5 simple HR policies that will help you attract and keep tech talents in 2023

2022 was a year with many ups and downs for tech talents and industry sectors, including the HR sector. It saw a period called the great resignation, inspired by the pandemic that spilt over from 2021 to 2022.

While the great resignation was an era where people quit their jobs, 2022 also saw massive layoffs, and hiring freezes by many companies, especially in the tech industry, which had not happened in years.

From economic downturns and uncertainty to these layoffs and employees searching for a better work-friendly environment, the HR department has faces many challenges. But as we start this new year, we all are looking for plans to help make our lives and jobs more manageable.

For HR leaders in the tech space, some of the goals are to attract the best tech talents that are capable of doing the job right and keep them. Nobody wants to hire 3 different people for a job that can be done effectively by 1 person or let a highly skilled worker depart from the organization.

So we consulted HR personnel in the tech industry and spoke with tech talents to discover their expectations in 2023. This article reveals five simple HR policies that will help you attract and keep tech talents this year.

Read Also: The Nigerian tech ecosystem had its fair share of challenges in 2022. These are worth remembering

Create the perfect candidate persona

Creating a candidate persona is one strategy for attracting the best talent as the tech talent pool deepens. As HR professionals, it will enable you to tailor your talent acquisition strategies to the types of candidates you wish to draw to your companies.

Also, HR executives might want to try outsourcing from various online platforms where tech talent who fits these personas may be found. It might also be beneficial to develop an employee hiring/training program that matches the candidate persona and leverages cutting-edge HR technologies like an ATS.

Finally, maybe it is time HR leaders slow down from actively taking part in the talent boom period because it will only lead to the overhiring of medium-skilled workers, which will eventually result in layoffs in the future,

Have a strong employer brand

Remember that current or former employees are the best spokespersons for a brand. Building a solid brand with a transparent reputation is one HR policy to keep attracting the right tech talent.

According to LinkedIn, 75% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before even applying for a job. An employer brand holds all the factors influencing someone’s decision to/not to work at a company. It includes the company’s mission, the perks of the work environment, and future career opportunities.

It is the time to put more of an emphasis on developing a strong brand that positions the company as a good employer, and there is no better way to achieve this than by designating your employees as brand ambassadors. Staff referral programs could also be included as a reward. This will also assist in keeping your current tech talents.

Improve employee experience and satisfaction

Every employee has specific expectations of a company, so an employee’s satisfaction level will be determined by the experience he or she has there. In the tech ecosystem, retention may be challenging, especially as there will always be open positions with better perks.

Therefore, HR professionals must recognize the need for employees to have a positive experience from hiring to retirement. Instead of focusing solely on remuneration or conflict resolution, it should actively seek to enhance the employee experience by providing solutions for their day-to-day challenges.

Participate in their growth on both a professional and personal level. Also, be on track with the benefits and perks of your competitors, providing room for employees’ output, especially in their daily tasks.

Introduce a human-centric workplace

Keep your tech talents happy and at ease as an HR professional by creating an environment where everyone is conscious of each employee’s needs, feelings, and goals.

Prioritize people over tasks. This will contribute to building mutual respect and commitment. People’s jobs make a significant impact on their quality of life, so there should be room for empathy and a focus on employee wellness.

76% of respondents agreed that working stress affects their mental health and have experienced burnout, according to research by Mental Health America and FlexJobs.

This is not surprising, especially in cases where employees feel overworked and underappreciated. They lose that sense of a work/life harmonic environment and become disconnected from their job, employers, and eventually jump ships

Reskilling and upskilling of employees

Providing skill, learning, and development opportunities for your staff as an HR leader is one strategy to retain talent in general. Reskilling is the process of teaching employees new skills to prepare them for a different position within the organization. Upskilling is the process of preparing employees for significant changes in their present role.

This not only increases their expertise in the area they are working in, which improves the outcomes of their projects, but it also gives them a chance to take on new responsibilities and grow within the organization, which may result in promotions and higher pay—two things that every employee desires.

Additionally, it gives them a chance to take on more complex tasks, which makes them feel confident and important. This, in return, will help you retain your tech talents.

Read Also: 5 major trends that will define the African tech space in 2023