Retaining talented IT people is getting tougher every year

Software development talent has become one of the most sought-after commodities in the modern economy. Building both software solutions and mobile apps are vital functions in today's economy, and there might not be enough talent in the world today to meet the substantial needs that exist.

In other words, there's sure to be a fiercely competitive battle to recruit IT employees for many years to come. And of course, once you've landed a talented individual, your challenge is far from over - the next step is keeping them. In a marketplace where software developers are so highly valuable, retention is definitely going to be a challenge.

Retention challenges mounting in IT

Employee retention is always daunting for any business, but the data indicates it's especially tough in the tech sector. According to research from TinyPulse, 2016 has been a difficult year. The company polled employees and asked them "On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely do you see yourself working here in one year?" Employees at large rated themselves an 8.19; among tech people specifically, the figure was significantly lower, only 7.95.

This is particularly worrisome since, as the Society for Human Resource Management pointed out, the total cost of replacing an employee can be up to 200 per cent of their income in a year. The future environment may well place a heavy burden on IT project services recruitment.

What can your company do?

For companies who have struggled with digital IT recruitment in recent years, they're only going to find it even tougher in the near future as the marketplace becomes even more competitive. That's why it's crucial for tech companies to improve their retention strategies.

If you can improve your business, it's easier to retain talent.

One idea is to simply work harder and gain a competitive advantage over other businesses. People want to work for a winner, and if your company is outearning its competitors, people will take pride in that.

Another important priority in IT retention is good communication. If managers and upper-level executives are willing to build relationships with their employees and prove that they care, workers are more likely to stay for the long haul.

Start with impeccable recruiting tools

Retention is always difficult in the tech sector, but one thing your business can do is begin with a solid foundation. If you have great candidates in the first place, your chances of keeping people around are better. And to find those great candidates, there's no better tool for IT recruitment in Sydney than the candidate dashboard offered by The Recruitment Company.

Our solution combines three key elements - video interviewing, skill testing and specialist recruitment - all into one convenient platform. If you want to save time and money while still finding the best possible candidates for every job, you can't go wrong with our free dashboard.

By Dan Brown