However, we find that there is not a sufficient supply of professionals to meet the demand in sectors such as robotics, artificial intelligence, data economy or cybersecurity.
The ICT sector is a driving force for development that boosts productivity, innovation and competitiveness, generating high quality employment, with an unemployment rate below the national average.
Factors influencing the search for profiles
There are several factors that influence the search for suitable profiles. In our company there is a high demand for technological profiles, so the low rate of students in STEM degrees and the high competitiveness of the market is causing that there are not enough active professionals to be hired.
Talent in companies is the most important asset we have to achieve success and we must turn it into a competitive value. Each company may have its own strategies and approaches to talent management, but these points are fundamental to any organisation that wants to thrive.
Attracting talent
Companies must constantly seek to attract the best talent. This is achieved through a good employer brand, attractive job offers and an efficient recruitment process.
The most important thing to attract STEM profiles is to have a solid technological project, where professionals can develop and where the values of the company are a reference in which they see themselves reflected. They are different professionals with different needs and we have to know how to achieve the perfect fit. We must offer them what they are looking for to integrate them into our organisations and make them feel motivated and identified with the brand.
We have to make it known that our offer is differential and generate the best candidate experience to finally be the company they choose to work for.
Talent retention
It is not enough to attract talent, companies must work to retain it. This means offering a positive work environment, opportunities for growth and development, as well as adequate compensation and benefits while maintaining internal equity correlated with external competitiveness. A lot of work needs to be done to engage and retain talent, based on their needs and preferences, and to enhance their development so that they do not lose their motivation to work.
Talent development
Organisations must invest in the training and development of their employees. This not only improves employees’ skills, but also increases their motivation and loyalty to the company.
Young talent entering the labour market has different demands to older staff in organisations and the key is to combine the latest knowledge of the sector and the market that new professionals bring with the expertise we already have in-house.
Each group has its own demands and we have to adapt to these needs in the case of all the employees that make up our company. It is essential that newcomers have a training and development plan when they join our organisation and that they have first-hand knowledge of the opportunities for professional growth. At the same time, our offer of internal coverage for relevant positions in the Organisation is very broad and is communicated internally to facilitate access to them, which promotes that senior profiles can access positions of greater technical or managerial relevance.
Diversity and inclusion
Fostering an inclusive and diverse environment enriches the company’s talent pool. Diversity of perspective and experience contributes to innovation and more effective problem solving. We are well aware of the importance of diversity in our Organisation and the enrichment it brings to work teams. At Telefónica we are working on this and we have several lines of action open, as well as working with selection teams that are diverse and trained in unconscious bias. We are 100% committed to equal opportunities.
Diversity and inclusion form part of our company strategy and are present in people management processes such as recruitment, promotion, professional development and also through a solid Equality Plan.
Organisational culture
A strong and coherent culture can enhance the company’s talent. The values, mission and vision of the organisation should be aligned with the expectations and aspirations of employees. It is important to make our responsible business principles known in an open manner so that we can assess how well they fit with our culture from the outset. It is not the same to work in a 100 year old company as in an emerging company… Implementing a system to measure the temperature of the organisation such as climate or job satisfaction surveys also favours the exchange of information between employees and the company in order to adopt more beneficial measures for the development of the activity.
Evaluation and feedback
To foster continuous growth, it is important to have evaluation and feedback systems in place to identify areas for improvement and to recognise employees’ achievements and to link this to their development and capacity building. This helps to maintain a high level of performance and to motivate the team. Encourage meetings several times a year to assess and promote the growth of our professionals.
These are not the only existing strategies in the labour market to attract talent, but they are the most effective, and investing in each of them will improve the vision of our organisation to be a benchmark when choosing the best place to work.
