Every year, Kelly Services conducts a comprehensive survey of talent issues in many industries the world over. It is one aspect of an aggressive campaign to help the world’s companies understand what attracts, engages and motivates workers. This report is covering our findings about what workers in High Tech want.
2. CONTENTS
03 18
High Tech: What talent wants
05 20
09
22
Multiple channels to access job information:
High Tech workers are exploring them actively
12 27
2
25
06
14 28
16
Professional development: An important
point of differentiation among employers
Did you know?
A smooth application process:
Communicate regularly and consistently
It’s all about employer performance
The online talent community: Outside
connections lead to inside relationships
A cutting-edge work environment: The most current
High Tech talent: A snapshot practices and technology attract top High Tech players
Structured on-boarding: Make the first 90 days special Six ways to give High Tech workers what they want
Career roadmaps: A green light in
High Tech employee satisfaction
Competitive compensation: Still first in attraction but
work–life balance and advancement can be dealmakers
3. Every year, Kelly Services conducts a comprehensive survey of talent issues in many
industries the world over. It is one aspect of an aggressive campaign to help the
world’s companies understand what attracts, engages and motivates workers.
Do this: Use cutting-edge
technology to make it easy for
candidates to connect with
the company, but develop
personalization features to
keep candidates engaged
and to differentiate your
company from others.
2. The channels for engaging
active and passive job seekers:
Workers peruse general online job
boards and company websites for
primary information about open
positions. They use social media
and online talent communities
– not just automated job listings
– to monitor companies and
opportunities, and to decide
whether to pursue employment.
They want comprehensive
information about compensation
and benefits, yet they also want
HIGH TECH: WHAT TALENT WANTS
Understanding the talent
companies have and the talent
they hope to attract is the
foundation for creating effective
strategies in workforce planning,
talent analytics and talent supply
chain management. It also keeps
human resources human.
Nearly 230,000 workers have
participated in the Kelly Global
Workforce Index™. These surveys
shed light on workers’ priorities
and desires for opportunity,
satisfaction and growth in
the context of the current
business climate. The 2014
survey delves into six areas and
reveals actionable conclusions
that can inform and improve
corporate talent strategy.
CONTENTS Å
1. The candidate application
and on-boarding experience:
Of respondents who applied for a
new job in 2013, only half express
satisfaction with the application
and on-boarding processes. They
want regular communication
about the status of their
application, and after hiring, they
expect more structure in learning
about the company’s culture
and business model. Improving
this experience will generate
both a competitive edge and
goodwill that will serve companies
even when a candidate is not
chosen. For candidates who
become employees, a positive
experience in the first 90 days
of employment is likely to
increase their engagement
in their work and their long-term
loyalty to the company.
to understand the company’s
work environment – from
philosophy through to training.
Do this: Make sure your
company’s online job listings
are dynamic and current, giving
candidates an idea of what it is
like to work in your company.
Embed regular messages about
employment and company culture
in your social media accounts, and
begin designing a digital talent
community where candidates,
active and passive, can experience
your company firsthand.
3. Career development: Most
workers would rather focus on
acquiring new skills, not climbing
the company’s ladder. And while
career development conversations
may be the best way to
Make it easy for
candidates to
connect with
the company
but develop
personalization
features to keep
them engaged
3
4. 6. Employer performance: Three
factors drive employee attraction
and retention: Competitive
compensation and benefits, work–
life balance and opportunities
for career growth. High Tech
workers give employers high
marks for work–life balance,
exposure to the latest technology,
diversity, environmental
practices, and meaningful
work. Fewer High Tech workers
rate their employers highly
for competitive compensation
and internal opportunities to
move into other positions.
Do this: Devote attention
to flexible employment
arrangements, your
competitiveness in employment
packages, and internal mobility,
ensuring you connect them to
your employment philosophy.
employers, and finding less sense
of meaning in their work. Yet
even happily employed workers,
through unprecedented digital
access and mobility, stay on top
of new job opportunities. Workers
are confident in their worth
whatever their current situations.
Do this: Ensure your
compensation packages are
competitive; build a talent
community that compels self-assured,
skilled workers to
watch your company closely;
and use every digital means
available to give workers a
view into your workplace.
5. Worker preferences:
Non-traditional work styles,
environments and arrangements
are gaining in popularity, and
word travels quickly – around the
keep employees connected,
companies still have a long way
to go in providing roadmaps
for long-term opportunities.
Do this: Provide training and
professional development
activities that increase workers’
marketplace value – this will foster
loyalty and support whether
or not a worker is a lifelong
employee, creating a direct
impact on public reputation,
branding and customer
relationships. Tie worker-centric
training to company values
as a way to differentiate your
company from competitors.
4. Worker engagement: Six in
10 workers intend to look for a
new job in 2015. Factors may
include more jobs on the market,
not feeling valued by their
globe. Except in Silicon Valley,
workers like a company with a
global presence and longevity –
more so than small companies,
startups and regionally based
Fortune 100 or 500 organizations.
They seek environments that
deliver collaboration, flexibility,
the latest technology and
equipment, and matrix-based
operating models. And they will
choose skills development and
work–life balance over higher
pay and climbing the ladder.
Do this: Invest in an array of
work arrangements based on
the preferences of your target
workers. When communicating
with workers, emphasize your
stability, flexibility, and a specific
structure for offering them
development and balance.
Build a talent
community that
compels self-assured,
skilled workers
to watch your
company closely
4
CONTENTS Å
5. HIGH TECH TALENT: A SNAPSHOT
The responses from the 2014 participants in the High Tech sector reveal that
these professionals are confident about the ongoing opportunity for employment
and their resulting ability to choose the workplaces they want.
• They are among the most
active members of corporate
talent communities.
• They are likely to use social
media networks to help make
employment and career
decisions, and 42 percent prefer
this to traditional methods.
• They believe they have very
clear career options.
• They have had more career
development discussions than
workers in most other industries.
• Only half are satisfied with the
recent job application process and
more of them use professional
recruiters than their counterparts
in other industries.
• They are more likely
to have received formal on-boarding
support than their peers
in other industries.
• They are more likely to prioritize
new skill development over
higher pay and career growth,
and they are likely to accept
trade-offs to secure a more
flexible working schedule.
• They are among the most drawn
to working for a global company.
This year’s Global Workforce
Index results point to
eight areas that High Tech
employers can emphasize
going forward, namely:
• the online talent community
• multiple channels of access
to job information
• a smooth application process
• structured on-boarding
• career roadmaps
• professional development
• a cutting-edge work
environment
• competitive compensation.
5
CONTENTS Å
6. CONTENTS Å
THE ONLINE TALENT
COMMUNITY:
OUTSIDE CONNECTIONS LEAD TO INSIDE RELATIONSHIPS
6
7. Ideal ways to be engaged by a prospective employer:
54% 13% 15% 10% 6%
As talent communities gain
traction, they show the potential
to reach active job seekers and
keep employees. The most
active participants in these
new communities are High
Tech workers. It’s an extension
of their social networking and
their preferred way of learning
about and connecting to
companies – the latter of which
is an important precursor for
them when applying for jobs.
• More High Tech workers say
they would like to be engaged
by a prospective employer via
the company’s talent community
compared to the global
average (15%, compared to11%
respectively). More workers in
the Asia-Pacific region (APAC)
(22%) and those in the Americas
(14%) feel this is an effective
engagement tool, in contrast
to those in Europe, the Middle
East and Africa (EMEA) (11%).
• More High Tech workers (23%)
have participated in an employer’s
online talent community,
compared to 17% globally.
Among High Tech workers,
online talent communities
appear to be more popular in
APAC and the Americas. More
than a quarter of APAC workers
(29%) and 24% of workers in
the Americas say they have had
some experience participating
in an employer’s online talent
community compared to only
16% of those in EMEA. Of those
who have not participated in
an online community, nearly
two-quarters of workers in the
Americas (47%), and more than
half of those in the APAC region
(52%) express a strong interest in
participating in an online talent
community, significantly more
than those in EMEA (37%).
THE ONLINE TALENT COMMUNITY
7
CONTENTS Å
5% LESS THAN
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
ON PAR WITH
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
4% MORE THAN
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
ON PAR WITH
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
ON PAR WITH
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
LIKE TO PARTICPATE IN
SOCIAL EVENTS WITH
COMPANY EMPLOYEES
LIKE TO RECEIVE UPDATES
ON A COMPANY’S FINANCIAL
PERFORMANCE
LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN
A COMPANY’S ONLINE
TALENT COMMUNITY
LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN
A COMPANY’S SOCIAL
MEDIA NETWORK
LIKE PERIODIC CONTACT
REGARDING WORK THAT
FITS THEIR SKILL SET
8. High Tech workers who participate
in online talent communities
like to do so because they
can access job opportunities,
learn about companies, and
gather information about
skills development.
• While most High Tech
workers (69%) like to access job
opportunities via a company’s
online talent community, the
number who do is significantly
less than workers globally
(72% in other industries).
• More High Tech workers
like to learn about a given
company (47%) and gauge
how the company culture is
viewed by current and former
employees (42%) compared to
the global averages (43% and
36% respectively). Far more
High Tech workers in the APAC
region (54%) like to learn more
about a given company through
talent communities than their
counterparts in EMEA (49%) and
the Americas (43%). Significantly
more High Tech workers in APAC
(50%) like to learn what it is like
to work for a given company from
current and former employees
than those in the Americas and
EMEA (both 39% respectively).
• More High Tech workers
(41%) like to access information
about skills development via the
company’s talent network than
the global average of 35%. More
workers in the APAC region (49%)
like to access this information in
THE ONLINE TALENT COMMUNITY
8
CONTENTS Å
this way compared to those EMEA
(41%) and the Americas (37%).
• 23% of High Tech workers
have participated in an online
talent community. Of the 77%
who have not, 44% say they are
interested in doing so, compared
to the 39% global average.
What workers like best about participating in an online talent community
Global average
High Tech workers
Access to job opportunities Learning more about
a given company
Learning from current
and former employees
what it is like to work
for a given company
Access to relevant skill
development information
Access to trusted career
information and tips
Access to trusted
industry information
72%
43%
36% 35%
32%
23%
69%
47%
42% 41%
38%
28%
9. MULTIPLE CHANNELS
TO ACCESS JOB
INFORMATION:
HIGH TECH WORKERS ARE EXPLORING THEM ACTIVELY
9
CONTENTS Å
10. Ways workers secured their most recent jobs:
27% 20% 16% 10%
High Tech professionals use a
range of available digital and
analog choices to land a new
position. From online boards
to recruiters to company
websites, these workers use
a variety of means to keep
up with new job postings.
• High Tech workers have used
online job boards, recruitment
companies and headhunters
to secure their most recent
positions more often than other
methods. Of all the ways to
secure a job, more High Tech
workers (27%) secured their
most recent positions via online
job boards than workers across
all industries (25%). There is
relative consistency across
the regions: many High Tech
workers in EMEA landed their
most recent jobs via online job
boards (28%) in line with the
Americas and APAC (both 27%).
• More High Tech workers (20%)
secured their most recent jobs
by using a recruitment agency
and headhunter than workers in
other industries (14%). Regionally,
more APAC workers (26%) landed
their jobs using a recruitment
agency or headhunter than
those in the Americas and EMEA
(both 18%). Also among the top
three ways High Tech employees
secured their most recent job was
by being approached directly
by an employer or recruiter –
16% of High Tech workers vs.
the global average of 15%.
MULTIPLE CHANNELS TO ACCESS JOB INFORMATION
10
CONTENTS Å
2% MORE THAN
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
6% MORE THAN THE
GLOBAL AVERAGE
ON PAR WITH
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
5% LESS THAN THE
GLOBAL AVERAGE
USED RECRUITMENT
COMPANIES OR
HEADHUNTERS
WERE APPROACHED
DIRECTLY BY THE EMPLOYER
OR RECRUITER
HEARD ABOUT THE JOB
THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH
USED ONLINE JOB BOARDS
11. MULTIPLE CHANNELS TO ACCESS JOB INFORMATION
Compared to workers across all
industries, High Tech workers are
more likely to search general job
boards, such as CareerBuilder
or Monster in the United States,
for job opportunities (80% vs.
76% globally). Far more workers
in EMEA (90%) and APAC (83%)
search these general job boards
than those in the Americas (73%).
More Generation Y workers
(83%) also prefer general job
boards their Generation X and
Baby Boomer counterparts,
(80% and 75% respectively).
11
CONTENTS Å
What types of online job boards are most preferred for job searching or evaluating the market?
Global average
High Tech workers
General job boards like
CareerBuilder or Monster*
Company-specific job boards Aggregator job boards,
like Indeed or Simply Hired*
Niche or association-specific
job boards, for example, focusing
on IT or science etc.
76%
33% 33%
14%
80%
29%
34%
23%
*The names of online job boards vary by country; those depicted here operate in the United States.
12. A SMOOTH
APPLICATION
PROCESS:
COMMUNICATE REGULARLY AND CONSISTENTLY
12
CONTENTS Å
13. Among High Tech workers
who have applied for jobs
during the past year, many
were satisfied with the job
application process. However,
after they began the interview
phase, frustration mounted
due to the employer providing
insufficient communication.
• More than half (51%) of High
Tech workers express satisfaction
with the typical job application
process, in line with the global
average of 50%. More workers in
the Americas (56%) are satisfied
with the overall application
process than those in EMEA
(50%) and APAC (41%).
• The factor that contributes
most to overall satisfaction is
the ease of submitting résumés
electronically – 74% of High
Tech vs. 77% of all workers said
this was important. The lion’s
share of workers in the Americas
(81%) selected “easy to apply
and submit résumé electronically”
as a factor that contributed
to their satisfaction with the
application process – significantly
more than those in EMEA (67%)
and APAC (63%). As expected,
far more Baby Boomers (80%)
cite satisfaction with the ease
of submitting their applications
electronically compared to
72% of Generation Y and
73% of Generation X.
• When it comes to the follow-up
after an interview, there is
an entirely different scenario.
More High Tech workers
expressed frustration with not
13
CONTENTS Å
A SMOOTH APPLICATION PROCESS
Global average
High Tech workers
receiving regular status updates
following an interview (40%)
than the global average of
32%. Significantly more APAC
workers were dissatisfied with
the lack of communication
following the interview (48%)
than those in the Americas
(40%) or EMEA regions (36%).
What factors contributed to your satisfaction with the application process?
Easy to apply and submit
résumé electronically using
various electronic devices
Clear job description and
requirements
Clear and regular communication
or updates regarding whether
the application was being
considered successful
Clear and regular communication
regarding status of the application
following the interview
Awareness of pay and salary range
77%
52%
45%
33% 32%
74%
53%
50%
40%
36%
15. 55%
59%
Companies that design and
execute a comprehensive on-boarding
experience retain
High Tech employees and enjoy
a better external image.
41% 45%
• A large majority (83%) of
High Tech employees feel
their on-boarding programs
had a positive impact on their
impression of the company. 47%
of High Tech workers feel the
experience definitely made a
favorable impression, roughly on
par with 45% of workers across
all industries. More High Tech
35%
47%
employees in the Americas (51%)
feel the experience during the
first 90 days of employment
definitely had a positive impact
compared to those in APAC
(44%) or EMEA (42%).
• Nearly three-fifths (59%) of
High Tech workers say their
employers have a planned on-boarding
20%
approach, significantly
36%
more than the global average
(55%). And more High Tech
workers in APAC (64%) say their
companies have an on-boarding
program than those in EMEA
(56%) and the Americas (59%).
STRUCTURED ON-BOARDING
15
CONTENTS Å
Did your current employer have a planned approach to assimilate
you into the organization once you were hired and/or placed?
Did your experience during the first 90 days with your current
employer positively affect your impression of the company?
Global average
High Tech workers
45%
Yes No Yes, definitely Yes, somewhat No
17%
*Based on workers who had applied for a new job in the past year.
16. CAREER ROADMAPS:
A GREEN LIGHT IN HIGH TECH
EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION
16
CONTENTS Å
17. 33%
29%
26% 26%
23% 23%
4 3 Don’t know Rating of 4 and 4 3 Don’t know
There is a sentiment among
High Tech workers that they
can grow with their current
employers if they are being given
the tools to learn new skills and
advance their careers. This is a
key factor in talent retention.
• A larger portion of High Tech
workers (33%) feel their employer
has clear career path options
available compared to those in
other industries (29%). Thiry-four
percent of High Tech workers in
the Americas and significantly
more workers in the APAC region
(39%) than in EMEA (26%) agree
that their employers provide
clear career path options.
• More High Tech workers view
their employers in a positive
light in terms of providing
opportunities to grow or advance
their careers, compared to
workers in other sectors.
• More High Tech workers
(39%) agree that they have
opportunities to grow or advance
their careers with their current
employers than the global
average (36%). More workers
in the APAC region (44%) state
that they have opportunities to
grow or advance their career
with their current employer
than those in the Americas
(40%) and EMEA (33%).
CAREER ROADMAPS
17
CONTENTS Å
5
Very clear
career path
options
5
Strongly agree
1
No clear
career path
options at all
1
Disagree
5 combined
Rating of 4 and
5 combined
2 2
Global average
High Tech workers
15%
21% 21%
15%
17%
18%
7% 7%
39%
13%
14%
To what degree do you have clear career path
options available with your current employer?
To what degree do you agree or disagree that you have opportunities
to grow or advance your career with your current employer?
14%
20%
23%
17%
15% 15%
12% 12%
36%
13% 13%
19. High Tech workers want to
continue learning new skills so
they can take advantage of new
career opportunities. They value
career development and avail
themselves of training, whether
their employers provide it or
they arrange it themselves.
• High Tech employees who held
career development discussions
with their employers during
the past year are more satisfied
with their access to career
development resources than their
counterparts in other industries.
Nearly one-third of these workers
(31%) say they are satisfied with
the career resources offered by
their current employers compared
to 28% globally. More High Tech
workers in the Americas (34%)
are satisfied with the resources
offered by their employers
compared to 31% in the APAC
region and only 26% in EMEA.
• Nearly half of High Tech
employees (48%) opted to take
advantage of employer-provided
career development resources
last year, generally on par with the
46% global average. Nearly half
of workers in the Americas (49%)
used employer-provided training
during the past year as did 51%
of APAC workers in contrast to
only 42% of EMEA workers.
• Many High Tech workers
consider skills development so
important they have paid for
CONTENTS Å
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Global average
High Tech workers
training out of their own pocket.
More High Tech employees
(37%) sought or paid for training
themselves than 32% of workers
globally. Far more EMEA High
Tech workers (42%) opted
to pay for their own training
compared to those in the
Americas (35%) and APAC (34%).
Resources used within the last year to prepare for career development opportunities
Employer-provided training Training sought out or
paid for myself
Mentoring Career tests Professional career coaching Other
46%
32%
27% 25%
20%
7%
48%
37%
29%
26%
22%
5%
19
20. A CUTTING-EDGE
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
THE MOST CURRENT PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGY
ATTRACT TOP HIGH TECH PLAYERS
20
CONTENTS Å
21. There is a strong indication that
High Tech workers prefer a highly
collaborative environment and
flexible work schedules, but they
also want to use cutting-edge
technology to get the job done.
37%
47%
• Significantly more High Tech
workers (62%) feel the ideal
workplace provides a highly
collaborative environment than
workers across all industries
(57%). More High Tech workers
in the APAC region (66%) feel
this is an ideal work environment
compared to 61% in the
Americas and 60% in EMEA.
29%
34%
32%
39%
45%
• High Tech workers view a
flexible work arrangement, such
as remote options or flexible work
schedules, as a highly desired
feature. More than half of High
Tech workers (56%) feel this type
of work environment is important,
a sentiment on par with 54%
of workers across all industries.
And more APAC workers (63%)
prefer a work environment with
34%
these options than those in the
Americas (58%) and EMEA (50%).
• High Tech jobs are usually
structured around technological
advances, so it is no surprise
that the majority of High Tech
workers feel exposure to
the latest technologies and
equipment make for an ideal
work environment. More than
CONTENTS Å
A CUTTING EDGE WORK ENVIRONMENT
half (54%) say access to cutting-edge
technology is ideal,
compared to only 44% across
all industries globally. Regional
responses are in alignment:
workers in the Americas (55%),
EMEA (52%) and the APAC region
(51%) describe this feature as
part of an ideal workplace.
Highly collaborative
environment and
cross-functional teams
Traditional work
arrangements,
9–5 schedule for all
Flexible work
arrangements,
such as remote work
options and flexible
schedules or hours
Competitive, where
the rewards and
risks are high
Exposure to the latest
technologies and
top equipment
Highly individualized
work with limited
teamwork and
limited opportunites
to collaborate
Traditional hierarchy-based
organizational
structure
Global average
High Tech workers
57%
32%
54%
21%
44%
18%
27%
62%
Virtual teams
56%
25%
18%
Matrix-based
organizational structure
54%
25%
Rapid pace of
constant change
Culture of
innovation and creativity
where the status
quo is challenged
26%
Ideal work environment features
21
23. Compensation, work–life balance
and opportunities to advance
are the leading factors High
Tech workers weigh in their
employment decisions. There
is no doubt that each factor
holds independent significance,
but it is a blend of the three
that drives the choices of High
Tech workers and can sway
them from one employment
opportunity to another.
42%41%
• The majority of High Tech
workers (86%) cite salary, benefits
and other financial incentives as
a main attraction factor, which is
on par with the global average
of 84%. Slightly more workers
in the APAC region (89%) feel
compensation is the top attraction
factor compared to 85% in EMEA
and 86% in the Americas.
34%
37%
34%
41%
29%
41%
• Nearly two-thirds of High
Tech workers (65%) say work–
life balance is a factor that
drives their decision to take
one job over another.
• More than three-fifths of High
Tech workers view opportunities
for advancement as a selling
point when choosing one job
over another (around 63%
24%
33%
34% 33%
28%30%
34%32%
across all industries). More
workers in the Americas (66%)
see this as an attractive factor
than their counterparts in APAC
(62%) and EMEA (58%).
• High Tech workers are more
likely to feel a company’s
corporate culture could sway a
decision to accept one employer
over another. Significantly more
CONTENTS Å
COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION
17% 18%
28% 26%
24%
27%
(41%) say this is an attraction
factor compared to 34% globally.
Corporate culture is important
to far more High Tech workers
in the APAC region (53%)
than those in the Americas
(34%) and EMEA (43%).
Salary,
benefits or
other financial
incentives
Opportunities
to work with
knowledgeable
colleagues
Work–life
balance
Flexible work
arrangements
Opportunities
for
advancement
Training and
development
programs
Global average
High Tech workers
Factors that drive workers to take one job or position over another
84%
46%
64%
42%
62%
58%
86%
Corporate
reputation
47%
International
opportunities
65%
Corporate
values match
own
43%
Derive more
sense of
meaning
from work
Corporate
sovereignty
and goodwill
63%
Environmentally
friendly and
responsible
practices
Corporate
culture
Diversity
and equal
opportunites
60%
Exposure to
top-notch
equipment
Commun-ication
and
feedback from
the application
process
Non-traditional
perks like
an athletic
facility, etc
23
24. Employers should dive beneath
the surface to understand
how other factors affect
workers’ decisions to leave an
organization or change jobs.
• Compensation and the lack
of advancement opportunities
are prime factors for High
Tech workers who leave their
organizations. More than six in
10 High Tech workers (61%) cite
their compensation package
as a reason they would vacate
their jobs, in line with the 60%
average across all industries.
18%
21%
20%20%
15%
18%
A slightly higher proportion of
those in the APAC region (66%)
feel that salary, benefits and
other incentives could cause
them to leave their companies
compared to those in EMEA
(61%) or the Americas (59%).
• More than two-fifths (43%) cite
advancement opportunities for
18%17%
14%
17%
16%17%
12%16%
an early exodus, generally on par
with 41% globally. More APAC
workers (46%) say the opportunity
for advancement is a major
factor in leaving an organization
compared to those in EMEA
(40%) and the Americas (44%).
• More (31%) High Tech employees
say current management could be
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COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION
14%14%
11%11%
13%15%
11% 11%
a factor in their decision to leave
their organizations compared
to 28% in other industries. Far
more High Tech workers in
the APAC region (46%) would
leave their companies due
to current management than
would workers in the Americas
(27%) and EMEA (30%).
Salary,
benefits
orother
financial
incentives
Current
management
Opportunities
for
advancement
Work–life Stress
balance
Major life-changing
event
Staff morale Skill fit and
interest in
the job
Global average
High Tech workers
60%
28%
41%
26%
36%
24%
33%
21%
61%
Training and
development
programs
31%
Flexible work
arrangements
43%
Commun-ication
and
feedback
25%
Corporate
values
Outlook for
current area
of expertise
is limited
36%
Inability to
derive sense
of meaning
from work
23%
International
opportunities
Corporate
reputation
33%
Career
opportunities
in emerging
industries
23%
Corporate
culture
Diversity
and equal
opportunities
Factors that drive workers to leave an organization, or to change their job or career
24
26. 67% 61% 60% 60% 59%
High Tech workers are generally
pleased with their work–life
balance. This is a strong
foundation for employers, and
it’s a call to action: Employer
performance is clearly the
deciding factor among High Tech
workers presented with multiple
options for employment. Just as
companies continually monitor
employee performance to foster
high levels of productivity and
top-quality work, it’s important
to turn the spotlight on
employer performance in High
Tech. In this industry, employer
performance is becoming a
key point of differentiation.
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IT’S ALL ABOUT EMPLOYER PERFORMANCE
IN LINE WITH
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
13% MORE THAN
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
2% LESS THAN
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
IN LINE WITH
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
IN LINE WITH
THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
PREFER ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY AND RESPONSIBLE
PRACTICES
PREFER TO BE INVOLVED
IN INTERESTING,
MEANINGFUL WORK
PREFER A GOOD
DIVERSITY AND EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY RECORD
PREFER EXPOSURE TO THE
LATEST TECHNOLOGIES
PREFER WORK–LIFE
BALANCE
26
27. DID YOU KNOW?
• Significantly more High
Tech workers (61%) would give
up higher pay and/or career
growth or advancement for
the opportunity to learn new
skills, compared to 57% of
workers in other industries.
• More than half of High Tech
employees (53%) would be willing
to forego higher pay and/or
career growth or advancement
for greater work–life balance, on
par with 52% in other industries.
• More than three-fifths of
High Tech workers (61%) will
actively look for a new position
within the next year, on par
with the global average.
• 60% of High Tech workers
feel they are in a position
of high demand in the
marketplace, compared to
53% across all industries.
• Half (50%) of High Tech
employees prefer to work
for global companies.
• Roughly two-fifths of High
Tech workers (41%) would prefer
to work for an established
company with longevity.
• A greater incidence of High
Tech workers (22%) most prefer
to work for Fortune 100 or
500 companies compared to
the global average of 16%.
• More High Tech workers (19%)
would be prepared to move
as far as another continent
for the right job compared to
the global average of 14%.
• 15% of High Tech workers
would definitely relocate to
another country compared to
the global average (11%).
• Amost three-quarters (74%)
of High Tech workers use social
media as their primary method
of networking, compared to
71% in other industries.
27
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28. SIX WAYS TO GIVE HIGH TECH WORKERS WHAT THEY WANT
As complex as competing for
high-quality performers has
become, workers can be met on
their terms without employers
sacrificing their company’s core
values and practices. Here
are six things you can do as
an employer to relate to the
workforce dynamically and with
satisfying results. At the same
time, you will add definition and
character to your own workplace.
1. Deliver an exceptional
application and on-boarding
experience. Make your
company irresistible by
personalizing the hiring process
through technology and well-
prepared staff. Emphasize
that you value engagement
and highlight the factors that
differentiate your company
from others in your industry.
2. Participate in every possible
digital channel and be mobile-friendly.
The rise of social media
and user-centric digital design has
raised workers’ expectations for
better, more up-to-date company
information. Figure out where
your employees and hiring targets
spend their digital time, and make
an effort to relate to them there.
Most importantly, create a talent
community that lives online yet is
completely authentic within your
workplace. Give workers a reason
to pay attention to what you do
and inspire them to join you.
3. Personalize the career path.
Workers clearly see themselves as
valuable in terms of the skills they
possess and new practices they
can learn. Spend strategic time
working out what your company
can do to nurture every worker’s
professional development. This
cultivates loyalty and strengthens
your company’s culture. It also
ensures that your workforce is at
the top of its game and ready
to share the message that your
company is a good place to work.
4. Fight to make your workplace
remarkable. Employees expect
competitive pay packages
and transparent employment
policies. By emphasizing these
two areas alone, your company
will attract appropriate attention
and build a positive image
organically. Word gets around.
5. Determine how you can
please your workers. Learn the
preferences, not just the needs,
of your employees. Think about
how you can provide a stable
yet flexible work environment
that blends challenges and
opportunities. Show your workers
how this environment will help
them grow and develop.
6. Develop your persona as
an employer. Articulate all
the qualities that define your
company’s approach to operating
in and serving your market. Be
ready to define how you are
different from others in your
industry and how you got to be
that way. Give employees and
candidates a reason to connect
with your employment philosophy.
The 2014 Kelly Global Workforce Index™ reveals that workers fully expect to connect with
employers – and potential employers – across a variety of channels and in real time.
28
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