You don’t have to get knee-deep in code to work like a techie! The tech industry has some great ideas on how we can all work more effectively. Let’s find out more.
At Hayward Hawk Technology, we help forward-thinking tech companies hire talented people to their teams. Now, to the outsider, the tech industry might seem a bit weird and scary; lots of guys (and not enough girls) staring at a screen full of zeros and ones with their headphones on. But having seen the way tech companies work, we think there are lots of lessons we could learn from them, no matter what industry you’re in.
Here are three lessons we can learn from the tech industry.
1 – Solve a problem to find success
Every piece of technology aims to solve a problem. It’s all about figuring out solutions. The most successful tech companies are the ones that address the most essential problems in the most effective ways.
This means you have to research, think creatively and break new ground. When you succeed, there’s every chance you’re going to change the world.
The same is true in the recruitment industry, of course. Clients come to us with challenges and sometimes we have to get creative in order to solve them. What we need to learn is to be creative as a matter of course, rather than only in emergencies!
2 – Put the best people at the top
This will resonate to anyone who has had a manager that doesn’t know what day it is, but is the boss because they’ve been there since the 1970s!
Tech, probably more than any other industry, is a meritocracy. Tech companies value your skills rather than the number of years you’ve been in the industry. Is this because so many tech founders are in their 20s and 30s?
That means, to get ahead in tech, you have to be continually learning new skills and developing yourself. Because tech moves so quickly, the types of skills that are in demand often change. However, when you have those in-demand skills, you’re sought-after in the market and you’ll be well-compensated.
3 – Work efficiently
The tech industry, more than any other sector, is busting the myth that you need to be in the office at nine every day, tapping away at your computer till five. The philosophy seems to be, focus on output rather than the number of hours you work. We think it’s brilliant.
When you go to a tech company’s office, you’ll see there are varied spaces for completing different tasks. There are quiet rooms, small rooms, VC rooms, breakout rooms. It’s all about where you’re most comfortable doing what you need to do. You’ll also experience company perks such as casual dress codes, ping-pong tables, office dogs, you name it. It’s all about making the workplace a nice place to be for employees and creating a positive culture.
Tech companies are also leading the move to flexible working. You’re more likely to come across people who work from home, or get to choose their own hours. You’ll also find entire teams working in different countries. This means staff are happier and more likely to stay with a company for a longer length of time.
We can all learn from this approach. It’s about getting the job done; everything else is just details.
