Hiring and retaining top talent is always a challenge.
Having the ability to retain the best people is something that is on the mind of virtually every CEO and HR executive.
Engagement and retention are essential for remaining competitive in a global economy.
The companies with the best talent win.
So how do you attract talent, develop a leadership pipeline, build resilience into your business, and appeal to the now-dominant millennial generation?
Get your head – and your business – in the cloud.
Why a Cloud-Based Business Equals Better Talent
The most successful companies recognize that better retention, happier employees, and more productivity come from recognizing that a good portion of the talented people you need won’t be looking for a position with your company and may not even be people that you can hire full-time.
In fact, 17 percent of today’s workforce is part of the on-demand economy, signifying that many professionals are happy to provide the skills you need – on their terms.
This means more than just offering flex hours.
It means making your business operations securely accessible online so that your employees can just as easily live in the next continent as they can the next town.
Greg Arnette, founder and CTO of Sonian, a cloud-based email archiving company, explained that a distributed workforce strengthened their ability to attract and retain the best talent:
“We support a distributed team development model, which means we can recruit across the country for the best talent and are not constrained by hotly contested talent clusters in Silicon Valley, NYC or Boston. We’re able to source the best people from Denver, Seattle, Syracuse, Portland and other leader, but smaller, cities. We recognized early this was a way to differentiate.”
Cost Savings Exist for Cloud-Based Businesses
Beyond the standard savings that can be realized from an operational standpoint by shifting to the cloud, having the ability to offer flexible, remote work opportunities can help your organization save even more money.
Consider the amount of money and time that go into training a new hire.
It can be a huge loss if that person has to quit their job because they move, need to be closer to home, or require more flexibility.
When you have a cloud-based business, it’s more likely you’ll be able to retain that talent and experience by offering the flexibility required, rather than losing the institutional knowledge they’ve gained and being forced to incur the expense of training someone new.
Succeeding with a Remote Workforce
Bringing your business into the cloud is relatively simple when you have partnered with the right Managed Services provider.
The bigger challenge is fostering growth and development with a team you rarely if ever, see in person.
Whether all of your employees or only a few are remote, you can provide on-demand cloud-based solutions to help them succeed.
Make sure you have tools in place that let them feel like they are part of the team:
Develop effective and reliable communications (apps, VoIP, and other tools), and provide opportunities to grow with the company and take on new responsibilities.
Remote workers and on-demand talent need accessible leaders and opportunities for professional development to make your company the best choice for their skills.
We’re dedicated to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses make changes now to remain competitive, flexible, and ready to face whatever challenges come their way. We do this by providing essential IT support and customized services designed to meet the needs of your business.
The ITeam will work with you to develop a cost-effective and comprehensive IT strategy that will help you survive economically stressful times and attract the talent you need to thrive. Contact us for a free consultation.