In the third blog in our Bristol Technology Festival series, we explore the role people play in tech.
It’s well-known that businesses in the tech sector are constantly battling to attract and retain the best talent. According to the Harvey Nash Group Digital Leadership Report, 4 in 10 firms in the UK are having issues keeping people as long as they would like to, with 8 in 10 saying the cause is people rethinking their life priorities post-pandemic.
People are the beating heart of an organisation. They need to be motivated and encouraged, while also feeling like they’re learning and being challenged. So why have only a small number of organisations (38%, according to the report above) thought to make their employee offer more attractive?
It is time for the industry to go beyond the indistinct description of “tech talent” and talk about specific individuals and their specific needs.
The new generation of tech people
According to a recent Glassdoor survey, 66% of UK millennials care more about corporate culture than they do about salary. Furthermore, 77% said they would consider how good a company’s culture was before applying, while 89% said it was important for employers to “have a clear mission and purpose.”
Having a positive company culture matters and it has a notable impact on the business. At Amdaris, our current annual retention rate is 92% thanks to our culture of care, which includes continuous growth and development opportunities for all our employees.
Since we know the issue lies not only in the shortage of people but also in the shortage of technical skills, firms need to take responsibility and provide robust support that empowers the next generation to develop new skills – whether through university programmes or apprenticeships.
At Amdaris, we have partnered with the Technical University of Moldova and other universities, including the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova and the Moldova State University. Here, our senior experts provide lectures, courses and workshops.
Six years ago, we launched our first Internship Programme which allows budding software developers and QAs the chance to learn from Amdaris’ Senior Mentors about our technology, business practices and innovations. The internship has been running successfully since. Many interns receive job offers from us upon completing the programme. Some even go on to become Senior Mentors themselves.
Women in Tech
According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), only 28% of the workforce in STEM is represented by women. Its research also shows that we lose many female students by the time they reach higher education, with only around 21% majoring in engineering and 19% in computer science.
As an EMEA-wide business, it is important for us to play an active role in improving opportunities for women in technology and to support women looking to move into this field through education and mentorship programmes.
Our QA Engineer Natalia Nezalzov’s journey into IT started when she completed the National IT Training Programme for Girls and Women. After spending some time as a Front-end Developer, she joined us full-time. Our Portfolio Director Ana Nan has a similar story. Ana previously worked in market research but was eager to explore new opportunities in STEM so joined our team.
Currently, 30% of our technical specialists and leaders are female, which is much higher than the industry average. We hope this percentage will keep increasing as we continue to host female mentorship programmes, networking opportunities and career transition workshops. This is certainly a source of talented people that is not tapped into enough, with lots of potential for the future.
The bottom line
People are the most important part of any organisation and will ultimately determine the success or failure of your tech company. Giving them the right tools to succeed is paramount. That’s why it’s crucial to harness a positive and inclusive company culture that empowers everyone.