Every IT business wants to attract top IT sales talent. After all, the businesses success is linked directly to the performance of the sales team. However, if every IT business wants the best possible talent, there is bound to be a high level of competition. To establish yourself as a competitive employer, your company has to be proactive in incentivising potential recruits with exceptional track records.
Employee Value Proposition
Your company’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is crucial. It’s the primary factor any potential IT sales talent is going to consider when deciding whether they want to pursue a job within your organisation. EVP can be broken down into salary, compensation and benefits.
A desirable salary is always going to be attractive, and pay is the top contender for swaying talent- 33% of employees define it as the most impactful factor. However, wages can only go so high for companies to remain profitable. There’s going to be a limit on how much you can pay, and you need more than an attractive salary to retain top IT sales talent once you’ve hired them.
Compensation is usually performance-related- it can be anything from commission to performance incentives such as a free holiday for the top-performing salesperson of the year. These perks will attract top talent as well as motivating the department as a whole to reach their potential. Only 65% of employees are happy with their compensation. You have an opportunity to outperform your competitors and offer something they don’t that will attract great candidates.
Who doesn’t like workplace benefits? Think about offering perks such as gym membership discounts, discounted healthy lunches, and weekly office yoga sessions. They are a great way to attract and retain your best employees. Providing benefits centred around employee wellbeing will also reduce stress levels. Having happier workers also has a positive effect on time lost to sick leave, increasing productivity and company profits. Offer incentives that are specific to your IT talent’s interests, too. Offering tech discounts or special offers at tech retailers are always going to be attractive. This will aspect of your EVP will only come under more scrutiny as time goes on, as 90% of millennials would prefer benefits over a pay rise.
Storytelling
If you want to attract top IT sales talent, you need to set yourself aside from the competition, which isn’t always easy. 57% of recruiters say that their top challenge is differentiating their company from the competition. Your brand identity works in conjunction with the EVP, so talent can see the benefits of working for you, as well as seeing how well they would fit into the culture. If the culture stands out from your competitors, and you can convey it through compelling storytelling, candidates should flock to you (with the right candidate attraction strategy, of course).
You can do this in the initial job advert. Increasingly, storytelling techniques are used instead of the bullet points many of us are used to seeing. Four out of ten employees struggle to communicate the branding of the company that they work for because they lack a clear understanding of it. If employees can’t identify with their company, why would new hires?
Conclusion
Establishing yourself as a competitive employer can be a challenge. There’s not a simple one-dimensional solution- you need to implement a range of incentives that creates a well-rounded role with incentives. You then need to ensure that IT sales talent can easily access that information, so they’re motivated to apply for positions at your company. However, it can be even more challenging to track down top talent who aren’t actively searching. An IT recruitment agency could be the solution you’re looking for.
At GK recruitment, we have over 20 years of IT recruitment experience. If you need help attracting top talent to your IT business who suits your team, we can help. Contact us on 01257 429 499 or email us at info@gkrecruitment.com.
