an office space instead of a cubicle.

Sell Your Company

Your company may have a lot to offer, but you'll still have to market yourself if you want candidates to choose you. Don't just rely on word of mouth, job boards, or an applicant tracking system to attract top talent. Take the time to promote yourself on your website and social media accounts. Make sure your career page is updated and highlights the perks and benefits of working for your company. Be active on professional networking sites like LinkedIn to develop employer branding and improve your company's expert authority. Most good IT professionals will research a prospective employer before accepting an interview or even applying to the job, so you'll need to make a good impression long before the recruitment process starts.

Check your company's reputation on websites like Glassdoor and Indeed. If you have a lot of negative reviews, you need to address them, as they could be scaring away top talent. If current or former employees are consistently citing the same issues, you may need to do some housekeeping first to address the problems and get your company back on the right track.

When interviewing candidates, emphasize the positive aspects of working for your business and the things that make you stand out from other companies. Ask questions to help you understand the candidate's priorities so you can emphasize the things that will most appeal to them. Showcase your company's culture by giving a brief tour of the office, showing off the picture of your last team-building trip, or having the candidate talk with potential coworkers. Be enthusiastic about the job and the candidate's ability to contribute to the team's success-- they are more likely to be excited about you if you are excited about them. If the candidate would be moving for the role and your company is in a great location, point out the advantages and attractions of the area. Know what makes your company stand out and be prepared to sell it.

Small Businesses Can Attract and Retain Talent

So, what can smaller companies do to compete with the big guys and attract IT professionals with top technical skills? First, know what employees are looking for in a job, whether it's better work-life balance, flexibility, hybrid or work-from-home options, opportunities for growth, a great work culture, meaningful work, etc. Then identify what makes your company stand out from your competition. Develop a strong work culture where employees can work as a team and feel appreciated and respected by management. Offer perks like bonuses, free food, casual dress code, better PTO, or other unique benefits. Finally, market yourself to job seekers by highlighting your company values and mission and the ways the work you do positively impacts the community.

Small companies have a lot to offer, even if they are on a budget, and some workers even prefer the less corporate and more family-friendly environment that many smaller businesses can offer. By focusing on what top talent is looking for and what benefits they have to offer, small companies, as well as larger employers, can attract and retain the best IT professionals.

Article Author:

Ashley Meyer

Divisional Business Coordinator

Albany, NY