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In October, we released our report ‘A Brighter Future: The Tech and Talent Acquisition Strategies Shaping Business Strategy’. We spoke to our Sales Director Jo Fagbadegun about the whitepaper, and why you should read it.
Why did Lorien create ‘A Brighter Future’?
We’re a technology recruitment solutions specialist with 40 years’ experience, so we have a unique insight into tech and talent trends. I speak to clients about their challenges, their needs, and facing competition every day. And we hear from candidates contemplating their next move – their thoughts and their drivers.
We wanted this report to give people at all levels of their company – those with a responsibility and an interest in identifying and keeping tech talent, like procurement, HR and resourcing, or business leaders – our insight into what the future of tech has to offer.
What can business leaders expect to learn from it?
Because of the broad nature of technology, we touch on a lot of subjects; covering core trends, as well as emerging ones. And it’s suitable whatever your business size – from start-ups to mid-tiers or enterprise level. So, in this report you can learn about big tech trends changing business – like Extended Reality (XR), automation or blockchain.
You can learn about workforce trends like generational collisions and why you might be facing retention challenges. Plus, you’ll find out about key growth trends, candidate attraction and competitiveness, and the micro and macro-economic trends influencing business.
What do you think is the most interesting section and why?
For me, some of the sections that resonated the most were “DevOps, Cloud and Connectivity” and “Preparing the Workplace for Generation Z”. DevOps because it shows just how tech is influencing businesses to restructure and develop. DevOps gives companies competitive edge, which is forcing more companies to adopt the trend. This is causing a big supply and demand imbalance that is likely only to get bigger. Ultimately, the companies that stay ahead are the ones that attract talent.
And Gen Z because I have personally experienced a lot of the trends mentioned. For example, I’ve found that Gen Z don’t want formal appraisals, they want continuous assessment and feedback. I’ve had to adapt, and I find it fascinating that this generation that is only just entering the workforce are changing our norms in business so much already.
What tips do you have for businesses planning the future of tech?
In the short-term, tech companies – whatever their size – that use contractors, need to think about IR35 and how that could affect supply. It’s a good opportunity to start looking at the make-up of your workforce and alternative routes for supply – Statement of Work, Employed Consultant Models, permanent resource, and so on.
In the medium to long-term, companies need to be willing and prepared to develop talent. I think it’s important to continuously invest in talent and businesses shouldn’t be tempted to cut corners with training or development.
Whether you’re permanent, temporary, or a contractor, we all crave learning new skills and broadening our experience. So, I think businesses need to be open-minded about tech resources upskilling, reskilling, or moving between departments.
What do you think the future of tech talent looks like?
Change is happening more rapidly and as businesses we need be receptive to these changes. It’s a candidate-led market, but candidates are also now making decisions in different ways, ways that we need to adapt to.
Having a strong, authentic EVP (Employer Value Proposition) will help to attract the right talent. We also need to be proactive about building the tech talent pipeline for future generations. I come from a STEM background (I studied Maths and Economics at university), and I don’t remember even considering a career in tech.
We need to refresh our education system to help us grow diverse, agile-minded talent that can feed our future. At Lorien, we’re already looking at ways to build this pipeline – from our Te{a}ch model which upskills existing employees through to supporting career workshops at local schools.
How can companies stay ahead in the race for tech talent?
Make the recruitment experience enjoyable, easy, and accessible. Think about the process as the shop window to your brand and make it as enticing as possible. Remove self-selection barriers by offering flexible working where you can, promoting diversity, and letting people be open about what they’re looking for.
My view is that in future years, employment will be more of a fluid conversation between worker and employer. Rather than saying “We want these skills, at these hours, in this way”, we will say “What skills can you offer, what hours do you want, and what type of employment suits you?”
We’ll move towards a less homogenised workforce make-up – in fact, I’m already seeing this in how recruitment solutions are evolving. Today, we have more than just ‘Managed Service’ or ‘PSL’. Even traditional MSP (Managed Service Provider) and RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) solutions have evolved – so, what you think they were even five years ago is probably outdated.
In fact, MSPs now cover every part of recruitment and can enhance practically any aspect of business, no matter how big or small.
What this means is that businesses managing their own recruitment need to really invest to keep up, and those outsourcing need to select a specialist that understands their market and their needs and can tailor the recruitment solution to meet those needs.
You can keep up to date on how the tech market and recruitment market is changing through Lorien. We offer our clients regular thought leadership papers – like ‘A Brighter Future’, events, and meet-ups on industry topics. So, you can stay ready for the future.
Enjoyed this article? Read more from Jo here, or download ‘A Brighter Future’ here to stay ready for your future.