At the recent CES and DAVOS conferences, the talk was of course dominated by AI.  While Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal, recently said on BBC Radio that all this talk is too much hype and threatening privacy, it’s clear that there’s a battle out there for AI and Tech Talent to help all kinds of organisations embrace the benefits of AI.  Adding fuel to this fire, Josh Graff, MD of LinkedIn for EMEA and LATAM, outlined the three big job areas for this year:

• Green skills
• Cybersecurity
• AI

So if you’re in the market for AI (and cybersecurity) talent, what does this mean for your EVP and Employer Brand?  And how can you pivot to appeal to this much sought-after talent?  Especially if you’re not one of the Big Tech firms.

We normally look at an EVP through the lens of four EVP pillars of Brand, Culture, Career and Benefits.  So here goes:

Brand

What is the brand story that will pique the interest of our audience?

• There’s an obvious draw towards Big Tech business who are pumping millions, if not billions, into this tech; and also there’s a group of people who will make a beeline for the AI-centric start-ups. So what if you’re a bank, retailer, utility or B2B, for example?  It’s about finding the brand story that shows how important AI is to the organisation; and how important this team will be.  The opportunity to transform an industry may also come into the mix.

Culture

What is it about your culture that will appeal to this group?

• Of course, it’s important not to be inauthentic and try and ape the cultures of Big Tech or Start-up firms. But you can bring out elements that will appeal.  What we’ve seen from individuals in the tech space is that they are often interested in the way the teams work (as well as the projects they are working on); and while we don’t want to suggest all tech talent are neurodiverse, it’s important to show how you do support neurodiverse talent – and more generally foster a culture of collaboration in tech that supports technical and personal growth.

Career

How do you build a career experience that appeals?

• Such has been the explosion in AI in the last 12 months that a career in AI may be an unknown quantity. But it’s important to show how you will help talent keep pace with events, and help people to become proficient in different areas of AI and tech.  What will be the investment in the tech and the training to support their ongoing development?  Be as specific as you can, to help paint a compelling story.

Benefits

What are the benefits this talent group are most motivated by?

• There is no doubt that we are in a highly competitive market, so pay is going to be top of the agenda. We also know that tech talent are keen on flexibility (working from home), keen to keep up with tech developments, and even slightly obsessed about the technology and kit they use.  So it’s really about showcasing elements of the benefits that are good for them.

Importantly, this is not about turning your overall EVP and Employer Brand upside down, but considering a particular EVP for AI and Tech, and how that can come to life to attract the talent you need.

Please get in touch if you’d like to have a chat about reviewing your EVP to make it fit for attracting the right talent in AI and tech.  Contact Henry