- A 40% increase in demand for professionals with digital skills in Barcelona.
- The supply of these professionals has only risen by 7%.
- There are more than 2000 new job vacancies for digital talent every month.
- Only 40% of these job offers are filled.
Another difficulty that companies and headhunters encounter is in the complexity of the job descriptions. New types of jobs and the demands of the market make it difficult for recruitment professionals to actually understand the requirements and necessary skills being sought.
Faced with this data, it is inevitable to reflect on what can be done to attract more talent, whether it be national or international, how to respond to this demand and how to foster loyalty so that this talent continues to bring benefits to the company on a daily basis. Here is some advice on how you can go about it:
Flexibility and teleworking
Up to now, we have seen how the tech industry groups together in order to achieve a concentration of knowledge, attract more talent and drive innovation. The true challenge now in response to the growing demand for talent lies in:
Can we attract this talent virtually to create a pool of international professionals?
Undoubtedly, in Wisar, we absolutely believe this to be possible, and only with flexibility and making work execution independent from the worker location will we really be capable of responding to the demands of today’s labour market. Looking beyond the physical location of the company will enable us to reach more professionals and create a truly global pool of talent.
By doing this, opportunities to recruit suitable candidates multiply. Furthermore, this can help to bypass other problems, which Barcelona is currently experiencing, such as high living costs and less competitive salaries compared to other European hubs. If we can have at our disposition worldwide talent, why are we setting limits for ourselves?
Change to company policies
Another significant point to mention in order to keep attracting talent is the need for change in company policies. It is important to take into account that this type of professional does not stay in a company out of obligation, but because they want to. The talent war has already been fought and won by the talent. For this reason, companies must value and place trust in their workers.
This trust translates into being flexible, the possibility of teleworking, flexible working hours, a good work atmosphere…It is vital that the culture of “employees keeping the chair warm” is left behind, in order to pave the path for working with objectives and challenges that drive motivation.
Increase engagement
Without a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the most critical points. Companies no longer only need to communicate effectively with their clients, but also need to do this with their own staff. Attract them, and then, turn them into loyal employees. How can this be done?
- Employer branding: a company’s employees should be the main ambassadors for the company and its brand; communicating their own experiences in events and on social media.
- Adapt the position, not the people: take advantage of the best abilities of each employee by adapting the job to them. Conducting training programmes can bring huge benefits by continuing to develop workers’ skills.
Promote loyalty amongst young talent
This is another important point, as young professionals do not always want to stay for long periods of time in the same company. Here is some advice on how to achieve it:
- Connect the talent to the company’s international network to allow for geographic mobility.
- Allow for personal exploration and growth: such as tech challenges or hackathons to foster personal development and growth
- Attract online and offline talent: On sites such as LinkedIn and Instagram and in congresses like 4YFN and MWC.
Would you add any other strategies? Have you tried any of the above? In Wisar we are experts in attracting digital talent. If you want to incorporate the type of employee who will drive and inspire the digital transformation of your business, then, contact our team of specialists.
