The number and calibre of IT businesses in Lancashire are increasing, making it more challenging for each to build an effective team with the available talent. If you’re going to access top talent, you need to stand out from your competitors as a desirable company to work for. Consider the following points of this article to better understand how you can create a business that not only attracts people in the local area to work for you, but encourages top talent from across the country to relocate to have the opportunity to contribute to your company.
Skills:
Many IT businesses in Lancashire likely come under the umbrella of SMEs and may have around 1-3 employees. If you are in these very early stages, each employee should have their own specialism(s), which complement and overlap with their co worker’s skills. However, 80% of businesses struggle to find qualified staff. A solution is sourcing your talent through an IT recruitment agency, who already have a pool of great talent, with the right intersection of skills for small businesses. Read more about the benefits of hiring through an agency in our article here.
Collaboration vs competition:
Every business wants their employees to work well together and excel collectively. However, the grey area between workers excelling through teamwork and the motivational aspect competition brings is somewhat contentious. IT businesses in Lancashire can learn how to build an effective team based on the following:
Competition depends on who you hire. 50% of people improve their performance with competition, while 25% of workers do not benefit and it makes little difference for the remaining 25%. The level of competitiveness you want to initiate in your employees comes back to your values and ensuring you hire people who will thrive within your culture. If competitiveness is a prominent part of your values, you need to be mindful that competition can potentially turn sour, damaging the growth of your IT business.
Collaboration is much more universal. Teams who work well together will communicate more, improving efficiency and the overall quality of work. 86% of executives and employees say poor collaboration and communication are behind workplace failings. If you’re going to prioritise either competitive or collaborative traits in finding a new employee, collaboration is the clear winner to help grow IT businesses in Lancashire.
Collaboration in Google:
Google is often considered to be the pinnacle of exceptional work culture. In Fact, for six consecutive years, it’s topped Fortune’s list of Best Companies to Work For. A study done on their workers’ success born out of collaboration found that regardless of hierarchy, teams with an ‘equal speaking’ code had lower turnover, increased revenue, benefitted from diverse ideas, and were twice as likely to rate their team leader as ‘effective’.
But what can we learn from this? Creating a working culture where employees are encouraged to speak freely and bounce ideas off each other without fear of being shot down is going to increase the quality of your teams work produced and the revenue it produces.
Hierarchy:
Traditionally companies have had a hierarchical structure. However, for those growing IT businesses in Lancashire, and want to have a team that works well together and can share ideas freely, it’s beneficial to have a sense of equality and open-door policies.
You can achieve this by modelling your team around a ‘clan’ company culture, which focuses on a shared sense of purpose, shared goals and cohesive participation.
Attitude:
The attitude of your new hire will be reflected in the quality of their work, their engagement and productivity. 40% of new hires fail within the first 18 months because of poor attitude. Remember, customers will interpret your employees’ attitudes as a reflection of your business’s values, so hiring someone with a poor attitude has the potential to damage your reputation. Highly engaged employees show 21% greater profitability than unengaged teams who don’t think your company is worth their while, ultimately impeding your business’s growth.
How to set yourself apart
The same for IT businesses in Lancashire. Inspiring your customers goes so much further than saying you can provide the latest tech. There are probably other companies out there that can do the same. 64% of customers claim that shared values are the primary reason they have a trusted relationship with a brand. You need to convey your personality through every aspect of your business; building an effective team is an integral part of the process. Your values and your ‘why’ are what can set you apart and resonate with the consumer’s own identities.
Employee Value Proposition
IT businesses in Lancashire can achieve this partly through your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). An EVP is the rewards and benefits your workers gain throughout their employment with you. Some of the best EVPs have a direct impact on your business. It can make your employees feel valued and improve morale. For example, if you provide free healthy lunches and free gym memberships as part of your EVP, it could result in your workforce being healthier and having more energy to work throughout the day.
Your EVP should also be aligned with your values, so when your employee is telling anyone about their work benefits, the values of your business will be communicated at the same time.
Conclusion
Overall, IT businesses in Lancashire can’t expect talent to come knocking at their door without implementing a structure that makes them attractive to employees. Ensuring you have done all of these things will not only make it significantly easier to recruit, but your turnover should also be lower and your employees will be happier, and therefore more productive.
Sometimes making yourself an attractive employer can be half the battle. SMEs, in particular, can have a difficult time accessing talent. A solution to this is using a specialist IT recruitment agency.
At GK recruitment, we have over 20 years of IT recruitment experience for IT businesses in Lancashire. If you need help in recruiting a new IT employee, we can help you find your perfect match. Contact us on 01257 429 499 or email us at info@gkrecruitment.com.
