According to careerbuilder.com, STEM professionals receive 32 job solicitations each week. As more and more findings support the claim that pay and perks are no longer the holy grail of today’s job seekers, what can employers do to attract STEM talent?
The workplace insights experts have found that attracting and engaging STEM professionals has a lot to do with how meaningful their jobs could be. Sure, STEM candidates want professional and financial growth – but they also desire to make an impact, crave innovative work, and require paths within your organization that they could explore for professional development. Here are three ways to boost your brand’s STEM appeal:
Champion purpose, not profit. Revenues and the bottom line are always going to be pragmatic concerns of any business. That said, meaningful involvement in causes and the community – from the local to global scale – have become increasingly important to STEM professionals considering career options. Providing avenues for employees to make a difference will pay dividends in the form of talent engagement and retention, not to mention a more positive brand image.
Embrace growth and exploration. STEM professionals know they have more options than ever. Demonstrate that they can achieve and enjoy growth and career fulfillment within your company by creating paths for professional advancement, exploration through education programs, and a culture that encourages innovation and discovery. Promote from within whenever possible, and encourage employees to find classes, workshops, and other learning events that expand and further their skills.
Promote quality of life. With talent wanting to derive more meaningful gains from their careers, creating a culture that nurtures authentic work-life balance is all but non-negotiable for STEM-seeking employers. It’s also a proven tactic among smart companies who are greatly benefiting from the resulting great work environment. Bonus benefit: achievers.com found that strong work-life balance increases productivity, while reducing absenteeism and bad work behavior – and their costs.
The good news is, providing these will make your brand more attractive not just to potential hires, but also to prospective clients who wish to identify with more forward-thinking business partners.
Sources:
13 Ways Smaller Firms Can Attract STEM Talent, Forbes Coaches Council, CommunityVoice (08/21/2018): https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/08/21/13-ways-smaller-firms-can-attract-stem-talent/#2b78b0da3a24
How (not) to Engage Millennials Sandford, George and Reinfuss Robert https://gethppy.com/employee-engagement/how-not-to-engage-millennials
How to Attract and Retain Top Technology Talent, Thomson, Lindsay https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/learning/en-us/pdfs/lil-guide-attract-retain-top-tech-talent.pdf
IT workers plan to change jobs in 2014 Priestly, Eric (1/31/2014) https://www.careerbuilder.com/advice/it-workers-plan-to-change-jobs-in-2014
