For many businesses, having great people behind their technology is key. Without them the ideas dry up, the advancements slow down, and the product becomes less exciting. Nobody wants that.

Not the logo you have or the colours you use. Not the font you write with. It’s the perception of your business. The brand is not defined by one thing – it is a culmination of all touch points a person has with your business, and it’s this that will attract top technology professionals. Make your business exciting. Make it something someone wants to work for rather than has to work for. Make it good for their CV.

As a digital recruitment consultancy, Propel are briefed by companies throughout the UK and overseas on the requirements they have for technology positions. Job specs come in all different shapes and sizes, and remuneration varies across them. But, of them all, the easiest ones to find great candidates for are from the companies who have a great brand identity.

If we have two identical jobs that pay the same salary, one from Google and one from ABC Tech Ltd., which one is the person we are talking to going to want most? Google, obviously. But why? Apparently, you can ride scooters around the office, and they have slides that take you from one floor to another! You get time allotted out of your working week to work on anything you want! You get to tell people you work for one of the most widely recognised businesses in the world! Google tells you the answer to everything!

Google has a great brand, and everyone knows about it. It’s not made up of their logo or the colours they use. It’s all those little things that people have heard about it. All the interactions you have with maps and street view and searching on the net. It all works and is interesting. You hear great things, and it creates a great perception of the business.

Obviously, companies like Google have huge budgets and teams to action great plans and campaigns. You’re probably thinking there’s no way ABC Tech Ltd. can compete with that. But it can!

Every company has something to talk about and something that makes it unique. We are not saying you have to spend a fortune on marketing so that every developer in the world has heard of you before they apply. We are saying that you need to make your business brand attractive. When you are on a recruitment drive, and you approach people, they are going to research your business. It’s at this point that your brand needs to attract them. Here are a few things to consider:

• Why is your technology/ proposition cool? What’s different about it?

• Why would someone want to work with you? What’s great about your business?

• PR – tell people about your business, get it on industry related sites, tell people about the two points above.

• Connect with people socially and digitally.

• Make sure your website is up-to-date and reflects all the great things about your business.

• What awards have you won? Should you enter awards?

• Who already works there? Why do they work there? If they have moved from big brands to work for, you tell people.

• What challenges await the people who will work for you? Make them appealing, make it something that people would be proud to talk about and put on their CV.

• Is your brand image old and stuffy? Is it young and funky? Position it, so it reflects your proposition.

Ultimately, techies usually want to work for a company that offers them a challenge and gives them work they will enjoy, and that will enhance their CV. They won’t work with you forever, but attracting them is important – and retaining your staff is a discussion for another day! IT Recruitment is a tricky game and retaining technology workers is a trickier concept.