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EMPLOYEES TEND
TO WORK HARDER WHEN THEY
FEEL EMPOWERED AND ARE
PROVIDED WITH FLEXIBILITY AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK REMOTELY.
the other side of the coin and as there is so
much choice for employees in the industry
both in terms of organisations to work for
and different sectors to pursue, it is difficult
to attract and retain talent.
Today, a job for life is hardly recognised,
making it difficult for organisations to retain
a steady workforce. Although this idea may
have diminished several years ago, typically
people only moved jobs perhaps four or five
times. Today, the millennial generation is
taught to expect over 10 different jobs which
may span across varying industries. It is
understandable as people want to grow and
develop as well as feel valued and challenged.
While changing jobs frequently means
employees have a broad spectrum of
skills and knowledge, it has left some
organisations unable to keep refined talent
or experts within a particular field. This job
hopping can have an impact when it comes
to skilled roles like engineering – as a critical
part of this role is down to experience and
time served. But if businesses keep their staff
happy by providing them with access to new
experiences and challenges then this doesn’t
have to be an obstacle.
In addition, we are in a time where tech
start-ups are growing and these businesses
offer a young culture with an attractive work
environment. Look at businesses such as
Facebook and Google – they were founded
with a millennium start-up mentality and are
based on a campus offering a dynamic and
different work culture. But employees move
on from these organisations showing it isn’t
all about the perks – the way to keep talent is
to value employees, utilise them and provide
them with the opportunity to grow in the
company. Providing the younger generation
with the right tools and applications to
facilitate development is also critical.
In addition, employees tend to work harder
when they feel empowered and are provided
with flexibility and opportunities to work
remotely, which can help to not only foster
trust and nurture a positive relationship, but it
allows businesses to pull from a greater range
of talent – focusing on the best person for the
job, rather than being restricted by location.
Shrinking the skills gap
New recruits can fit in well with the team,
be on a competitive salary and enjoy
the culture but ultimately get attracted
by a different company. It appears as
though there is a job around every corner
and employees are tempted via LinkedIn
recruiters on a weekly if not daily basis. In addition, it’s important to focus on
recruitment at the grass roots – technology
companies can set themselves apart and
attract and retain talent by developing
relationships with universities, offering
supportive and structured programmes for
all employees and looking at recruitment
through apprenticeships as well as graduate
programmes. Collaboration is also a key part
of this and it is important to establish young
ambassadors within the company, not only
to advocate but also to voice any concerns
and work as part of the team.
You might only have to catch someone
on a bad or stressful day and they could
make a jump. Especially if they feel they are
undervalued or are not experiencing new
possibilities in their current assignment. New and young employees can also bring
innovative ways to work. Fresh ideas can
help to break the mould and change some of
the bad habits we fall into – so it’s important
to embrace their ideas, bring new starters
Recruiting talent is a
competitive business
40
INTELLIGENTCIO
into different areas of the business and also
to show them they are valued.
There is a move towards industry
collaboration when it comes to diversity
and inclusion, and this is something we are
getting better at. There are many advocates
that talk about diversity and numerous
networking events which run throughout the
year, but this is something we can do more
of when it comes to talking about youth in
the sector.
However, one major factor that is not as
widely addressed when it comes to the
skills gap is ensuring that as a business, we
are including everyone regardless of age or
gender. Millennials are of course a critical
part of this conversation and we should
do more to support their inclusion but it’s
fundamental to ensure we look full circle.
Diversity and balance are key but the skills
gap can be felt in all areas of the business
and it’s important to ensure that as an
industry we are fully inclusive regardless of
age and gender.
Attracting and retaining talent is key
The technology space is becoming more
exciting and there is no shortage of interest
but it’s about attracting and retaining the
right people. Part of this reignited interest in
technology is due to the rise in innovations
such as 5G, Smart Cities and Artificial
Intelligence (AI). It’s exciting and tangible,
almost every aspect of our lives is touched
by technology in some way and people
want to be a part of this development. At
one point, networking was a silent given – it
either worked or it didn’t, but today there
are tangible applications and devices being
created around the network which is driving
more interest.
Technology and the networking space in
particular is an exciting sector to be a part
of whether we are approaching this as a
graduate, as an engineer or from a business
management level. There are endless
opportunities and networking is going to
play a pivotal part in our future. Moving from
technology that was in the background, to
networks that will be an enabler of some of
the best applications and innovations will
support how we apply skills both now and in
the future. n
www.intelligentcio.com