The need for exceptional tech talent in today’s cut-throat IT market is a no-brainer. But does that mean every organization has the dream team in place? Well, it’s easier said than done. But even if they do source the right talent, retaining that talent is an issue that trips up talent acquisition teams of top organizations. The mounting pressure to hire and retain talent has forced companies to redraw their recruitment campaigns and rethink their employee engagement programs—by going digital.
Recruiters are using social media to source niche technical skills, industry experience, and domain expertise. From hire to retire, India Inc is tapping the power of new-age learning platforms that aid in recruitment, learning & development, and re-skilling initiatives. Apart from using social media, companies are adopting various digital strategies to engage and retain their new hires. They’re harnessing AI, AR, IoT, ML, and Analytics to drive employee engagement through contextual intelligence that drives learning initiatives and advances careers. For example, cutting-edge platforms offer collaborative tools to engage employees.
In addition to the usual hackathons and boot camps, the platform provides university-like programs, online forums, peer-to-peer learning groups, e-learning, learning communities, facilitator-led contact classes, and courses powered by top universities and MOOC providers. Alternatively, company-wide digital skilling initiatives are also executed to up-skill and cross-skill employees across new-age technologies for existing employees.
These programs offer an environment that fosters a sense of engagement, innovation, and creativity. Moreover, companies save a considerable amount of time when it comes to bridging the gap in project requirements and skills. By offering targeted learning modules, employees are on the fast track to skilling up for their next assignment. These benefits ultimately translate to high retention numbers and satisfaction scores.
Today, companies are investing heavily in setting up an innovation centre of excellence. They are deploying cutting edge technologies to kindle a steady stream of creative ideas across teams. A culture of innovation spurs teams to contribute novel ideas to solve business challenges. It incites employees to take a different approach to their work.
To gain a competitive edge in tech talent acquisition, companies should deeply adapt an ‘Employee-First’ approach with employee experience as the core goal. Through means of aligning people, process, and technology, they can create a unique employee experience that ensures scaling and retaining high-quality tech talent.