The applicant pool has changed due to the pandemic, and employees from every industry are grappling with finding a new role. With 10 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic began, you have the opportunity to attract individuals from other industries that have the skills and technical knowledge you’re looking for.
To do so, your recruitment marketing efforts must showcase the unique roles and technical capabilities of your company. Even if you’re not running a tech startup, you likely have technology ingrained in your processes and would benefit from hiring individuals with technical skills and backgrounds. Let your applicant pool know that they don’t have to work at a tech company to work in tech.
Here are some ways to make your company attractive to those outside your industry.
Review your tech stack
Take a hard look at the technology that you currently utilize in your day-to-day processes. Is it helping your team or making jobs more siloed? Are your processes still manual even after tech adoption? Do you have processes in place that could be improved with technology?
These questions will help you identify your technology needs. If you’ve adopted software that makes a job harder, or you’re needing more automation in certain areas, look into platforms that are used in your industry. It’s appealing to pay less for clunky programs, but they’ll end up making your team work harder, and you’ll lose out on candidates who are looking for innovative companies.
Get help from your team
And when it comes to who can help make your tech investment decisions, your teams that manage your various processes can give you guidance. Your HR team can tell you where your recruitment and payroll processes need improvement, your sales and customer service teams can help you decide if investing in a CRM is necessary, and your marketing team can suggest email marketing platforms that are worth their salt. You likely already have some individuals on staff that are well-versed in technology, so lean on them when deciding what’s best for your organization’s growth.
Core value assessment
If you find your company shies away from change, it’s a good idea to assess what your organization stands for and how you’re approaching your goals. Core values are the bread and butter of your company, so if they don’t reflect a forward-thinking mindset, potential applicants will notice.
You can always look to tech companies for inspiration, too. Hireology, for example, has five core values, each of which is meant to foster an environment of inclusion, responsibility, and growth. These values help us to shape our team and hold each other accountable.
Offer remote work and flexible schedules
Flexible working conditions make a huge difference in who you can attract. The tech industry is pretty well known for offering remote work and flexible hours, so to recruit technical individuals, it’s a good practice to implement. Not every role can be performed “off campus”, but many jobs that utilize tech can, so make sure you include “remote working available” in your job descriptions.
Don’t forget to highlight your remote opportunities on social media and your careers page. Getting the word out will help a larger number of applicants see your listings.
Test technical skills
Skills tests can give you a better idea of someone’s technical capabilities. For roles that require a lot of technical knowledge, it’s important to ensure candidates have what you’re looking for, so using skills tests is a great way to double-check they’re potential fit. You can initiate a skills test before or after you interview a candidate, depending on how your hiring process is structured, and they can be customized for each role.
Skills tests are also a great way to test for soft skills, because even if your candidate has a background in tech, they may not have the right work habits for your company. You can find more information on the various types of skills tests here.
Change your job descriptions
If you include “previous experience in X industry” as one of your requirements for your open roles, you’re dramatically limiting your applicant pool. While industry knowledge is a plus, it is not necessary to have in order to do most jobs. On the job learning will likely happen with your new hires as they get used to a different company, so don’t require candidates to have a background in your industry to apply.
And in order to attract tech talent, highlight the technology that each role will utilize, along with a clear outline of growth opportunities that your company presents. These are huge when it comes to recruiting individuals who are used to working in a fast-paced environment who have plenty of opportunity for mobility.
Benefits package updates
You may have a standout benefits package among your industry competitors, but to secure top tech talent, you may need to up your game. Here’s a list of some common benefits offered by tech companies:
- Parental Leave
- Vision
- Health
- Medical Leave
- Paid Time Off
- 401K Matching
- Performance Bonus
- Paid Sick Days
- Disability Insurance
- Casual Dress
- Happy Hours
- Mentorship Programs
You don’t have to implement everything on this list, but for the things you can’t offer, your stellar company culture, remote work flexibility, and employer brand should help you seal the deal.
Attracting talent from the tech industry is easier than ever. With the right recruitment strategy in place, you’ll be able to hire the best and brightest from any industry. Interested in seeing how Hireology can help you attract and hire top talent? You can schedule a demo here.
