Hiring Strategies

For the third year in a row, there is a massive increase in the skills gap across industries, with nearly 80% of organizations saying that their teams lack the necessary skills; as stated by the Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary report. The ever-increasing skills gap is the bane of IT leaders who aim to build future-ready tech teams. The age of digital disruption dictates the requirements of the current and future workforce and the existing workforce is unprepared to address the emerging trends and developments of the future.

Hiring their way out of this problem is not an option, say recruiters. There is a dire need for upskilled personnel and every organization needs to identify and provide ample opportunities for its employees to grow and upskill themselves.

Flexible, scalable, and innovative teams are the future of tech. The sooner companies throw traditional practices out of the window the better. Future-proofing teams dictates the success of any organization and ensures it stays relevant, in 2021.

Digital transformation and innovation are happening at such a rapid pace. Companies are feeling the pressure too, which is why they must be building future-proofed teams and ever-ready workforces. Ensuring your team can scale with the changing times, will ensure your teams are agile, scalable, and ready for any market or industry demands. The onus is on business leaders to give their teams the skills they need to keep up and stay ahead. Future-proofing is a team-sport, meaning everyone can, and should, play an active role in learning, growing, and innovating. From taking online courses to attending virtual events like hackathons and conferences, there is an abundance of opportunities available to ensure companies always continue to stay ahead of the curve.

– Brian H. Hough, Founder of Airblock Technologies

Traits of a future-ready workforce

• A finely balanced workforce consisting of both people and technology.
• Tech teams that are characterized by continual learning integrated with their flow of work.
• Future-ready tech teams have a repertoire of skills that will come into use 5-10 years from now.

The ability of organizations to address the skills-gap challenge by assessing the current lack of skills, and predicting skills needed for the future will help them in future-proofing their tech teams. Although it’s hard to accurately predict future demands; due to the fast-paced advancements in technology, there is a set of skills that will never go out of style.

Soft skills. They are overwhelmingly hard to find and the pressing need for these soft skills is tied to employees’ abilities to learn and adapt to change. This agility is becoming increasingly important – perhaps even more than functional or technical skills.

“Communication is the key in every company. It is even more important in the remote company of the future. Remote companies need 10x the process early on, and it pays out later though. A very underrated skill is communicating your progress and status with the rest of your teammates and keeping your project management system tight.”

– Radoslav Stankov, Head of Engineering at Product Hunt

Characteristics of a future-ready tech team

Building the future requires more than just technology; It requires a combination of agility, insight and flexibility. Such teams are open to new ideas, willing to abandon outdated practices, and adapt to emerging technologies.

From AI specialists to full-stack developers, having a diverse talent pool ensures the team can tackle a variety of challenges.

With an emphasis on upskilling and reskilling, these teams are always on the lookout for the next big thing in tech.

Siloed methods are a thing of the past. Future-ready teams prioritize collaboration. Rather than react, these teams anticipate challenges and work on solutions before issues escalate.

The importance of soft skills in building a future-ready tech team

Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. They are often referred to as interpersonal skills or people skills. Soft skills are just as important as hard skills, or technical skills, in the workplace. In fact, many employers believe that soft skills are even more important than hard skills, especially for tech teams.

There are many reasons why soft skills are so important for tech teams. First, tech teams need to be able to collaborate effectively to solve complex problems. This requires strong communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Second, tech teams need to be able to adapt to change quickly. The technology landscape is constantly evolving, so tech teams need to be able to learn new things and adapt to new situations. This requires strong adaptability, resilience, and creativity skills.

Here are some specific examples of soft skills that are important for tech teams:

• Communication: Tech teams need to be able to communicate effectively with each other, as well as with other stakeholders, such as product managers, designers, and customers. This includes being able to clearly articulate ideas. That could be verbally and in writing, or utilizing relevant technology like call center software as appropriate.
• Teamwork: Tech teams need to be able to work together effectively to achieve common goals. This requires being able to collaborate, share ideas, and give and receive feedback.
• Problem-solving: Tech teams need to be able to identify and solve problems effectively. This requires being able to think critically, creatively, and methodically.
• Adaptability: Tech teams need to be able to adapt to change quickly. This requires being able to learn new things, unlearn old things, and adapt to new situations.
• Resilience: Tech teams need to be able to bounce back from setbacks and failures. This requires being able to persevere, learn from mistakes, and stay motivated.
• Creativity: Tech teams need to be able to think creatively to solve problems and develop new solutions. This requires being able to come up with new ideas and think outside the box.

Employers are increasingly looking for tech candidates with strong soft skills. In fact, a study by LinkedIn found that 92% of recruiters believe that soft skills are just as important as hard skills, if not more important.

Here are some tips for building a future-ready tech team with strong soft skills:

• Hire for soft skills as well as hard skills. When interviewing candidates, be sure to assess their soft skills as well as their hard skills. Look for candidates who are good communicators, team players, and problem solvers.
• Provide training and development opportunities for soft skills. Just like hard skills, soft skills can be learned and developed. Offer your team members training and development opportunities in areas such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
• Create a culture that values soft skills. Make sure that your team members know that soft skills are valued in your organization. This could involve recognizing and rewarding team members for demonstrating strong soft skills, or incorporating soft skills development into your performance review process.

By investing in soft skills, you can build a future-ready tech team that is well-equipped to succeed in the rapidly changing technology landscape.

How can you identify and address the challenges of building future-ready tech teams?

Future-proofing activities have led companies to ideate newer strategies and morph their team structures to meet real-time disruptions and demands. Three important areas that need attention are:

The organizational skills gap

The skills gap refers to the mismatch between the skills that employers are looking for in employees, and the skills those employees possess. Persistent skills shortage affects the business objectives of a company, and a stop-gap solution is not the answer. It is difficult to pinpoint any one reason for this. However, a few well-informed guesses would include a lack of qualified applicants and a lack of learning investment in existing employees. Acknowledging that tech teams are falling behind, and identifying the wide skills gap across the organization is the first step.

Learning and development programs

Nearly 39% of decision-makers attributed skills gaps to a lack of training investment two years ago. In 2021, 74% of organizations say reskilling their workforce is crucial to their success over the next 12–18 months. Organizations need to step up and provide suitable learning and development opportunities for their employees, which have the potential to transform market volatility into growth. Forward-thinking companies also encourage and enable employees to apply their skills and interests in different ways.

L&D programs are the need of the hour when it comes to closing the skills chasm. Internal upskilling of teams is an effective way to future-proof your workforce and provide an improved employee experience and higher employee retention.

Check out HackerEarth’s Learning and Development platform here.

Leveraging technology

This one is a no-brainer. Technology, being one of the major reasons for the skills gap challenge, is also key to bridging it, and enabling rapid up- and re-skilling. Equipping employees with the right digital tools to work with today, and encouraging the use of the newest technologies and tools to keep up with the trends of tomorrow must be a part of any project plan to build future-ready tech teams. For example, using the best QR code generator allows teams to easily share information, track progress, and distribute training materials, making it easier for teams to access resources and stay aligned with project goals.

“No crystal ball can predict what the future of work is going to look like. What should we do?

1. Join the community – Facebook Groups, conferences, webinars, etc. – Don’t just watch/read, contribute! It’ll force you to branch out and learn new things to create the content.

2. Demo 2 products every month – this will keep you on the front end of the technology evolution. Even if you have no budget and don’t need anything, always be exploring what’s out there.

3. A/B test and iterate – if things are going “well” – give yourself a pat on the back, and then iterate to find an even better way to do it – and continue doing this, forever. You will NEVER find “the right” way to do things, only better ways. And there are ALWAYS better ways.”

– Mike Cohen, Founder of Wayne Technologies

Future trends: Implementing remote and hybrid work models

The COVID pandemic has left us with some truths. We know that with remote work becoming the norm, decentralized teams spread across time zones will become even more common.

With location no longer a barrier, companies will tap into global talent, bringing diverse perspectives and skills.

Such teams will need certain processes in place to ensure business continuity. For instance:

• Tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams can keep everyone connected, ensuring seamless communication.
• Virtual stand-ups or weekly meetings can help teams stay aligned with company goals.
• Instead of micromanaging, leaders should trust their team, focusing on output rather than hours spent.
• Ensuring that remote team members don’t feel left out should be a priority for HR managers. Virtual team-building activities can foster camaraderie.
• Understand that everyone has different peak productivity times and home situations can also go a long way in bettering the work-life balance.

Future tech teams might also regularly collaborate with AI tools or even AI “team members” to enhance productivity. Instead of rigid roles, team members might switch hats based on the project’s demands, promoting holistic skill development.

There is no doubt that companies will need to shift their current hiring practices and adopt remote and virtual-friendly processes to hire for this scenario. The right set of assessment and interviewing tools will help tech leaders identify talent fit from the early stages. Developers, too, will also need to be adaptable and willing to learn new skills in order to succeed in this new environment.

“If you chase all the trends not only will you not keep up but you’ll likely lose sight of your core priorities. Technology should equip and enable you to serve your customers more effectively and expand the value you create for them. Technology isn’t self-justifying and you shouldn’t follow just any new trend. “Future-proofing” requires a deep understanding of your potential futures! What is your market, where do you have product/market fit, and what are your core competencies as a company? Focusing on the core drivers for your business will enable you to select a set of innovative technologies to keep an eye on and through that focus do a much better job avoiding change fatigue and avoid getting distracted with the latest shiny “innovation.”

– Steve O’Brien, President of Staffing at Job.com

Organizations that invest in their current and future workforces invest in themselves. The key to truly succeed is to constantly experiment, fail, learn, grow—and not be afraid to start the process anew when the world invariably changes again.

“When you work from home, a Tuesday is pretty much a Saturday.”

This sounds like something I would say. Having been confined to my house and working from home for over a year now, I forget what it feels like to eagerly wait for the weekend.

I know I speak for a lot of us when I say I have fallen into a rut – into a never-ending cycle of waking up, working on my laptop for the better part of the day, and then going back to sleep. My days are running into nights as are my weeks into months. I miss the ‘watercooler conversations,’ cafeteria lunches, and coffee breaks with my teammates.

Nearly a year ago, when COVID was just beginning to show its wrath, 88% of organizations encouraged or required employees to work from home until further notice. With the world being engulfed in the second wave of the pandemic, I see no signs of going back to the office just yet.

Companies are well aware of the pitfalls of working from home and are trying to do their best to push their employees out of this COVID-enabled rut. To switch things up and to ensure their corporate culture stays alive, organizations are designing several employee engagement strategies for all the employees working remotely.

What are some employee engagement strategies we use?

1. Communicate regularly with your team

This one is a no-brainer, right? With their entire team working from different locations, managers need to put in extra effort to make themselves available and keep in touch.

Although I’m new at HackerEarth, work remotely, and haven’t had a chance to meet my team yet, I’ve never felt out of place. Simply because every single person in our company prides themselves on being open, friendly, and responsive. I can reach out to anybody, be it my team or the CEO, and they will always be open to talk.

Our VP sets up periodic meetings with the entire team, as well as one-on-one calls. This helps to keep everyone in the loop. My manager makes it a point to regularly ask questions like, ‘How can I help you feel productive,’ ‘How are you dealing with working from home,’ or ‘I’m always available if you need to talk’. The way things are right now with the pandemic, having someone to talk to is important and I know I have my team to fall back on when I’m having a bad day.

2. Host virtual and fun-filled activities

Interactive team bonding activities let employees get to know each other in a more casual atmosphere. This also leads to better working relationships. Nobody wants to sit and stare at their laptop screens for a monologue on how to have fun. The key here is to make these sessions as interactive and communicative as possible.

At HackerEarth, we host MyStory sessions, which spotlight employees’ personal stories and experiences and allow others to learn from them. These sessions are an incredible way to create a feeling of connectedness where every employee is celebrated holistically. We also take some time out every other week to play fun games like puzzlesandFreecell, along with organizing Trivia Nights, organize Pet Show and Tell sessions, Fun Fridays, or even virtual Happy Hours.

3. Define specific goals and carve out career paths for your remote employees

When teams are fragmented, it falls upon the manager to ensure everything is getting done on time. The first week of each quarter is reserved by my manager for us to plan what needs to be achieved in these three months. Setting clear deliverables and specific metrics to track progress helps avoid things getting lost in translation. We follow the OKR model every quarter to evaluate and take stock of the productivity of our team.

Another important thing that falls on the managers is the discussion of career graphs for each employee. The employee needs to know where they fit into the big picture for them to stay motivated. HackerEarth proposes various learning and development (L&D) initiatives for all of us – this shows us that the organization is willing to invest in our growth rather than simply hiring new employees with advanced skills.

In these unprecedented times, it serves to define a career path for them and ease some of the uncertainty that people have about their jobs.

4. Appreciate and reward employees

It is difficult to recognize and appreciate the hard work done by your employees, especially when you don’t get to see them regularly. A virtual employee recognition experience is a must and goes a long way in letting employees know that their work is not going unnoticed.

Simple gestures like saying thank you,implementing an employee of the month program, giving a compliment on a job well done, and then on a larger scale, holding virtual awards have a massive impact on employee engagement,

The HackerEarth Quarterly/Annual Awards is one event that we all look forward to. It brings all our people together and there are fun awards for the New Joiner, Best Performing Employee, Best Team, etc.

On a side note, I will be eligible for the New Joiner Award next quarter, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

5. Send thoughtful care packages

One way of creating a sense of belonging is by sending out fun goodies to your employees. Popular choices of goodies include scented custom candles, snacks, books, etc. SnackNation has whole packages designed around a theme like corporate gifting, retreat packages, workday wellness, and so on.

In the short while that I’ve been at HackerEarth, I received two care packages for two different occasions; one was a new joiner starter kit, consisting of a welcome note from my CEO and company paraphernalia, the second was a very thoughtful and beautifully curated ‘Thank You’ package. Could a girl ask for more?

What screams ‘We care!’ other than a selected curation of feel-good products?

6. Encourage learning and upskilling

Organizations should offer easily accessible L&D programs to their employees. Continuous online learning fosters better employee engagement and retention. A recent study showed that 42% of millennials are likely to leave a company if they do not have enough learning opportunities.

We, at HackerEarth, are encouraged to utilize our skills assessment software to the maximum. The L&D platform helps create tailored, self-guided learning pathways to assess employees’ effectiveness. We can schedule courses non-work-related accordingly, complete them at our own pace, and re-evaluate where we stand. Hackathons are another great way to gather our developers in one place, encourage upskilling and make learning fun.

7. Recreate those ‘watercooler talks’ in a virtual setting

Watercooler conversations are quintessential for no reason other than they form a workplace tradition that spans nations and across company cultures. It is a chance for employees to get up from their desks for a few minutes, stand around near the water cooler, and chat with their work friends.

Come the pandemic, water cooler talks are no longer a thang. With everything going remote, employees miss these little moments. There is a dire need to amp up informal conversations between employees, to boost engagement and morale.

Our L&D team set up different Slack channels to have more casual, non-work-related conversations. Each channel caters to a specific interest area like a WFH (work from home) channel, where we usually share resources, L&D training progress, and any challenges faced. We also have channels for organizing games, discussing the pandemic, and for our daily chitchat. This lets us de-stress as well as have some form of human interaction.

Why is it important to keep your remote team engaged?

Remote employee engagement is a reflection of the level of commitment, enthusiasm, and connection that employees working from home (WFH) feel towards their jobs and the company. Investing in employee engagement is a win-win. Engaged employees experience greater personal satisfaction and become invaluable assets to the company. Their dedication translates into increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability, as research confirms with a 17% boost in the former and a 21% jump in the latter.

If we had to quantify the benefits that improving employee engagement for remote teams can offer, then these would be it:

• Enhanced productivity: Engaged employees are more likely to be productive and proactive. In a remote setting, high engagement can combat the distractions and isolation that might otherwise reduce productivity.
• Better employee retention: Engaged remote employees are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover rates. This is crucial in the tech industry where the cost of losing and replacing talent is high.
• Improved work quality: Engaged employees often produce higher quality work. In tech, where the quality of work is paramount, engagement can lead to more innovative solutions and fewer errors.
• Positive company culture: Remote engagement helps in building a positive company culture that transcends physical boundaries, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among WFH tech teams.
• Enhanced employee well-being: Engagement strategies often include supporting employee well-being. In a remote environment, this can prevent burnout and promote a healthier work-life balance.
• Better communication: Engagement initiatives improve communication channels and collaboration among remote teams, which is vital for the success of tech projects.
• Competitive advantage: Companies with high levels of remote employee engagement can have a competitive edge in the tech industry, as they can attract and retain top talent, foster innovation, and maintain high productivity levels.

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The pandemic has provided organizations with an opportunity to re-examine relationships with all their employees and also redefine their workplace culture, albeit remotely. Creating a positive employee experience must be deliberate and thought ahead.

While businesses are adapting on the fly and trying to keep their entire workforce connected, you have to think about ‘Zoom fatigue.’ It’s a very real thing and leads to employees feeling burnt out from constant meetings, fun activities, and other video calls.

We all crave human interaction, but maybe not so much in virtual meetings, eh?

Strike a balance between live meetings and quick text updates via Slack or e-mail to reduce fatigue. Be empathetic and foster strong relationships with your employees based on trust.

Most importantly, let your team know that you’re there for them in these times of hardship and stress. That’s the kind of trust and loyalty that is necessary for companies to build, in today’s times.