How to motivate the tech workforce post COVID-19

In 2019, we wrote an article on what motivates the tech workforce more than money. Although it was only a couple of years ago, a lot has changed in the wider business landscape. Our 2021 Confidence Index found that after a year of uncertainty, UK tech workers now have their sights set on their next career move with just one in three (29%) planning to stay in their current role in the next 12 months.

Given that tech workers are looking for new opportunities, now is the time for employers to focus on retaining talent and keeping their workforce motivated. Our 2020 candidate research with Universum found that salary is still what attracts most respondents to a role (71%). It also finds that a competitive base salary is the top preferred employer attribute for men, yet only the fifth preferred attribute for women.

Despite the consistent desire for a good salary, many of the motivating factors for tech employees have shifted. Let’s take a closer look at what motivates the tech workforce post COVID-19:

Embracing new technology

A new entry to our motivating factors is embracing new technology. Our research with Universum finds that when choosing an employer, 50% of candidates care about those that embrace new tech. It’s the second preferred employer attribute for men, and the sixth preferred attribute for women.

This echoes the findings of our Confidence Index, where the top two drivers of confidence were the importance of technology in maintaining business continuity (30%), and the technology being produced (28%).

With technology having played such an important role during quarantine in the UK, both from a personal and business standpoint, we might assume that tech workers have a new appreciation of emerging tech’s role in the future of the industry. For example, emerging technologies like big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) all helped the NHS understand the topology and development of the pandemic.

Employee benefits

Another new motivating factor post COVID-19 is employee benefits. Top tech candidates are time-poor and in-demand, so knowing if a job is worth their time is important to them. They want to know about the perks of a job up front.

According to CWJobs’ recent candidate engagement guide, pension (49%), followed by annual bonus (42%) and flexible working/working from home (43%) top the list of preferred benefits. Private healthcare (38%), and learning and development programmes (19%) follow next.

To keep top talent motivated, employers need to adjust their benefits to suite the type of candidates applying for roles. They need to offer benefits that have long-term value with flexibility built-in, as the vast majority of respondents would prefer to choose their own benefits instead of having a set package.

Career development

In our 2019 article, we highlighted learning and development as one of the top motivators for tech workers. We highlighted the need for apprenticeships, ongoing training and engagement with colleges and universities to provide graduate schemes for the next generation of workers.

Although these elements are still important for futureproofing a company’s talent pipeline, COVID-19 has created a more immediate need for employers to close their tech skills gap. Our research with Universum found that professional training and development was the fourth preferred employer attribute for women, and the ninth for men. Overall, 44% of tech workers say career development is an important factor when choosing an employer.

In the immediate future, to retain top talent, employers should look at providing upskilling and returnship opportunities that enable past and present employees to expand their skillset and change career path within the business, rather than elsewhere. This approach can help ensure that companies have the right skills to meet demand and remain competitive as markets continue to recover.

Flexible working

In our original article, we concluded that work-life balance is a strong motivating factor for tech staff. When employees have a good work-life balance, they generally take fewer sick days and have increased well-being.

Of course, all these points are still valid post COVID-19, and many companies now realise the additional benefits of enabling staff to work from home. From increased productivity, to cost-savings associated with office space, employers that don’t continue to embrace flexible working moving forward are at risk of losing top talent to competitors.

Our research with Universum found that flexible working conditions was the top preferred employer attribute for women, and the eighth for men. Overall, 46% of tech workers say that flexible working conditions are important when choosing an employer.

Our candidate attraction guide highlights that the desire to continue working remotely is strong, with most preferring a hybrid working model, where they can choose when to work from home, and when to work from the office. The research finds that 37% of candidates would consider jobs that allow them to split their time between home and the office and almost one third (32%) look for companies that offer flexible working opportunities.

Following COVID-19, companies should continue to provide remote working opportunities to retain tech workers. It can help parents better manage childcare and give employees more control over how they manage their workload.

At CWJobs, companies can also use their profile to promote the work they do in embracing new technology, providing training opportunities, and ensuring employee wellbeing.