The tech recruitment market is a cutthroat one at the moment, with demand for talent up by a whopping 42% compared to pre-pandemic levels. So, if your company has managed to land a brilliant new employee, it’s critical that you do all you can to keep them.
Here’s our handy guide to boosting retention for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) staff:
Prioritise culture fit when hiring
Improving retention starts much earlier than you think. It’s so important to hire the right people, first time. Get it wrong, and the mismatch between the company and the new hire will soon become evident.
This is why it’s crucial to prioritise culture and team fit alongside SaaS skills and experience when hiring.
You can even look at soft skills, such as communication, adaptability, strong work ethic, leadership and critical/analytical thinking. These aren’t skills that can be easily taught, so snapping up people who have them – then in-house training to fill expertise gaps – could be a smart move.
Improve your onboarding processes
It takes time for a new employee to settle into a new role at a new company. But so many employers see onboarding as a one-time-only box to tick, instead of a longer, more gradual process. It should prioritise the building of connections with a range of employees across the company, led by a proactive SaaS manager.
Improve your onboarding and orientation to the right standard, and you could boost new-hire retention by as much as 82%.
Keep your promises
Candidates remember the perks, career development opportunities and other promises you made during the hiring process. One of the fastest ways to lose a promising SaaS employee is to neglect these promises, or under-deliver.
So, start off on the right foot. Implement what you promised right away, so the employee knows that you’re serious about their progression and that you value them within the business.
Invest in upskilling
Some companies worry that if they train their best people, they’re more likely to take those new skills and leave. But there is another way to think about it. Upskilling gives your business the skills it needs to achieve key goals, and helps with skills gaps when the jobs market is ultra-competitive – like it is at the moment. If you can grow your own, there’s less need to battle it out for the best talent.
Upskilling also benefits the employee, which in turn helps with retention. Training is a fantastic engagement tool, especially when tied into a roadmap for career progression within the business.
Deliver the working environment SaaS staff are looking for
When you’re recruiting, you’re likely to have a target candidate persona in mind. This helps to ensure good culture fit, just as we’ve discussed above. But you should also be aligning each new hire’s work-related needs to the work environment of your business. For example, many SaaS staff value autonomy and flexibility in their role. This means they’ll only be happy in an environment that delivers this, and could leave if their expectations are disappointed.
Need help with SaaS recruitment? ITR Partners can help you find the right fit, first time. Find out more about our approach here, or get in touch to start your search.
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