How To Attract Tech Leadership Talent

Investing in senior IT leaders could make all the difference in ensuring your technology goals become a reality, on time and to budget. And yet, attracting tech leadership can seem difficult, particularly if you have never hired senior tech talent for your business before.

Technology is constantly evolving, so you need to attract tech leaders who possess both the tech skills and leadership experience to drive strategy within their department.

While sourcing, securing and retaining top senior tech talent can be challenging, the key is to get to grips with the fact that IT leaders are looking for more than just a simple job – they are seeking opportunities where they can make a real difference, joining an organisation that aligns with their values and working with leading innovative technologies. By understanding what kind of IT executive talent your business needs and how to attract them effectively, you can secure the best.

Define your ideal tech leader profile

Before you start searching for senior IT leaders, you need to have a clear vision of what experience they should have and the immediate, short-term, and long-term goals they are expected to achieve within your business.

Executive hires take more planning than a mid-level or junior hire because the roles tend to be more complex and the consequences of a bad hire are greater. Therefore, you should start with an extended consultation with all key stakeholders involved to define the role, asking the following questions:

• What level of senior leadership are you looking for e.g. an IT manager, Head of IT, IT Director or CTO?
• How hands-on does the role need to be in the day-to-day operations?
• What technology or sector experience do they need to be successful in the role?
• What immediate, short and long-term projects have been planned that the person will need to contribute to?
• What outcomes does this senior IT leader need to drive in their first 12-24 months?
• Who will they be managing, and what is the management style those individuals respond well to?

Establishing the answers to these questions can help you create a clear success criteria for what you need from your new hire, and will assist you in shaping your interviews accordingly. Remember, when looking to attract tech leadership, they will want to join a company that has a clear vision and roadmap for the role.

Build a strong employer brand

In a competitive talent market, your company’s reputation as an employer is extremely important. Establishing and improving upon an effective employer brand is vital when trying to attract senior tech leadership. You can build a strong employer brand through:

• Highlighting company culture online, on social media, and during conversations with candidates
• Discussing tech innovation plans and exciting projects openly in interviews
• Showcasing the leadership team, so candidates understand who they will work with and their working style

A strong employer brand can help you attract tech leadership through reputation alone. It should highlight why you are a great company to work for and assist you in being competitive with other businesses in your industry.

Understand what senior tech leaders want

When looking into how to secure senior tech leaders, you should understand what may push leadership talent into finding new work. Compensation is a driving factor for many, but what else are top candidates looking for?

• Work impact – many senior tech leaders are looking to join organisations where they can have a meaningful impact on the company’s strategy
• New transformation projects – companies that are utilising the latest technologies or looking to undertake a digital transformation can be very attractive to tech leadership as they offer exciting new opportunities to grow and learn
• Additional career opportunities – this can include an upward career trajectory to CTO or IT Director, or exciting new tech initiatives and department growth

Offer competitive compensation packages

Senior tech leaders often want more than just competitive salaries and bonus packages, either to avoid certain tax boundaries or because other things matter more to them. Some of the most popular additional benefits that attract tech leadership include:

• Salary sacrifice arrangements
• Health insurance that extends to their families
• Stock and shares options
• Generous parental leave
• Company cars
• Increased training budgets
• Additional annual leave or sick pay
• Remote and flexible working options

Sometimes your business may not be able to offer high remuneration; however, there are a number of benefits you may be able to offer to secure the best.

Provide additional leadership opportunities

Beyond career advancement, senior IT leaders seek opportunities to actively shape the company’s future. This can include taking ownership of a project or leading a team through a particular digital transformation.

In order to attract the tech leaders your organisation needs, offer opportunities for them to make meaningful strategic decisions within the tech department, regardless of whether they are C-suite or not. Providing this level of influence will assist with both attraction and retention of senior leadership and will help to further drive growth and innovation.

Embrace flexible and remote working options

Flexibility is a major draw for many professionals and could help you attract the tech leadership your company is looking for.

Tech professionals often prefer remote or hybrid working, and IT leaders value this too. Additional flexibility in start and end times and working from home opportunities can make your position seem more attractive to professionals.

Furthermore, by offering remote opportunities, you can gain access to a much wider pool of talent, which can further assist your ability to secure fantastic IT leaders.

Leverage networks and referrals

Hiring senior IT leaders is a lot more complex than recruiting at a more junior level. IT executive talent are less active on job boards and applying for roles. Instead, they are likely working with specialist recruiters in their field and exploring opportunities in their network.

A great place to start is utilising the network of your existing leadership team. Whether through existing tech leaders in your business or your leadership team across all departments, this can be an important source during your search. You might like to offer a referral fee to incentivise introductions to senior tech leaders.

Utilise an IT executive recruitment agency

Specialist IT executive recruitment agencies can help organisations secure great talent due to their trusted networks of senior tech leaders. Even if they do not have the right individual within their network, they will be able to leverage their connections to find a suitable candidate.

They also have deep expertise within the tech landscape and are able to help improve your employer brand and undertake market mapping exercises to ensure your compensation is benchmarked and competitive across your industry.

Get started with recruiting your next IT leader

If you are looking to secure senior IT leaders, VIQU IT is a specialist IT recruitment agency. We have the expertise, experience and networks to attract tech leadership that will thrive in your business. Click here to get in contact with our team.