6 Perks That Will Help You Attract Tech Talent

Covid-19 has thrown millions out of work, but there’s one sector of the economy where job seekers still have the upper hand: tech. Whether they’re combating the pandemic’s increase in cyberattacks or supporting the videoconferencing platforms we increasingly depend on, tech experts are in high demand. 

If you’re looking to hire top tech candidates, you’ll need to offer the right perks. Ping-pong tables are so eight years ago, and nap pods aren’t exactly Covid-appropriate. Here are six meaningful benefits your company can start providing instead to attract top tech talent. 

1. Health and wellness benefits

Today’s top tech recruits see workplace health programs as a competitive benefit. Their minds might be working hard all day, but they need physical activity, too. Offering health and wellness programs will help you attract more top tech candidates. Whether you bring in a personal trainer or offer discounts on home fitness equipment, employees will appreciate your efforts to keep them healthy.

One way to benefit your employees’ health — and reduce your company’s carbon footprint — is to facilitate commuting via electric bicycle. Invest in a fleet of Tower electric bikes, and watch your tech talent clamor to check them out. Pedaling on the straightaways will give employees a boost of day-starting energy, while the bikes’ powerful hill-climbing capabilities will ensure they arrive refreshed. The extra sunshine and fresh air they’ll be getting will improve their mental health, too. 

2. Remote work options

When Stack Overflow asked developers what they valued most when considering a new job, 53.3% said remote work was a top priority. And that was in 2017! Now that we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, remote work isn’t just a perk — it’s increasingly becoming the norm.

Tech candidates know better than anyone that remote work is completely possible, so of course they value it. They’ll be comfortable with the communications tools you use to stay in touch and the project management software that keeps tasks moving forward.

Companies that haven’t already made the remote work shift must adapt quickly if they want to recruit top tech talent. Provide state-of-the art laptops so that it’s easy for your tech stars to take work home. 

3. Flexible schedules

Employees in the tech industry work long, hard hours. That’s why flexible schedules are considered a top workplace perk in the tech industry. Flexible schedules go hand-in-hand with remote work. Many big tech companies have already implemented a policy that allows both and have seen huge success.

Dell embraced flexible work culture in 2009 and hasn’t looked back since. After learning how much employees valued flexible work, the company made flexible scheduling its mission.

Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams enable Dell’s team members to do their best work regardless of where and when. And the advantages of the arrangement aren’t all on the employees’ side. Since 2014, Dell has saved $12 million due to having fewer people in the office every day. 

4. Their choice of technology

Tech employees are obviously some of the most digitally savvy people out there, so they know their preferences. When it comes to the technologies your employees use, give them the freedom to choose. At the very minimum, offer both PCs and Macs. Beyond that, you could give tablets to employees so they can easily roam the office and work from anywhere comfortably.

While you don’t want to create a technological Tower of Babel, give tech workers a say in the tools and coding languages they use. If you’re about to adopt a new project management system, say, solicit their input during the selection process. Not only will your tech employees appreciate the freedom of choice, they will likely work more efficiently on technology they like. 

5. Personalized workspaces

Odd as it may sound, sitting at a desk all day can be exhausting. Tech employees know they’ll be doing a lot of looking at screens, but there are ways to make this easier on the body. Companies can stand out to potential recruits by providing comfortable, functional workspaces. 

It doesn’t get much more comfortable and functional than an office chair that doubles as a lounger and a charging station. When employees lie back to take a brain break, the chair’s built-in USB ports can be charging all of their devices.

Standing desks are another healthful option, but you can do them one better. If you want to offer a respite to employees who are tired of sitting, consider installing treadmill desks. Walking will really get their creative juices flowing, and your employees will love them. 

6. Professional development opportunities

In a tech-driven world, things change quickly. Employees constantly have to be learning if they want to continuously develop new skills and stay ahead of the curve.

Not only do professional development opportunities help ensure that you have the best and brightest employees, but top talent will see them as an attractive benefit. Employees want opportunities to learn new skills and advance in their careers. There are so many ways to offer professional development in the workplace: conferences, regular training, and one-on-one coaching, to name just a few. 

An easy way to provide professional development opportunities is through the use of a learning management system (LMS), such as SAP Litmos. Litmos allows your company to present prepackaged courses to your employees, enabling them to get instant access to training and learn new things at their convenience. It even has different solutions by industry: nonprofit, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and — you guessed it — technology.

LMSs are generally quick to set up, easy to manage, and fun to use. All of this makes them ideal for companies looking to expand their professional development opportunities.

The tech industry is booming. If you want to be an attractive choice for top tech recruits, you need to provide meaningful benefits. If you don’t, employees will find another company that better fits the mold of their ideal workplace.

Offer not only benefits that are important to tech candidates, but unique benefits that no other company will have. You’ll thank yourself later when you start seeing the applications flooding in.

Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels

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