Talent Identified

The Great Return: the continuing saga of office based, hybrid and remote work patterns

Steve — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:09:22 +0000

A while back, during the pandemic, our co-founder Stacey Keen put together three articles on LinkedIn looking in detail at the good, the bad and the future of remote working, particularly in the technology sector, in the UK.

Fast forward four years, and the debate has shifted to the growing trend of businesses instructing employees to return to the office – the Great Return, or RTO.

Have we come full circle? Is a return to a 5 day commute inevitable?

Or, are there lasting benefits to the forced adoption of remote working we experienced during the pandemic?

Remote working – the ‘good’ – a recap

Back in 2020, some of the benefits talked about with regard to remote working included:

A better work-life balance for employees, less time spent commuting.
Flexibility of hours, especially for those with caring responsibilities.
A boost in equality and diversity – for women, those with disabilities
A shift in focus to productivity rather than hours spent at work.
A rapid increase in the adoption and deployment of new technologies.
Greater talent pools, employers are able to recruit where the talent is to be found rather than where the office is located.
Less time, money – and carbon emissions – wasted through business travel with the explosion in video meetings.

Remote working – the ‘bad’ – a recap

It wasn’t all good. There were, and still are, some significant issues with remote working.

Feelings of isolation, lack of social interaction and the negative impact on our mental health
Lack of support for employees, particularly for new employees
Unsatisfactory home working environments and poor technology inhibiting productivity.
A blurring of home and work, leading to an inability to switch off or unreasonable demands of employees to stray into non-work time.
Poor internal communication and employee engagement, a negative effect on company culture
Difficult for managers to manage a remote workforce, poor collaboration.

Not all these issues have been resolved. And, new ones have reared their heads.

For example, the Great Resignation post-pandemic was made all the easier for employees who could spend part of their day researching and applying for new jobs. And, for ambitious technologists,

it’s hard to raise your profile and increase your prominence to advance your career if you can’t ‘be seen’.

Remote working – the ‘future’ – a recap

Back in 2020 many people, like us, predicted that a balance would be achieved with the emergence of the hybrid working pattern. And this has largely come to pass, within technology as well as other knowledge based sectors.

Companies, and employees, have made adjustments that should be sustainable and workable. Such as:

Working on maintaining their culture by increasing employee engagement on ‘in office’ days.
Maximising collaboration by holding meetings in person.
Investing in training for managers to develop remote team management skills.
Some people working a hybrid pattern are moving further away from the office – often happy to trade a couple of days at home for a longer commute.
Softening of rigid working hours is becoming the norm, allowing people to juggle and flex around childcare provision.
The pace of technology innovation and adoption continues to increase. Cloud services enable employees to log on from anywhere, at any time.
With hybrid working, alongside in-office time, events and socials are back, helping to increase social contact and alleviate feelings of isolation.

What about productivity?

If it’s possible to create a hybrid working environment that works, then why have many high profile companies decided to bring people back into the office? According to a report by KPMG, 64% of some 1200 global CEOs expect everyone to be fully office based by 2026. And, 87% say they would increase rewards for those come into the office.

The biggest reason cited is usually to increase productivity. But the truth is, productivity is very hard to quantify. And, it varies according to industry, role, business and individual. This makes it impossible to draw blanket conclusions and helps explain the sheer number of contradictory reports available on whether productivity increases, decreases or stays the same for hybrid and remote working.

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The impact of the Great Return

We are now used to hybrid working and the ability to flex work around life – regardless of age or situation. Productivity aside, if the RTO trend gathers pace, companies will risk losing talent.

The technology sector in particular is an area where working fully remotely and hybrid working is the norm. All developers need, after all, is good tech, access and some peace and quiet. If the RTO is forced, many employees would rather quit, or take a pay cut, in order to keep their flexibility. Younger people are tied to hybrid and flexible working patterns, with many having known little else.

The Great Return could also be a backward step for diversity and inculsion, particularly for women and people with disabilities. Women with childcare responsibilities are 32% less likely to leave a job if they can work remotely and 88% of women say hybrid working has had a levelling effect in the workplace. Take flexibility away, and businesses could see a mass exodus of women, and other groups relying on remote to give them access to work opportunities, to businesses that do continue to offer it.

What is the new normal?

Simply put, so far there isn’t one. There is confusion everywhere.

Are people more or less productive?

Is our carbon footprint lower if we work more remotely?

Have we really managed to crack managing remote teams?

There are many factors that come into play. So many, in fact, that these decisions simply cannot be taken as a one-size-fits all.

It is a delicate balance between attracting talent, retaining talent, employee satisfaction, maintaining culture and collaboration, creating equal opportunities and individual business models.

What is encouraging is that the new world of work enables businesses to do just that. To create their own ‘normal’, based on engaging with their unique mix of employees and putting in place technologies, policies and processes that suit them.

If they are able to do this, then the risks of losing talent are lower and the opportunities created by attracting the best talent and achieving a competitive advantage are much, much higher.

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How to Make Your Application Stand Out in a Crowded Tech Jobs Market

Steve — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:08:43 +0000

It’s a tough market at the moment for technology candidates.

Recruitment processes are taking time, adverts for tech jobs are receiving huge quantities of applications, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd.

We talk to good, skilled candidates every day who are asking how they can make sure their application is considered for various technology roles, over and above their competition.

We see instances of good practice that will help candidates get ahead in their job search, and some other methods that are to be avoided at all costs.

Here, we have listed some do’s and don’ts for people applying for technology roles.

1. Tailoring your CV

Do: It’s absolutely a good thing to align your CV with the job description of the technology role you’re applying for. Pulling out relevant skills, qualifications, projects and achievements from your experience that are relevant to the job you’re applying for is good practice.

You’re helping the recruiter, and employer, to easily see how you can add value to the role.

Don’t: Overdo it. Yes, tailor it to the job, but don’t push it too far. Over-inflating your knowledge or experience with a particular technology stack, or describing your role and achievements as more important than they actually were, is not a good idea. If you haven’t worked with a particular software or language before, don’t say

At some point, you will be found out, and your personal reputation will be damaged.

2. Which technology jobs are you applying for?

Do: Think carefully about the criteria for your tech job search strategy. What job titles fit your skill set? How far are you willing to commute? What salary or day rate is realistic? Actively search on job boards using key words, work with reputable technology recruiters, carefully read the job description and research the job.

When you’ve found them, apply for all relevant jobs within your criteria.

Don’t: Apply for jobs you’re not qualified for. Applying for the wrong jobs will not increase your chances of landing one. Your application will have no credibility, it will waste your time and the employer or recruiter’s time. And, it can dent your confidence when you get negative replies.

Quality is definitely better than quantity – only apply for jobs you have a chance of getting.

3. Get a conversation going

Do: Put yourself in the employer or recruiter’s shoes. They may receive tens, or even hundreds, of CVs for a specific technology job. Following up, by connecting with the hiring manager or recruiter on LinkedIn or via a phone call, can help get your application to the top of the pile.

It shows you are proactive and believe in your application, plus it’s a great way of extending your network.

Don’t: Passively wait for a response. In a sea of applicants, recruiters need to find ways to separate the strong applications from the average. Do nothing, and your CV is likely to drift to the bottom of the pile. You will get less responses, will lose motivation and confidence.

Instead, take the initiative, start a conversation, and you’re more likely to get a positive response.

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4. Build a good relationship with your technology recruiter

Do: It’s important to be transparent with your tech recruiter, and to listen to their advice. They are in the technology recruitment world day in, day out. If you have a good relationship, the recruiter will be able to proactively send your CV out to their clients. Tell them when your contract is coming to an end, make sure you’ve updated and sent them your CV, communicate any changes in circumstances or job criteria to them.

Regularly communicating with your recruiter will mean you are top of mind.

Don’t: Mislead a recruiter or employer, for example, about other jobs you are applying for, your skills and experience of whether you are genuinely interested in the tech job you’ve applied for. This sounds obvious, but we have seen instances where candidates simply withhold information or worse, lie.

Communicate, listen, be open and honest. Then, tech recruiters will be more confident in your application and are more likely to enthusiastically put you forward for roles.

As a candidate for any sort of technology role, if you want to make your application stand out, you need to plan your approach carefully.

There are strategies you can employ to get your CV to the top of the pile. But, make sure you’re tactics are ethical.

In today’s crowded market where there are lots of candidates looking for work, you can’t afford to damage your reputation. By all means, be creative, bold and proactive, but don’t overstep the mark.

Get in touch to register your CV and for more advice and tips on how to successfully land your next technology contract or job.

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Digital Transformation: Essential Roles for a Successful Programme

Steve — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:08:02 +0000

All digital transformation programmes are different. They vary according to goals, size and scope.

But, whether you are implementing a cloud migration programme, digitising sales and ecommerce or transitioning away from legacy systems, there are key roles that you need to have in place to steer your organisation through the process.

If you’re about to unleash a digital transformation process on your business, here are the people you’ll need to steer you through to achieve success.

The Leadership team

No major programme can hope to be successful unless it is fully supported at the very top. The Board or Senior Leadership Team have a crucial role to play in sharing the overall vision and mission.

Key here is the ability to align the goals of the digital transformation programme with the business strategy. How is the digital transformation supporting revenue growth? Or providing competitive advantage? Is it improving customer experience? Or automating processes?

Whatever that mission is, the leadership team will articulate the ambition and set out the objectives.

If there are skill sets missing from the leadership team, such as a CTO or CDO, then bringing in someone at the project outset is essential. It could be an interim, someone with a raft of successful programmes under their belt. Or, a permanent hire who can continue to drive future digital initiatives.

Regardless, this needs to be right. A bad hire here could jeopardise the success of the project from the get-go.

Technology leaders

So, the Board are fully behind the programme. But, they are looking at the bigger picture, not the detail. It’s the IT Directors and IT Managers who will plan and deliver the programme.

The job of these IT leaders is to ensure the right foundations are in place and able to support the programme. They are responsible for ensuring the right technology infrastructure and digital tools are in place, stable and able to scale.

They will determine the size and structure of the workforce, planning ahead and recruiting to fill any gaps. Often, consultants, interims or contractors work best, allowing the business to progress at pace.

The IT Directors and Managers will have ownership of the budget, engage with suppliers and manage key teams of people involved in the delivery of the programme. And, they’ll report to the Leadership team on progress throughout.

Business Analysis

The ambition is there, the objectives have been defined. Now, the roadmap needs to be developed that will enable the organisation to transition.

Business Analysts are needed to assess the current situation, identify and document the needs of each stakeholder team, map out current capabilities and assess what’s needed to get to the end result.

These roles require people with some technical knowledge

who can extract information from non-technical people and translate them into meaningful goals, actions and deliverables for the delivery teams.

Depending on the size and scale of the transformation, business analysts can be senior leadership figures, guiding and educating stakeholders, or teams of specialist analysts working in specific areas.

Development and engineering

Practically all digital transformation programmes will involve the creation, implementation or integration of systems. And that means hiring Software Engineers and Software Developers to write the code.

Whether the team will be working on new products, helping to improve outdated legacy systems or developing tools for automation, the programme simply can’t happen without the skills of software engineers.

DevOps has seen huge growth within digital transformation in recent years. It brings together the programming expertise of software engineers and developers with a collaborative, people-oriented approach in order to get better results, faster.

Project management

The roadmap is complete, but who is going to make sure the milestones are met, resources are available and budgets are controlled. The Project Manager.

Depending on the type of delivery outputs and pace of the project, the project manager will follow a specific methodology. Agile, for example, will employ Scrum Masters to deliver various strands of a project in tandem.

Without a good project management team on board, the transformation project risks deadlines slipping. And that usually means unnecessary cost increases, as well as the negative impact of late delivery, such as a delayed new product launch or innovation set to increase competitive advantage.

User experience and design

No new digital system or product is going to elevate and push a business forward unless it has the user at its core. User Experience and User Interface (UX and UI) designers will be able to translate the requirements into a simple, seamless digital experience. The most successful digital products are intuitive, easy to navigate, good to look at and fast.

Along with great design, the customer journey and experience needs to flow seamlessly across all digital touchpoints. Customer Experience (CX) designers will work with customers, internal as well as external, understanding how they move through the process, making each stage clear, simple and user friendly.

Data & analytics

Data is a constant theme running through any digital transformation.

In the digital era, organisations find themselves with data from literally hundreds, if not thousands, of data points. This data can shed light on everything from customer buying behaviour to operational efficiency, external competition to prediction of future trends. If only you can make sense of it.

This is where Data Scientists and Data Analysts come in.

Harnessing complex and disorganised data sets, manipulating and turning it into insights will enable data-driven decision making. Data experts can help to extract maximum value from data, resulting in better decisions which in turn will drive efficiency, save money and speed up growth.

Security, data protection and risk management

With all this valuable data around, legislation such as GDPR and the increased threat of malicious activity, it’s imperative that any digital transformation project follows regulations and best practice when it comes to security.

Depending on the type of business you’re in, responsibility for information security can be represented at board level, with the appointment of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

Whatever the level they’re at, Cyber Security teams are essential to ensure that your data, technology and people are safe. There have been a number of high profile security breaches involving companies with stringent protocols already in place.

And, your Data Protection team needs to be fully informed about the latest legislation designed to protect personal and company data, keeping employees safe as well as company data.

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Change management

Arguably, this is one of the most crucial roles in the digital transformation process. What’s the point in creating a beautifully designed new digital experience if internal teams mistrust, misunderstand or misuse it?

However good the end product is, without embedding it fully into the working practices and culture of an organisation, there is just no point.

To achieve those end goals and strategic objectives that were outlined at the beginning, the business needs to go on the journey, embrace the changes, accept and adapt in order to move the dial.

This doesn’t just happen. Change Managers and Training Managers need to work together to help the business move forwards. Stakeholders from across the business have to get on board and champion the change, continually making the case for why by pointing to the benefits. Internal communications helps secure buy-in by keeping people engaged and providing regular communications so they knows what’s happening, why and when.

It’s not easy, but successfully managing change across the business is fundamental to achieving the best results possible.

Continuous improvement

Whether it’s optimising processes, driving new innovations or gathering feedback, Quality Assurance, Process Improvement and Continuous Improvement Managers will make sure the programme doesn’t just stop, but keeps improving.

To be successful, any digital transformation programme will carry on evolving after it has officially been implemented. Tweaks, adjustments, additions, spin-off projects, training and development will need to continue in order to generate maximum return on the project. Otherwise, you risk the project becoming outdated, benefits and financial return will diminish.

Behind all good technology there are great people

We think all of these are essential roles, and more besides – we haven’t mentioned legal, compliance or procurement for example.

As we said at the beginning, each programme is different.

But, if we were to pick one area that will make or break the success of any project, we’d choose change management.

Without taking your workforce on the journey, involving them, consulting with them, empowering them and listening to them, the programme is set up to fail.

Digital transformation is not about the technology, it’s about the people.

Talent Identified are experts in recruitment across the whole spectrum of digital transformation.

To talk to us about hiring exceptional interim, permanent or contractors in any of the roles we’ve mentioned above, get in touch.

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