The crisis is not sparing junior technology employees. Here’s how to help.
If there are jobs available in technology, picking them is not easy for everyone. Freshly-qualified women are no exception. Advice for recruiters looking for manpower: think junior profiles.
The technology sector is recruiting, and there’s an opportunity here for workers to build their working conditions. In a previous article, we gave a few tips to help candidates in their search. However, the path is not necessarily easy. Certain pitfalls in the process of finding a first job are amplified by uncertain circumstances.
One major pitfall: networking. Networking is the key word in job hunting in times of (un)confinement. It’s hard to connect with someone in a Zoom meeting populated by unfamiliar faces. Add to this the inequality between men and women when it comes to networking. According to an article in Forbes and another in The Lily, women are at a disadvantage because they are less assertive and less direct in their approach to potential contacts or recruiters. Where men ask for favors, women prefer to build a relationship of trust before making any requests. This imbalance is reinforced by social distancing, which makes it difficult to establish new, ongoing professional relationships.
4 tips for recruiting junior employees in technology
Junior employees have a lot to bring to a company. Less experience doesn’t mean less skill or talent, and their newness to the field makes them easily adaptable to their first work environment. For companies wishing to attract junior employees, here are a few pointers:
1. Be honest about your expectations
In times of crisis, it’s particularly important to be clear, so as not to waste anyone’s time. In particular, don’t underestimate the number of years’ experience required: if you’re looking for someone with experience, say so.
Work on your remote onboarding processes
A well-developed onboarding process enables employees with little experience to be integrated more quickly and effectively. Training, mentoring, working in pairs with a more senior employee – anything goes to help new recruits settle in more easily.
2. Having a diverse workforce
For women, and especially women from diverse or neurodiverse backgrounds, it can be intimidating to find yourself in a 100% male work environment, right from your first job. In fact, it may simply lead some not to apply at all, reinforcing the vicious circle of lack of representation.
3. Offer networking or social events
Our survey on the needs of women in tech during confinement reveals that at least 35% of respondents want to network with other women in tech. It’s a safe bet that this figure would be at least as high, if not higher, among those starting a career in tech.
4. Open up to junior profiles
Even if uncertain and pressing circumstances may lead to favoring people with a certain amount of experience, companies should always think about favoring the next generation, in order to keep a balance within their team and never be short of diverse perspectives. Giving a junior a chance and relying on their ability to learn is an investment that can pay off handsomely.
Talent is everywhere, and succession is important, especially in the coming technology boom. So it’s important not to leave those potentially weakened by the crisis out in the cold, and not to allow confinement to amplify gender and age inequalities in the world of work.
