Hiring Talent Is Not All About Salary

You’ve posted your vacancy for a DevOps Engineer, and you’re confident you’ll find the perfect candidate. Afterall, since the beginning of the pandemic, 74% of job seekers are finding it more competitive out there. So surely, you’ll have a choice from many top-talent DevOps Engineers looking for a new role.

You spend a lot of time and money on the recruitment process. But nothing. You received plenty of applicants, but none of them really provide the talent you’re looking for. The individuals are out there, so why aren’t they coming forward? Or worse, why are they turning down your job offer at the last hurdle?

You can only assume it’s the salary. But you may be wrong. Of course, if the salary isn’t positioned correctly on the pay scale, you’ll struggle to appeal to the right candidate and to keep them on board long-term.  But if you think salary is everything to a DevOps Engineer, you might be missing the bigger picture. In fact, according to a study conducted by Hays this year, 23% are not even looking for a pay increase when looking for a new position.

In this article we’ll go beyond salary to explore what other elements of a job are more important to some of the most talented tech employees today.

What do the best DevOps Engineers really want from their jobs?

Employees are speaking up. A study conducted by Unum found that 57% of Millennials and 65% of Gen Zers are likely to consider switching jobs in pursuit of better benefits. They want so much more than a pay packet from their employers.

Ignoring this will send the most promising candidates to competitors who are offering them what they want. Let’s look at what is more important to your future DevOps Engineer.

Good company culture

According to Hays, 47% of employees identify their company’s culture as the reason they want to find a new job.

A positive company culture doesn’t just help you attract and retain the best talent in the industry. According to Forbes, a culture that makes employees feel appreciated with team-focus leadership can improve your revenue up by 682%.

Additional areas to look at:

• Do you have a clear company vision and is it well communicated to all levels of the organization?
• Does your employee onboarding process make employees feel welcomed and part of the team quickly?
• How do you support employees career development and progression? Keeping skillsets current is very important to DevOps Engineers.

Benefits & Perks

The typical benefits and perks that employees expect to see on a job description include:

• Health insurance
• Dental and vision insurances
• Pension schemes
• Paid holiday leave
• Sick pay

However – and particularly since lockdown when everybody took the time to reflect on what is important to them – the wellbeing of an individual is becoming a crucial part of employment today.

Wellbeing & the work/life balance

Whilst all the typical benefits are helpful towards an employee, the shift is focusing to benefits and support that prevent, not cure.

Many employees are interested in actively maintaining their health and wellbeing and a company can help them by providing healthy snacks, or wellness and exercise sessions during breaks. This a huge health benefit, particularly to office-based workers who are least active in their working day. Many studies have shown that such long periods of sitting down at a desk are negatively affecting individuals’ mental and physical health. In addition to providing a workplace that promotes wellness, gym memberships are also an attractive benefit.

For many employees, flexibility is now not only an advantage, it is a necessity. Particularly in the middle of the pandemic, people are having to adjust their daily lives to cope with the ‘new normal’ and employers must support them in the process. Employees need to be able to assist children with distance learning or care for family members and for many being able to work from home at least part-time is a must. Employers should find ways to accommodate these needs now and after the pandemic is over.

Some organizations even run workshops for employees to spend time talking about problems they may be having, either personally or professionally, or both.

All these things can prevent staff absence and strengthen staff retention, and provide a healthy, happy workforce.

Review your job description

Now that we’ve discussed how to stand out against your competitors when a DevOps Engineer is deciding between companies, let’s turn to how to grab their attention in the first place.

Make sure your job description includes:

• A brief yet attention-grabbing summary
• An overview of your company’s culture
• A description of the role and the soft and hard skills required
• The correct salary reflective of the duties and responsibilities
• A clear list of perks, incentives and support provided to the successful candidate

You know that salary isn’t everything, and there’s a whole host of perks that will strengthen your business by attracting top talent. Ensure that you highlight all these, and you will stand out from the competitors who are also hiring DevOps Engineers.

Here at Tech Talent Link, we have our finger on the pulse with the best software and DevOps engineering talent waiting to find their perfect role. Get in touch today, and we’ll help you find the perfect fit for your team.