As global demand for technical expertise and digital skills continues unabated, there is growing competition amongst employers to hire professionals with these skill sets. This is particularly true across Asia, where countries such as Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan are seeing heightened demand for skill sets in e-commerce, cloud technology, cyber security, mobile, web development, IT and digital marketing. In addition, we are also seeing strong demand across Australia and Europe. In Ireland, extreme talent shortages in areas such as cyber security, is leading employers to recruit suitable talent from overseas.

As competition for tech and digital professionals increases, here are our top tips to give you the edge over competitors when sourcing the best people for your organisation.

Review your recruitment processes 

In many global markets where there are candidate shortages, jobseekers will often be considering multiple job opportunities at the same time. One of the key ways to ensure you secure the candidate you want is through timely and efficient management of your recruitment processes. Taking too long to make a decision on a hire could result in losing them to someone else. It’s also important to follow up with candidates regularly throughout the process to ensure that they are kept in the loop, and a good recruitment partner can help you with this.

Work on your employer brand 

Strong candidates will evaluate a company’s employer brand before applying for or accepting a job. In China, 67% of professionals say they actively use social media to gather information on companies when job hunting. Therefore, it’s important to be intentional about promoting your employer brand online. Proper management of assets such as your website and social media channels can help you to present your brand in the best possible light. Use these channels to show potential employees your workplace culture and to highlight some of the best things about working at your company.

Look for ‘passive’ jobseekers

Often your ideal candidate is already employed and not actively hunting for a new role so they are a passive candidate. However, research we conducted in the UK shows that 94% of candidates are open to new opportunities even when they’re not actively job hunting. Even if the person you’re looking for is employed elsewhere, they may still be open to an exciting opportunity. A good recruitment partner can help you to access the passive market.

Be aware of shifting priorities 

The way people work is changing, and we’re now seeing a growing trend of candidates choosing roles based on the quality of work and projects they will have a chance to be involved in. In Hong Kong and Taiwan in particular we’re seeing jobseekers increasingly demanding a stimulating and collaborative working environment. Promote interesting projects to your tech candidates in order to create a more attractive proposition.

Offer work-life balance

One of the key trends which is continuing to grow globally, and in particular is emerging across Asia, is the increasing number of professionals placing a higher emphasis on work-life balance, rather than just remuneration. Offering flexibility to your employees with initiatives such as flexi-time and telecommuting can make a huge difference to how attractive your company will be to potential employees.

Be flexible in your criteria

Digital is a constantly evolving and changing arena, so try not to be too rigid in your hiring requirements, particularly if you’re operating within a candidate short market. It is better to hire someone who is dynamic and willing to learn and then grow their skill set with the changing needs of the business. Consider offering additional training if required, this will also be an attractive benefit to a potential employee.

Benchmark your salary offering

In a hyper competitive market, it’s vital you offer the market rate if you’re to have the best chance of securing the talent you’re looking for. Keep up to date with market trends. Through benchmarking your salary rates against competitors, you can get a good sense of what the going rate is for tech talent in different areas and at different levels of seniority. Most good recruiters will talk to you about current salary levels even if you’re not hiring right now.

How much are tech talent earning in your market? For a confidential conversation on salaries call your local Robert Walters office.