It’s day two of the Bristol Technology Festival and today’s theme is ‘protect’. In this blog, we explore why businesses need to strive to foster and protect a positive company culture, especially as they scale.
According to Tech Nation, tech job openings in the UK have hit a 10-year high. Slashdata estimates we will have around 45 million software developers by 2030, while the US Bureau of Labour Statistics expects the demand for tech talent to rise by 21% as of 2028.
These figures show a tech job market that clearly favours candidates rather than employers, which means businesses have to compete for the talent they need. But what is one of the biggest factors in attracting and, crucially, retaining the best software developers in today’s competitive market? A positive company culture.
Company culture is now a top priority for candidates
A competitive salary is no longer the most important factor for candidates. Instead, Glassdoor’s recent survey shows that 77% of respondents consider a company’s culture before applying.
A recent survey by software hiring company Greenhouse also showed how company culture and employer brand are at the front of a candidate’s mind during the interviewing process. Almost nine in ten respondents mentioned the importance of interviewers highlighting a company’s values and culture during the interview process.
In addition to strong company values, today’s workforce is looking for a healthy work-life balance and a company that cares for employees’ wellbeing. 41% of people in the UK are now paying more attention to their mental health than before the pandemic, according to the same Tech Nation report above. This shift has forced many businesses to reexamine their culture.
A priority from day one
At Amdaris, building a positive company culture with strong underlying values has always been one of our top priorities. Ever since our inception in 2009, we’ve made it our mission to be a company that delivers cutting-edge technology by putting people at its heart. Whether that means looking after the well-being of our employees through investing in the mental health app Unmind, or giving back to the local communities of which our delivery centres are part.
We act in a way that is ethical first and foremost because this is the right thing to do, and both new candidates and long-term Amdarians recognise this and respond positively to it. It’s one of the key reasons they join us, and one of the key reasons they stay. Doing the right thing pays off. We’re currently making 40+ new hires a month and our retention rate is 92% annually.
Protecting our culture as we grow
The risk, of course, is losing sight of your initial values as a company grows. Over the last few years, we’ve grown by approximately 40% per annum in revenue and headcount. We will soon be doubling the size of our UK office, expanding our Eastern European offices and opening more centres in new territories. We aim to provide even more services, including more consultancy, and to employ 1,500 engineers by the end of 2022.
However, this is not affecting how we see or adhere to our company values. Our hiring process continues to include rigorous HR screenings and in-depth interviews to check candidates align with the Amdaris culture and the culture of our clients. This ensures that all our Amdarians become ambassadors for our positive culture and play their own role in protecting it.
As our Co-CEO, Andy Rogers, states, “it’s about establishing a good culture and the right processes and ways of working and training – we’ve invested a lot in grassroots and support staff through university and internships. Every engineer is a representative of our business because they’re having direct contact with the client – you need to be partners.”
The bottom line
For candidates in the current tech job market, company culture is more important than ever before. A positive company culture must not only be built but protected as a business scales.
Having ethical values you adhere to and looking after your employees are not only the right things to do, but they pay off. By matching employers and employees that share common values, we are more likely to see a more long-lasting relationship between the two, retaining talent and maintaining constant levels of efficiency and productivity. It’s a win-win for everyone.