Naturally, we all go through periods of having exciting projects on at work which make us fall in love with our roles again; and times when finding motivation is harder. But if the thought of the end of the weekend and another week in work fills you with dread, this could be a sign that something is seriously wrong. Either you’ve outgrown your current role, your workplace has become toxic, or you realise that your passions lie elsewhere in a different position or with a new company with different values. There are some signs to look out for which indicate that it’s time to look for a new job.

Deciding on a career move can be a daunting thing, and that’s why many people try to ignore the warning signs that they should move on.

Today, we share the six undeniable signs it’s time to look for a new job (and how to find one).

1. You Have Stopped Enjoying Going to Work

There can be many reasons people are reluctant to leave the house in the morning, from a commute that is regularly filled with traffic to a lengthy train journey. But generally, travelling to work should not be a time where you dread the minutes counting down until your morning start time. Have you found yourself stopping off for a coffee to delay getting into the office; have you started taking the longer route to work; does the thought of work in the morning keep you from sleeping at night?
Of course, many more of us are working from home now, and so the physical act of going to work might soon become a thing of the past in many roles. But this feeling of dread can become present in morning Zoom meetings, when you’re on a conference call or any time work-related messages pop-up on your screen. A sense of dread when you think about your job is not normal – if this is happening to you, it’s time to make a change.

2. You Feel Disconnected From Your Role

High employee engagement is a characteristic of all excellent employers. Great tech employers will ensure that you have the right amount of work to do; that you’re not overworked or frequently find yourself with few tasks and unsure what you should be doing. You should feel a passion and drive for your role, and a connection to your team and your employer which makes you want to give your best to the job – it was probably there when you applied for this position.

But over time, inadequate management can lead to employees feeling disconnected and then eventually stop caring. It is hard to find enthusiasm for your role when you have become disconnected. Will you ever trust that your employer truly cares about you even if things change in the short-term?

3. You are Taking Extra Sick Days

Taking extra sick days, or taking holidays simply to get away from your job is a sign that something is wrong. It is estimated that 12.7% of all sick days are taken due to mental health problems, which can often be attributed to your current role in the first place.

If your mental health is being affected due to your job, first speak to your manager. They have a duty of care to you to ensure that your position is not causing you harm. Sadly, if the problems are out of your manager’s control, and they continue, it might be time to look for an employer who has an excellent wellbeing reputation.

4. You Don’t Get on With Your Boss (or Your Colleagues)

Having a great relationship with your boss and your colleagues is never a given in any role – it’s always a nice added bonus when you find a role you love, and you get on with your team. But negative relationships with the people you work with every day can quickly become draining, and they can turn a once dream job into a nightmare situation.

There should always be avenues you can explore before it gets as serious as leaving for a different company, but sometimes that’s what it takes. Toxic workplaces are sadly more common than you might think, and although your job might look great on paper, if your boss regularly puts you down, and the atmosphere in the workplace is continually negative and is holding you back from success in your job role and your whole career, it’s time to find a company where you not only feel fulfilled but also happy.

5. You’re Being Underpaid

48% of employees feel that they are underpaid for the work they do – does this sound familiar? When you start a job, the expectations might have been clear, but what commonly happens in [IT] workplaces is that over time, and as you become more experienced within the organisation, you are tasked with more and more duties.

And your remuneration rarely increases with the amount of extra work you are now expected to do. It might be a simple case of your manager not realising how much extra outside of your role you are taking on – but this again is poor management on their part.

Suppose you are increasingly given extra tasks or are performing managerial duties and your employer tells you that you are not going to be paid any extra for it. In that case, this is a sign that your employer is taking advantage of you.
Not all IT employers behave like this – now should be the time to find one who doesn’t.

6. You Feel Undervalued

Aside from being paid a fair wage for the work you do, it is also important that you feel emotionally valued and supported by your manager and your colleagues.

Signs that you are being undervalued by your current employer include:

• your work is overlooked,
• your performance and pay reviews are continually pushed back,
• you’re not trusted to have autonomy in your role,
• those around you are promoted, and you get left behind.

Being undervalued can be a sign that your current employer is not going to support you in your career and that things are unlikely to change unless the entire company has a management shake-up – but you don’t have to wait for this to happen.

Next Steps

Many people stay in roles that are making them severely unhappy and impacting on their mental health because they believe there is no other option for them.

The truth is there are always other options; you just might not know where to find them – and that’s where we come in.

About Inspire People

We believe that technology has the power to change the world for the better and we love working with businesses whose technology or purpose has a positive impact. We help businesses that share our vision access the people, resources and strategic advice they need to achieve their digital transformation goals.

Our service is designed to accelerate your digital growth. We created our offer in response to emerging challenges in an uncertain business landscape: a blend of Advisory, Talent and Project led services that will help you achieve your strategic aims and deliver more for your employees and customers. We’ll connect you to rare specialist talent, experts and insight to help you navigate your biggest challenges and remain competitive in a changed world.

Get in touch today to discover how working with us could help you innovate and grow.

Speak to our expert team on +44(0)20 7871 8550 or email hello@inspirepeople.net

As we are now living in a world that has been changed by the pandemic, your employee retention strategy must be better than ever.

A pre-pandemic Retention Report by the Work Institue (2019) found that “one in three workers would voluntarily leave their job by 2023”. And this has only increased due to significant shifts in the market due to Covid-19.

The effects of the pandemic are going to be felt in tech organisations for years to come, and so employee retention needs to be a key focus in order to ensure you are keeping your team engaged and satisfied in their roles.

Hiring for replacement team members is not something any tech organisation wants to be doing right now, and so an excellent employee retention strategy is essential.

The following 8 strategies will help.

1. Discover Who You’re Overlooking

To ensure you are providing excellent leadership for your entire team and making them feel valued, first, it is essential that you find out if you are overlooking anyone in your team.

IT teams will naturally include individuals with all manner of skills, experience and personality types.

But in most tech teams, there will also be team members who shine brighter than others – extroverts tend to get noticed more than introverts, some team members are more likely to speak up if they have a problem whereas others will try to work through challenges on their own.

As a leader, it is essential that everyone is getting the right amount of support that they need and that you are not overlooking anyone.

Tech leaders will naturally look to middle managers and other higher-profile employees, but to be a great leader, you must ensure the highest level of employee retention – remember that each and every team member must feel valued and supported.

2. Create Unlimited Opportunities for Growth

According to a recent LinkedIn Workforce Learning Report, 93% of employees would stay longer with their employer if they invested more in developing their careers.

Many IT employers will get to the point where they have a great team in place and think that their job is ‘done’.

But continual training and development is a key part of every employee retention strategy, and we find that talented candidates who look for new IT roles often cite a desire to develop themselves and their career further as a reason for leaving.

No-one wants to be stuck in a role where they feel as though progression is an unlikely possibility.

So invest in robust training and development for your team – it can be anything from personal development training to allowing them time to learn new technical skills.

3. Demonstrate Excellent Values and Ethics

The most desirable IT employees are looking for employers with impressive values and ethics.

And this has been accelerated by the pandemic. We are all thinking much more about what is really important to us, and working for a company they believe in is high on every IT employee’s list of priorities.

IT employees are more empowered than ever, with social media and online review culture creating an environment where the need to be honest and transparent is more crucial than ever.

How active is your company at demonstrating your values and ethics? Do you champion diversity and inclusion? Are you financially transparent?

Fail to demonstrate excellent values, and you risk losing your employees to a more ethical company.

4. Give Employees a Purpose

It is not enough to give employees a fair remuneration package – employees are increasingly looking for a greater sense of purpose in their work.

The best way to find out if your employees feel a sense of meaning and purpose in their work is to talk to them.

Ask them what is important to them in their roles, and make any alterations you can to help them feel a greater sense of purpose. This could involve introducing tools to make their jobs easier, and thus, more valued, or working together to improve your products or services to give greater customer satisfaction.

And create a mission statement which helps employees to understand how their work positively impacts the world.

5. Enhance Your Employer Brand

Your employer brand is the thread that links employees to the organisation – all employees want to work for a company which they feel aligned to.

Look closely at what your competitors are doing – if you slip in terms of promoting and maintaining an excellent employer brand, this gives employees the opportunity to look elsewhere and to be tempted to leave to work for a brand with a better reputation and culture.

Your digital footprint is key in creating a strong employer brand which your employees will feel proud to be a part of.

Think about what you post and how often. IT employees like to see that their employer is actively engaged in current IT topics, is invested in the wellbeing of the team and is a transparent and communicative employer.

Get your employees involved in team strengthening events, use your social media to champion your current employees – celebrate birthdays, life events and little wins within the organisation.

And finally, let’s look at how a great recruitment strategy is always essential when it comes to employee retention.

6. Get Your Recruitment Strategy Right

Employee retention all starts with your recruitment process.

When you start your IT employees off on the right foot with an excellent recruitment and onboarding process, this sets the tone for a mutually beneficial employer-employee relationship.

Studies reveal that the better the onboarding process, the lower the turnover.

A shocking 20% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days, and this is mostly down to a poor onboarding process.

Onboarding is part of the recruitment process, and yet many employers believe that recruitment stops the moment the candidate accepts the job offer.

Invest in your recruitment and onboarding process, and you will start to see a higher rate of employee retention.

Finally

A certain amount of staff turnover is unavoidable.

But follow the steps in this guide to improve unnecessary employee turnover in your organisation.

It’s never easy to lose a great employee, but when you work with a specialist Tech recruiter, they can help you create the right recruitment and onboarding process to ensure your retention rates remain high, increasing employee engagement and lowering your overall costs of recruitment.

About Inspire People

We believe that technology has the power to change the world for the better and we love working with businesses whose technology or purpose has a positive impact. We help businesses that share our vision access the people, resources and strategic advice they need to achieve their digital transformation goals.

Our service is designed to accelerate your digital growth. We created our offer in response to emerging challenges in an uncertain business landscape: a blend of Advisory, Talent and Project led services that will help you achieve your strategic aims and deliver more for your employees and customers. We’ll connect you to rare specialist talent, experts and insight to help you navigate your biggest challenges and remain competitive in a changed world.

Get in touch today to discover how working with us could help you innovate and grow.

Speak to our expert team on +44(0)20 7871 8550 or email hello@inspirepeople.net

Finding and recruiting the best technology talent in today's competitive digital world is tough. Skills are in short supply, and nearly every company in the tech sector today has openings that they desperately need to fill to prepare for transformation. In a noisy, over-saturated recruitment market, the key to success is working out how to make your brand stand out to the ideal candidates you want to hire.

While a specialist recruitment agency can find the right applicants for your business, it's up to you to make sure that the people you want to attract get the right impression of your brand when they start searching for information online. After all, these days every professional will research a brand before they decide whether to even attend the interview let alone work for them.

The key to success is presenting an employer brand, or reputation, that resonates with the right people. Linking your organisation to the right ideas, values, and characteristics can instantly make it easier to get that all-important "yes" from a potential hire.

Step 1: Analyse Your Current Reputation

Every business has a brand, regardless of whether you're aware of it or not. Your brand is the perception that customers, shareholders, and staff members have of your company, and it's up to you to shape it in a way that supports your end goal.

Before you can start making changes to the impression people have of your organisation, you'll need to know exactly what's being said about you. The good news is that it's generally quite easy to get an eye on the conversation. All you need to do is search for your name on social media channels, industry forums, and review websites, and calculate whether the general judgement is good, or bad.

If you look like a terrible place to work for because of poor testimonials and angry previous employees, then you'll struggle to attract the best talent before you've fixed these pre-existing problems.

Step 2: Be Transparent

When you work with a specialist recruitment group to list specs for a new position, you'll need to focus on making sure that each potential applicant has all the information they need to decide whether to work with you.

The best technology employers know that recruits want to feel confident and informed when applying for a new role or developing their career. That's why 77.3% of all professionals consider job/role descriptions to be one of the most important resources for an to inform them about an organisation.

Google elevates its employer brand by sharing details on its website about perks and benefits available for new hires while ensuring that every new position is posted with plenty of information about the specifics of the role.

Step 3: Turn Your Employees into Advocates

Everyone in the technology world, from DevOps professionals to Linux experts wants to know that they're working with a company that respects their needs, appreciates their skills, and offers an engaging career environment.

Today's professionals don't just want a fantastic salary; they want to know that they're going to have an incredible experience when they go to sit at their desk each day. If you're going to convince possible candidates that you can offer that next level position, the best place to start is by allowing your existing employees to share what they appreciate and value about working with you.

Staff advocates can enhance your employer brand by demonstrating their experiences through case studies, getting involved with social media, or even providing quotes that you can ask your recruitment agency to include in your future listings.

Step 4: Demonstrate a Strong Company Culture

Recruiting and retaining key members of a technology team in today's contract market is easier said than done. If you want your experts to stick around, then you need to create an environment that's too compelling and comfortable to leave.

Showcase the unique aspects of your company culture in everything you do. For instance, if you offer your IT infrastructure team opportunities to get involved with the latest tools in the technology market, list some of the software you have access to in your job specs. On the other hand, if your systems admin has the chance to work from home on specific projects, highlight your position on available remote working options.

The more you can show what makes your business unique, the more likely you are to set yourself apart from the other organisations in your space who are fighting for the same talent.

Today, there's more to finding and maintaining the perfect team than posting an excellent description and waiting for the applications to roll in. If you want to get ahead in the world of digital transformation, then you need to convince your candidates that yours is an opportunity not to be missed.

About Inspire People

We believe that technology has the power to change the world for the better and we love working with businesses whose technology or purpose has a positive impact. We help businesses that share our vision access the people, resources and strategic advice they need to achieve their digital transformation goals

Our service is designed to accelerate your digital growth. We created our offer in response to emerging challenges in an uncertain business landscape: a blend of Advisory, Talent and Project led services that will help you achieve your strategic aims and deliver more for your employees and customers. We’ll connect you to rare specialist talent, experts and insight to help you navigate your biggest challenges and remain competitive in a changed world.

Get in touch today to discover how working with us could help you innovate and grow.

Speak to our expert team on +44(0)20 7871 8550 or email  hello@inspirepeople.net

Finding the ideal IT experts for your team isn't always a simple process. As larger numbers of IT professionals choose contracting services over full-time employment, the skills shortage has become a serious problem for employers, particularly in high demand areas such as DevOps.

Since your people are key to your success, it's important to make sure you have a strategy in place to retain your most valuable staff for as long as possible. A "Stay" interview could be the perfect way to improve employee retention and reduce turnover. Rather than trying to figure out what went wrong after your employees have already left, "stay" interviews allow you to find and reinforce positive elements in your workplace while addressing any triggers that could be sending your talent elsewhere.

Why Are Stay Interviews So Effective?

While learning why employees leave your organisation is important, it's just as crucial to understand why they stay. Stay interviews give business owners and leaders the chance to make important changes to retain current team members, by offering insights into what makes your people feel happy and productive.

By actively working to create an environment that nurtures your staff, you can make sure that the people you find with your specialist recruitment agency stay with you for as long as possible. After all, people prefer to work for companies that understand and respect their professional needs. With a stay interview, you can discover the reasons why experts want to remain within your team, such as:

• A strong company culture
• Positive relationships between employees and employers
• Opportunities for development and growth
• Feelings of appreciation and acknowledgement

All you need to do is make sure you're asking the right questions.

Question 1: What do you enjoy about your job?

Employees are more likely to show loyalty to a career they enjoy, than one that makes them feel bored or unsatisfied. Show your team members that you value their job satisfaction and by asking them what part of their role gives them the most pleasure. This will help you to determine how you can distribute tasks in the future according to specific skill sets and preferences.

Question 2: What does a good day at work look like to you?

Like the previous question, this inquiry asks your employee to specify what they imagine to be a good work day. This will help your team members to focus on their positive experiences of the different kinds of work and projects they have been involved in while working with your company.

This will also give you insight and guidance on how you can adjust work strategies to suit the needs and ideals of your team.

Question 3: Do you feel your skills are fully used in your current role?

When digital experts search for a career, they look for an environment where their unique talents can thrive. If your team members feel that their experience or background is being under-utilised, then they're unlikely to get much satisfaction out of their job. Asking this question will help you to make sure your staff has the chance to really let their skills shine.

Question 4: What would fully utilising your skills look like?

If you have team members who seem a little demotivated or disengaged and you are not sure why it could be that they feel their skills are not being used to the full. This is where you'll need to dig a little deeper to find out what talents they'd like the opportunity to use further. Ask your team member to describe what the perfect role would look like to them, and explore how you can adapt their responsibilities accordingly

Question 5: Are you recognised for the work you do?

All team members appreciate the recognition from their employers. The right amount and type of motivational feedback will help employees to feel valued when you acknowledge their efforts and contributions.  Frequent recognition is crucial to maintaining high levels of employee retention and satisfaction.

Question 6: What kind of recognition would you like to receive, and how often?

Different types of professionals appreciate different kinds of recognition from their leaders. Asking your "stay" interview candidate what sort of praise they'd like to receive, and how frequently they'd like to hear from you, is a great way to make sure that you're providing the right level of support.

Question 7: Do you feel listened to and respected?

Even if your employees feel that you recognise the work they do, they may not feel respected. It's important for companies in any industry to listen to the ideas and thoughts of their key staff members, and create a strategy for strong internal communication. Opening the doors for open communication throughout the business can help to foster improved creativity and innovation, which is crucial to the technology sector.

Question 8: What kind of support would help you to excel in your career?

Finally, it's important to make sure that your team feel confident and competent in their roles. By asking this "stay" interview question, you'll be able to decide whether you're placing too much pressure on certain employees, or distributing work unevenly. You'll also be able to discern whether your organisation could benefit from additional learning facilities or opportunities for skill development.

About Inspire People

We believe that technology has the power to change the world for the better and we love working with businesses whose technology or purpose has a positive impact. We help businesses that share our vision access the people, resources and strategic advice they need to achieve their digital transformation goals

Our service is designed to accelerate your digital growth. We created our offer in response to emerging challenges in an uncertain business landscape: a blend of Advisory, Talent and Project led services that will help you achieve your strategic aims and deliver more for your employees and customers. We’ll connect you to rare specialist talent, experts and insight to help you navigate your biggest challenges and remain competitive in a changed world.

Get in touch today to discover how working with us could help you innovate and grow.

Speak to our expert team on +44(0)20 7871 8550 or email  hello@inspirepeople.net

The work environment is changing. In the past, professionals spent their time searching for careers that they could devote decades of their life to. Now, generation Y (the people born between 1978 and 2000), will rapidly switch from one job to another without hesitation, often staying within roles for no more than 3 years.

While no company wants to invest their time, energy, and recruitment budget into a business flight risk, organisations can't simply stop hiring Gen Y employees. Generation X'rs and Baby Boomers are on the verge of retirement, ushering a new age of millennial employment into being.

What's more, for the technology sector, Gen Y applicants represent some of the most appealing candidates in the workforce, thanks to their status as "digital natives". So, what's the key to successfully attracting, and retaining this generation?

Who Are Generation Y?

Generation Y, also known as "millennials", currently make up more than a quarter of the workforce. Experts predict that by 2025, they'll account for 75% of all employees. That means that these young recruits are impossible to overlook.

Of course, just like each generation that came before them, Gen Y has some distinct features and preferences that set them apart from older staff members. For instance, Millennials are generally more environmentally conscious than previous generations, and more attuned to what they want.

While finding the right career and the right salary is still an important concern for Gen Y, this group are also actively looking for more meaning in their roles, and better relationships at work. That means that if you want to attract the best millennials for your team, you need to offer a job that appeals both to their tech skills, and their personal values.

Here are 3 tips that can help you do that.

1. Emphasise a Strong Company Culture

Generation Y are looking for meaning in their employment. That means that your technology business needs to show its employees that you stand for something important. From the moment you start your hiring process, think about how you can share your values and missions with your candidates.

Remember, you'll need to build a company culture around your values that's present in everything you do to retain the interest of millennials. That might mean that before you start recruitment, you research the things that matter most to your target group, and consider how you can implement them into your business.

For instance, if your Gen Y business transformation experts care about the environment, show them how you recycle ink cartridges, and complete all documentation online to reduce waste.

2. Provide Options for Flexibility

Besides culture and transparency at work, millennials are also searching for companies that embrace the employment patterns of the future. As remote working and telecommuting become more popular, 74% of Gen Y professionals have shared their interest in finding more "flexible" work schedules.

The technology sector is well-suited to explore flexibility as a business perk. Today, a lot of infrastructure roles and dev ops tasks can be completed using nothing more than a computer, the right software, and an internet connection. That means you don't necessarily need to have your employee at their desk to complete projects according to deadlines.

While not every position will be perfect for telecommuting, it's worth examining your current structure, and questioning whether you might be able to add a little more flexibility into the work schedule from time to time. This can help reduce stress in the workplace while boosting the loyalty of your new millennial staff.

3. Offer Continuous Feedback

Finally, all professionals enjoy being recognised for their work. Generation Y are used to receiving constant communication through instant messaging and texting, which means that they expect the same kind of constant feedback in their careers.

According to a national study, millennials require more frequent communication from managers than any other generation (up to 54% more). This means that modern companies need to support their younger team members with actionable, clear advice and guidance.

For some businesses, this will mean holding regular meetings, whereas, for others, it will just mean sending messages through a text or online platform. According to some statistics, simply showing your Gen Y employees, you care and value their contribution can be enough to double your chances of long-term engagement.

Attracting millennial talent doesn't have to be an impossible challenge. However, today's organisations do need to recognise that this generation presents different challenges for recruitment and retention.

About Inspire People

We believe that technology has the power to change the world for the better and we love working with businesses whose technology or purpose has a positive impact. We help businesses that share our vision access the people, resources and strategic advice they need to achieve their digital transformation goals.

Our service is designed to accelerate your digital growth. We created our offer in response to emerging challenges in an uncertain business landscape: a blend of Advisory, Talent and Project led services that will help you achieve your strategic aims and deliver more for your employees and customers. We’ll connect you to rare specialist talent, experts and insight to help you navigate your biggest challenges and remain competitive in a changed world.

Get in touch today to discover how working with us could help you innovate and grow.

Speak to our expert team on +44(0)20 7871 8550 or email  hello@inspirepeople.net