Why People Want to Work In #Tech

LinkedIn’s List of “Most In-Demand Employers” for 2015 makes one fact very clear - tech is hot. Four of the five top slots are software or internet companies:

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Facebook
4. Microsoft
5. Nike

 
But dig a little deeper and you’ll find tech’s popularity goes beyond that – they make up fully half listed in the top 20. From a distance, it would seem that everyone in North America these days wants to work in the industry.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of LinkedIn’s list is its statistical nature. The results were not based on some highly subjective question-and-answer surveys or online polls. Rather, LinkedIn measured actual user behavior. The ranking was determined by looking at how many people viewed employees' profiles, how many users followed the business’ company or career pages within the last year, and the level of member interest in jobs at each company on LinkedIn. This is a list backed with some serious research.

The question is – why is tech so popular?

Not Just the Money

Part of the reason is undoubtedly the high average salaries found in tech. The average employee at Google earns $117,000 annually, well above the national average of $46,000. Similarly, the average salaries at Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft are all in the six figures. Employees in tech can also earn significant bonuses through stock option grants.

But it is a mistake to confuse salaries with creating a place where people want to work. A high salary does not necessarily correspond with Nike sitting admirably in the #5 slot while Goldman Sachs and its $383,000 average salary is down at #37.

These two prove money alone does not determine the attractiveness of an employer. Nor is one’s ranking determined solely by the popularity of the industry itself - auto maker Tesla ranks at #8 while neither General Motors, Ford, or Chrysler are in the top 50.

Perhaps workers choose employers less by the potential paycheck or the specific industry. Maybe instead they are drawn to the spirit of the organization and prefer innovative, forward-thinking companies that value their employees over the conservative “safe” ones. Making cars is what Tesla does but what it’s most known for is innovation. Tesla founder Elon Musk is well known as one who promotes, values, and rewards innovative thinking and he’s drawn a group of hard-working, dedicated employees who think along the same lines. He’s also inspired legions of people who want to work for him.

Engaged Employees are Productive Employees

One aspect that all successful tech companies share is fostering a culture of innovation and creating an environment where their employees can freely share new ideas. It’s no coincidence that the top three employers in LinkedIn’s list are all ones we’ve written about before (Google, Apple, Facebook).

But, as Tesla shows, this thinking doesn’t have to be limited to pure software and internet companies. Innovative thinking and valuing employee suggestions are key, and that can be developed and encouraged anywhere. In fact, old school General Motors experimented with it at one plant in the 1980s and it was an overwhelming success.

Not just tech, but successful companies in general, have a habit of promoting innovative thinking, encouraging the sharing of ideas, and executing on them. Not only does this process create more revenue and save money, it also makes employees more engaged in their jobs and reduces turnover.

The whole process of valuing employee suggestions and rewarding innovation can kick off a virtuous cycle where increased revenue, money saved, and reduced turnover work with one another. Further, if there is one thing that is attractive, it is success, which is all but assured with a virtuous cycle this powerful in effect.

Is your employee suggestion program firing on all cylinders? Contact us for a personalized demonstration on how Vocoli software can revolutionize your business.