It seems that for skilled employees, tech companies are the place to be and be seen these days. Competition for jobs is high if you want to work at Google and places like it as they can pick from a wide pool of high calibre candidates, desperate for a slice of career heaven from the biggest and most creative tech giants in the world.
But why exactly is it that everyone wants to work at Google and tech giants like it? Is it as simple as installing a relaxation room full of fish tanks and massage chairs or replacing escalators with zip slides? And how can smaller tech companies use the same techniques to attract and hire the best talent?
Brand name
Of course, many employees are initially attracted to tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft thanks to their global brand dominance. Having a well-known, ‘up and coming’ or household brand name will always put you in a good position when it comes to attracting and hiring innovative IT employees.
But if you’re a small tech company without the trappings of an established brand reputation, remember that what attracts employees to your company might actually be the fact that you are not a tech-giant (yet). And that can be a great way to stand out when looking to hire tech professionals. You might not have the recognisable brand, but what you do have that tech giants like Google don’t, is a chance for your employees to really make an impact; to be a big fish in a small, ambitious, up-and-coming pond. Being able to offer continual professional development alone is an attraction (and retention) tool that many companies undervalue when they are looking to hire top talent. If your company is small – don’t sell your ability to help professionals develop their career short, otherwise you might miss out on hiring quality candidates.
Work culture
This is one of the biggest attractions of all for most employees to tech-giants. Creating a positive work culture, avoiding the drudgery of 9 to 5, this is what will make for a happy and productive workforce. This, above all else, is a reason people want to work at Google and why it is always coming top in employee satisfaction surveys.
Policies like flexible holiday-time, being able to work when and where you want (as long as the work gets done) and the creation of a comfortable working area that is less grey office building and more indoor parks and “innovation zones” are often attributed as key factors to hiring successfully.
Focusing on output rather than hours worked and treating employees well with on-site facilities like allowing pets in the office and up-to-date technology all helps to create an engaged, motivated and happy workforce and there is no reason why these kinds of perks can’t be introduced at smaller tech companies too.
Pay and perks
They come for the career opportunities and work culture, they stay for the benefits. Tech giants offer some of the most impressive staff benefits, which in turn helps them attract employees. The opportunity to work at Google, for example, attracts professionals as it provides an industry-leading maternity package to its employees. Intel offers its employees compensation for completing their MBA and offers free tutoring services to employees’ children.
While small businesses aren’t always able to compete for salaries, many are offering employees a choice of laptops or mobile devices and other benefits like flexible working and additional leave. Of course, salaries in the tech industry are already sky rocketing, but to spark interest before hiring, a competitive salary will be expected by potential employees.
Ensuring you can tick all of the above boxes will help to keep you in the running when the best talent are choosing their next employer. Investing in your ability to offer comparative perks, a happy work culture and differentiating your company from the tech giants will help you to attract and retain the best, most productive and creative workforce. And that investment will always be worthwhile, because, simply: great employees equal a great company.
