Despite layoffs, hiring freezes and entering into a recession, demand for tech talent remains at all-time highs, with more than 3.8 million tech jobs posted in 2022 so far. Technology professionals continue to fill a vital role in businesses across nearly every industry and vertical.
In this section, we present data on the importance technology professionals place on an employer’s brand and reputation when they’re considering a new employer, and what factors play the biggest role in evaluating an employer’s brand. We also look at trends in employment benefits; what you ranked as most important compared to what organizations are currently offering. This insight into the tech hiring landscape is great information to have as you consider what you value and want from your current or future employer(s).
Employer Brand and Reputation
How an organization is perceived in the marketplace strongly influences a technology professional’s decision to join that organization. In our survey, nearly 90% of respondents said that they feel an employer’s brand is important when considering new employers and nearly 8 in 10 tech professionals said they would not apply for a higher-paying job at a company with a bad reputation.
When you are considering a new employer, how important to you is an employer’s brand?
Would you apply for a role at a company that offered you higher pay, but had a bad corporate culture and/or reputation?
No
Yes
Every tech professional has certain values they want to see in a workplace. For example, they might want to work for a company that emphasizes creative solutions to intractable problems in a particular industry (such as fintech or manufacturing), or they might want to use their skills to genuinely change the world.
When you’re on the job hunt, you have an opportunity to evaluate whether companies’ values align with yours, and whether their branding and reputation make them seem like good places to work. Review the company’s social-media pages, website, blogs, YouTube videos, and whatever else you can find; visit sites such as Blind for a sense of what current employees are saying about the company’s day-to-day operations, as well as how well it’s executing its mission.
The job interview is another opportunity to evaluate an employer’s culture. Does the company freely offer up details about culture and policies? Do they let you speak to team members about their experience? Do leaders seem positive and upbeat? The answers to these questions (and more) can give you a better sense of how the company treats its tech professionals and does business.
Thinking specifically about each component of an employer’s brand, how important are each of the following to you when considering a new employer?
Companies that are “culture-first” tend to advertise that fact; examine their websites and social media pages for expressions of culture and values. You can also review sites like Glassdoor to see if employees are leaving comments about how well a company actually maintains its culture.
During the interview process, ask questions about the company’s values and how its teams stay accountable. Make sure the interviewer walks you through how conflicts and challenges are resolved. After several rounds of interviews, you should have spoken with enough team members (including other tech professionals) to have a sense of how the culture truly works.
Another novel approach: when you’re asked for references (or even if you aren’t), ask the organization and hiring manager for three references who can speak to what it’s like to work either at the organization or for the specific hiring manager. This can be a great way to get some different takes beyond the usual approaches, and, just like the references you provide, give you the chance to get the all-important “don’t just take it from me” element from the organization and hiring manager.
Alignment with Mission and Values
Half of HR professionals surveyed said that a candidate’s alignment with organizational values has a significant impact on the decision to hire, while just 6% report that values alignment has no impact on hiring decisions. This makes sense when you consider employees who feel aligned with company values are more likely to stay with that employer.
When you’re applying for a new job, one of your first tasks is to evaluate whether the company’s values truly align with your own. What’s the best way to do that?
Start your evaluation by visiting the company’s website, social media profiles, and other online presences. Most companies will post about their mission and values, and it shouldn’t take long for you to determine whether you’re comfortable with those.
The second (and arguably most important step) is to use the job interview to determine whether the company actually lives up to that mission and values. Ask open-ended questions designed to elicit a response from the hiring manager. For example, if the company says it prizes a sense of urgency, ask, “How do you insert a sense of urgency into the workflow without burning people out?”
Depending on their answers, you can better determine if the organization’s mission and values (and ultimately, its culture) align with your own.
How much does a candidate's alignment with your organization's values play into the decision to hire?
Trends in Offered Benefits
Of the employment benefits technology professionals ranked as most important in the Dice 2022 Tech Salary Report, HR professionals reported in our latest survey that their organizations mostly have these covered. Gaps still appear in some non-traditional benefits when it comes to what tech professionals want and what organizations currently offer.
Benefits Gap
Benefits Gap
The pandemic changed how many tech professionals view benefits. While mainstays such as health insurance and paid vacation days remain important, more tech professionals are interested in what their employers can do for them in areas such as flexible schedules, child/elder care, and educational reimbursement. As tech professionals take stock of their lives and work, it’s clearly not all about the money.
As companies wrestle with how to hire and retain tech professionals on a tight budget, there’s a new opening for tech professionals to negotiate for some of these up-and-coming benefits. Perhaps you can’t secure the raise you feel you deserve, but your manager might be willing to talk about a new, hybrid schedule or reimbursement for certification classes. Exploring new types of benefits can ultimately improve morale both for tech professionals and their organizations at large.
Attrition Rates and Times-to-Hire
Most HR professionals we surveyed indicated that their times-to-hire have been faster in 2022 than in 2021. That could be due to the need to fill roles, considering nearly 50% of respondents indicated that attrition rates for technology professionals in their organization are higher than in 2021.
How have your hiring timelines (time-to-hire) for technology professionals at your organization changed since January 2021?
Compared to last year, how has the attrition rate at your organization changed, if at all, for technology professional roles?
Despite some economic uncertainty, companies are still excited to hire tech professionals with all kinds of skill sets. For any tech professional debating whether to jump jobs, you’ll likely have options (provided you’ve kept your in-demand skills up-to-date, of course).
Given that demand, the entire hiring process can happen fast. Here’s how to prepare yourself if you receive a query from a recruiter or hiring manager who needs to bring someone onboard right now.
Be prepared
Have that resume and online portfolio prepped. Many workers don't look at their resume, cover letter template and profiles until it's time to find a new job. Instead, make it a point to update your materials every time you learn a new skill or finish a major project. That will give you more time to review and tailor your content to a potential new position.
Watch the market
Keep an eye on the market. Resources such as Dice's annual Tech Salary Report can keep you appraised of tech salaries, pay premiums for certifications, the highest-paying cities, and more. Keeping such information top-of-mind is key if you want to effectively negotiate once you've landed an offer.
Always negotiate
You can always negotiate. Employers want to avoid attrition. In light of that, you may have more leverage than ever to negotiate what you want from your current workplace, from a higher salary to educational opportunities.
Be prepared
Have that resume and online portfolio prepped. Many workers don't look at their resume, cover letter template and profiles until it's time to find a new job. Instead, make it a point to update your materials every time you learn a new skill or finish a major project. That will give you more time to review and tailor your content to a potential new position.
Watch the market
Keep an eye on the market. Resources such as Dice's annual Tech Salary Report can keep you appraised of tech salaries, pay premiums for certifications, the highest-paying cities, and more. Keeping such information top-of-mind is key if you want to effectively negotiate once you've landed an offer.
Always negotiate
You can always negotiate. Employers want to avoid attrition. In light of that, you may have more leverage than ever to negotiate what you want from your current workplace, from a higher salary to educational opportunities.