Talent recruitment is now something that tech firms are competing for on war footing. This is especially true for startups. Some steps have been identified which will help bridge this gap. First of all, in today’s unique scenarios it is forms that more require top tech talent and not the other way round, so employees must be treated on par with rock stars. This includes the monetary part as startups need to be prepared for paying over the odds in order to attract people. This can be somewhat nullified by cultural points which may be leveraged that are better than more established firms. A results oriented culture with least restrictions on benefits such as vacations could be a start. Talent must be spotted before they wish to be in the job market. Recruitment is a constant process not periodic, so firms need to be on the vigil at all times. Once recruited, the job does not end as company must be on the lookout for possible better candidates. Especially in small markets, it is risky to poach from fellow startups as these entrepreneurs are part of the overall ecosystem, and hurting them will be bad for business morale.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/courtneywilliams/2016/09/14/how-to-find-good-tech-talent/#44d0d61e21f0

All employees require feedback and bosses are expected to provide the same. In fact, feedback is among the best ways to project corporate training. Yet many employees fear receiving it prompting their senior to defer doing the same so that productivity does not instead backfire and curtail instead. In order to receive valuable feedback and more of it, employees need to be more receptive by soliciting for the same. Also they must demonstrate being thankful for the objective feedback received rather than being defensive over the same. Once feedback is received, employee must try to act on it so that processes get improved. The employee must objectively put oneself in the shoes of the seniors as only then will the realization set that the feedback is as a result of certain experiences to improve the work, not personal. Finally, employees must also understand that their bosses are as human as themselves and thus may err. They have pressures of their own and limited time or energy to spend long hours rectifying another’s work. Source: https://hbr.org/2016/09/to-get-more-feedback-act-more-coachable

Business research conducted by Vikings has stated that on each working day, employees spend an average of fifty two minutes procrastinating. Fortunately there are solutions. In fact, procrastinating may not be such a negative aspect as first thought. It means that people tend to drift off but further scrutiny on the study confirms that the majority did so due to the lack of optimal time usage. Many of them take time out to check for social media updates with Facebook and Twitter being the most popular. However, as long as the top triggers of stress are not activated, procrastination can be a positive outcome as it gives workers the rest before they resume their work, now better refreshed.

Source: http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/staff-procrastinate-52-minutes-day/

Talent recruitment in cyber security is a massive challenge. The really good ones are numbered and organizations continue to operate within a traditional mindset. One thing that organizations need to imbibe is the flexibility to recruit remote workers. Once location is removed as a barrier, the entire pool of global talent is within the company’s reach. Thus teams with greater diversity and exposure can be assembled together. In order to effectively recruit from such remote employee talent pool, some steps need to be adhered to by the respective organization. First of all due diligence needs to be conducted on such aspirants. Personality tests can be effective tool to separate out. Freelancers need to be self-motivated enough to lead themselves, thus leadership qualities of such aspirants must be evaluated. Relationship building is an important cog in working the remote way. Interaction on regular basis is limited with freelancers, so work is based around trust. It is important within such a background to develop deep relations so that they remain loyal in spite of being located many miles often hundreds or thousands away. A complete check must also be made of the logistics and technological viability of such operations. This includes whether the back-end can support the agility that distant workers will demand and whether their requirements may be processed timely.

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/02/hire-the-best-people-and-let-them-work-from-wherever-they-are

Freelance working has lots of benefits, but fair share of challenges, not least of them the boredom one feels after working alone for hours each day. In order to keep up motivation and engagement levels, there are certain strategies that management consulting professional – Ms. Alison Buckholts- feels that freelance workers must adopt. The best such companion could be a good book. The knowledge gained out of regular book reading can further improve freelance work. All remote workers must step outside the house at least once during a day. While going out thought, the temptation to splurge on unnecessary items needs to be curtailed. Freelance employees often team up just because they are on the same boat, but such arrangements rarely work for the same reason that these people chose the life of independence. Making someone else happy can be a source of intrinsic motivation. Ultimately all freelancers must realize that their work is for the purpose of money. While they may not experience first-hand appreciation on regular basis, the financials should take care of this. Exercising for the sake of it can be the ultimate de-stressor. Finally, one has to remember during the darkest times, that there are people doing much worse jobs under terrible conditions.

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/09/how-to-work-remotely-without-losing-motivation

Identifying a manager is a tricky task. A manager has to manage teams, report to senior levels and has to do all this from almost immediately with a minimum bedding-in period. Several aspects of the previous individual contributor tasks need to be abandoned in favour of the holistic approach. He /she needs to stop micromanaging subordinates’ task as that is extremely harmful for their growth. Doing tasks oneself instead of delegating because of a belief in oneself alone is also not conducive. There needs to be a constant flow of communication with direct reports as they will then understand best their roles. A set of questions must be set aside to pose to potential managers before the screening on how they will react to such conditions. Management training can also be gained from past experiences such a leading a sports team in school, organizing an event or simply being the elder most of the siblings. Managers must possess a vision to look beyond the short term goals and achieve those enshrined in the corporate strategy. Their people- skills must be top notch.

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/06/how-to-know-if-someone-is-ready-to-be-a-manager

In the San Francisco Bay Area, competing on talent recruitment against giants such as Google, Facebook and Uber is nearly impossible, yet some choose to go for it due to the fact that some of the brightest minds in the country are based here. Such small companies cannot compete on compensation and benefits but can offer something else. A mission-based corporate culture where each employee gets one’s own space can be offered. Flexibilities such as work from home or generous leave policy helps. The company must be aware about the holes within the structure where recruitment needs to be done. A recruitment strategy needs to be developed keeping in mind the profile of the organization, demographics and place. Tapping into personal contacts or LinkedIn can be one method of rectifying this. Once recruited, employees must be brought onboard on company mission as this will enable greater retention.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/amynorman/2016/09/13/our-recruiting-strategy-compete-with-google-facebook-uber/#698115d522eb