It seems like it has been at least a year since the tech space began to see a run on talent.
Leaders I speak with at all kinds of companies lament that they’re losing their best and their brightest teammates to offers 50% or 100% higher than what they can pay.
“I don’t blame them…” the leaders say. “But what do I do now?”
Here's something that might help.
In April 2021, we had the opportunity to open up 6 UX contractor roles (junior and mid-level) to support a surge in demand from a longtime client. Over the course of 72 hours, we were hit with an overwhelming wave of interest, particularly in the junior role.
I wondered why we’d had such a huge response–did we somehow stand out in this employee’s market?
We soon saw that our results were not consistent. When we opened up a few senior roles , we struggled to find talent even when we paid to promote those roles.
Again in May 2022, we had the opportunity to hire at the junior level. This time, a one-week timeframe resulted in over 600 applications.
Two data points, over a year apart, at wildly low levels of unemployment, have taught me that a phenomenon is occurring in the UX space. New grads and career-switchers alike have heard that UX is hot and in demand. They’ve taken the courses, and they are ready to take on new challenges in the space. But they can’t break into the UX space.
So here’s the hint: If your team has the capacity to nurture fresh UX talent, you can have your pick from an eager sea of talent. If you don't have the skills or capacity to develop this talent, consider hiring fractional design leadership from a team like ours. That way you can snag some of the smart and energetic talent seeking to break into the product design market. And they'll be forever grateful that you did!