The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, and as more organisations drive better efficiencies and capitalise revenue opportunity by moving their data to the cloud, the subsequent technology talent market is hotter than ever. We’ve found that the supply and demand for Salesforce Developers in particular, is more unbalanced than we’ve seen in a while.
In this month alone, Talent Hub has been briefed on Salesforce Developer roles by five different companies in NSW.
As the skills gap widens, we wanted to share with you our insight, and recommendations for ongoing success, whether you’re a Salesforce Developer yourself, or a hiring manager.
As with any skills in demand, we’ve seen that salaries are being pushed up, but crucially, the war for development talent has significantly evolved into a longer term and more sophisticated conversation than a pure bidding war. Candidates are seeking meaning in their working life, and as a result, are increasingly engaging in opportunity conversations with a clearly defined set of goals that they’re looking for in a new position. Salesforce Developers are increasingly decisive on their requirements, ranging from job location and subsequent commute, flexibility, industry specialisation, and role specifics. Candidates are seeking meaningful work, whether that be lifestyle and work-life balance, or being able to cherry pick a role which will best satisfy their professional goals.
What does this mean for me as an Employer looking to hire a Salesforce Developer?
Get clear on your brand proposition
Leverage the benefits of working for your organisation. What are you most proud of as an organisation? This may be something entirely different for a Salesforce Developer than it might be for another role within your organisation, and so give this some thought too. Small perks which may seem insignificant, often resonate with candidates and so don’t wait until the on-boarding to reveal these as you may be missing out on a valuable engagement tool. Mention the perks and opportunities that your organisation can offer, such as inspirational leaders, or stand out training prospects. Don’t underestimate the value the new technology, or a cutting-edge project will have in attracting a Salesforce professional.
Be open
Salesforce is a globally recognised skillset and as certifications are universally recognised, international candidates are an opportunity to secure great talent outside of the local market. Organisations who are able to sponsor Salesforce talent are seeing success by opening up this pipeline.
Pre-define your recruitment process
Organisations who are able to move candidates from engagement to offer quickly and seamlessly are seeing a lot more success in securing their identified talent. Salesforce Developers by profession, value agility, and so are even more likely to value efficiency in the process from a prospective employer. Have the discussions of how many interviews there will be, and who will be interviewing/making hiring decisions agreed within the business prior to engaging applicants to avoid unnecessary delays.
The traditional recruitment model has evolved
Talent identification and passive engagement are key in a tightening market. Newly released data from Seek shows that the technology sector is one of the sectors receiving the most marked dwindle of job applications. Candidates are happy in their roles and need an appealing case to be put to them as to what the benefit would be of moving. This is happening before candidates are getting to the point of actively searching for available roles and applying to advertised roles on jobs boards.
Comparison is the thief of (recruitment) joy
In a talent-short market such as this, the luxury of a comparative Salesforce Developer isn’t always possible, and building time into the recruitment process to wait for a comparison may well see the best person for the job be lost to another offer. We’re finding that decisive organisations who view gaps in a candidate’s skills or experience as an opportunity for development, rather than a time costly hesitation, are snapping up the best Salesforce Development talent in this market.
What does this mean for me as a Salesforce Developer?
Now is a good time to move
The lack of others with your particular skills available in the market, versus the number of vacancies means that you have an exciting opportunity to clearly define what’s best for you both personally and professionally. You could potentially find a role which meets all of the needs on your wish list. If you’re working in the finance industry and your true passions lie in the property sector as an example, then you may well be able to secure a role which excites you from both a Salesforce and an industry perspective. Or are you finding that you’re losing three hours a day commuting? There may be a great role available in your local area, which could mean up to three hours you could invest directly back into your downtime. Fifteen hours a week, or sixty hours a month is a game changer.
Is your salary still competitive in the market?
If your skills aren’t being recognised from a monetary perspective, then now is a good time to have a chat with your manager around organising a salary review. On the other hand, if you are in the market for a new opportunity, then we’re seeing that the packages being offered for current roles are competitive. Salesforce Developer roles are business critical, and organisations are often prepared to pay generous salaries to secure the right person.
Our predictions
In summary, it’s a fierce hunt for Salesforce Development talent in 2018, and we predict that this market will tighten even further in line with Salesforce’s projected growth. It has been estimated that 79,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created in Australia alone by 2022. Make sure you get ahead of the curve, and position yourself and your Salesforce team in the strongest position that you can, so that you can become a talent magnet as the space grows.
To hear more about live Salesforce Developer roles, or the Salesforce Development talent that we’re talking to at the moment, then get in touch with Talent Hub for a confidential discussion.
You can check out a selection of our current Salesforce opportunities here.