Every Candidate is a Software Developer Now
The lengths tech companies have gone to in order to attract the best software engineers away from their competitors is the stuff of legends. Is travel a top priority for your life? Maybe consider taking the job at AirBnB, who gives every employee $2,000 to travel anywhere they’d like every year. Tired of having to drop off kids at daycare during your commute? Google’s on-site childcare is awfully appealing, isn’t it? Even going to get a haircut isn’t a pressing concern for the employees of Dropbox, who frequent the company’s on-site barber shop in between meetings.
Early in my career, I was working in the tech industry in San Francisco and saw this kind of benefits arms race firsthand. It was as true years ago as it is today—there just isn’t enough developer talent to go around. With so many of Silicon Valley’s companies at the mercy of the candidate pool for qualified tech talent, it’s no wonder the big players all take their perks and employer brand very seriously.
Even in 2021, there’s a huge shortage of tech talent—and the pandemic has only worked to intensify the so-called “tech talent war.” Nearly 80% of tech leaders are concerned about filling hiring needs, and that means all of the cards are in the hands of the candidates those employers need. That means better perks, a stronger sales pitch to candidates, and considerations for things like remote work and flexible vacation hours that might have been unheard of even a few short years ago.
At this point, you’re probably thanking your lucky stars that you are not, in fact, working to recruit for a tech company. It could always be tougher to land the talent you need, right? The grass is always greener…Right?
Allow me to be the first to officially burst that bubble and declare in no uncertain terms that in 2021 and beyond, every candidate might as well be a software developer.
That’s because you’re going to need to go about attracting executive talent the same way the Googles of the world do. Don’t worry—this isn’t an impossible task. But before I move onto what I think the most impactful steps you can take right now to stay competitive are, let’s answer a simple question: Why is this happening?
Simple questions rarely have simple answers, but in this case, the reason for the shift in candidate expectations is appropriately basic: Candidates in every industry have adapted to a more flexible working environment, they expect that kind of flexibility moving forward, and there’s nothing like a pandemic to give people space to think about what they really want from an employer and a career.
The data backs this up. Nearly half of Americans are still working remotely today, and experts don’t expect that to drop any lower than to 26% by 2022. Outdoor brands are experiencing maintained growth thanks to the pandemic and the explosion in outdoor activity, and with growth comes an increased need to compete for talent.
So, what can you do about it?
I’ve written at length about the importance of providing candidates with a true red carpet experience during the hiring process, and that’s never been more relevant than it is right now. Especially as timelines from the start of a search to a start date are continuing to extend, the current environment means outdoor employers need to get three key elements of their hiring process right:
- Make the path upward clear from the start.
If an executive is going to make a move in this environment, they need to know there is plenty of room to grow wherever they wind up. Maybe you’re hoping to find a candidate willing to make a lateral move, or maybe you’re open to giving the right candidate a step up in their career; either way, the potential for advancement needs to be a core part of your pitch to candidates.
As the old writing adage goes, it’s always better to show, not tell. Include case studies in the materials you share with candidates about how specific employees have grown into new positions and climbed the ladder, so to speak. If your candidate is left with a choice between your position and its clear path upward or a position with a competitor who can only tell them that there’s advancement opportunities, who do you think they’re going to choose?
- Shine a spotlight on your philanthropy.
Back to my point about candidates having the space in the last year and a half to think about what matters most to them, it’s critical that you’re showcasing the impact your organization has on the community and the world beyond your core business. Top talent want to know that their efforts are going to have a positive effect on the causes they value most, and it’s only natural that outdoor executives who are passionate about the outdoors are going to want to see that their employer is making a difference.
“Okay, but what if we don’t have much corporate philanthropy to showcase?” Fix that. Right now.
- Build a personal connection.
This last one might seem obvious, but it’s something that can easily get lost when coordinating busy schedules to find the right candidate for an open position that needs filled yesterday. Ask yourself: how much do you really get to learn about your candidates during the interview process? What does a candidate want out of life? What do they do outside of work? Do they have a family?
In my experience, taking the time to introduce a meeting somewhere in the interview process—maybe it’s a 30-minute Zoom call, or a quick conversation over coffee or drinks—that has nothing to do with the job itself can make all the difference. I don’t make this recommendation lightly or introduce it as another box to check; I truly believe that at the end of the day, personal connections drive everything in the business of hiring. We all search for connection in our lives (now more than ever, perhaps), and job candidates are no different; when they feel a personal bond with a potential employer, that could easily be the factor that leads to a successful hiring decision.
In writing this, it’s becoming clear to me that all three of my recommendations here come back to that last point: Hiring is a very personal endeavor. The more you can do as a hiring manager to think outside of the limitations of a specific role and its duties and responsibilities, the more likely you are to get a complete picture of the candidates you’re hoping will come in and change the game for your business. Likewise, that kind of intentional connection is going to speak volumes more to your candidates than any job description ever could.
With that in mind, maybe those tech company perks aren’t as crazy as they initially seemed years ago. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about catered meals or clear advancement opportunities; if you’ve got it, you communicate it, and the competition doesn’t… Game over.
In other words: Don’t leave anything to chance.
SCHEDULE A 20-MINUTE PHONE VISIT
– – – – – – – – –
About the Author: Tony O’Neill is the Founder and President of Highline Outdoor Group — the purpose-driven executive search firm for forward- thinking outdoor industry and sporting goods companies and brands.