Tech skills in Australia: Podcast with InnovationAus

This month, our CEO and Founder, Dane Eldridge, spoke with James Riley, Editorial Director of InnovationAus, in a podcast about finding the right tech skills for your business.

With more than 25 years in journalism, James has a deep interest in industry development policy related to information technology, innovation and tech-enabled startups in Australia. Dane discussed the megatrends in software development and the rise of the developer as buyers, influencers, and a creative class. 

Check out the podcast’s key points below and our one-page guide on how to hire tech talent.  

Top 4 InnovationAus Podcast highlights

1.Market conditions and the Australian tech scene

The uncertainty of COVID has created a new urgency in the market, and competition for tech talent is heating up. According to the Australian Financial Review, job advertisements jumped 7.2 per cent in February and have now hit their highest level since October 2018! 

2. The difficulties of the RDTI

In October, the federal government’s “enhanced” reforms to the R&D tax incentive passed Parliament. However, the lack of clarity within the qualification process needs a more straightforward definition to access the scheme. 

3. The rise of front-end developers & talent shortage in Australia

The demand for more front-end developers is on the rise. Businesses are looking to the front-end of their website to differentiate their business from their competitors. The need for digital workers and tech skills in Australia should be a focus for the Australian government and the private sector alike. 

“Australia will need an extra 6.5 million digital workers in the next four years to keep up with technological change, according to research from Amazon that reveals the technology skills gap continues to deepen.” Natasha Boddy, Australian Financial Review.

The Australian government has an opportunity to open up Australia to overseas talent. We can use Australia’s fantastic record with COVID, our natural environment, stable system and lifestyle as an incentive. 

4. The importance of culture in development teams

Culture is essential in any workplace. But how does culture affect developers specifically? When selecting developers for clients with our team augmentation service, alignment between our recruitment process and client is paramount. 

Our one-page guide to hiring developers

We had some great tips for hiring tech talent that Dane didn’t get to run through with James. Over the years, we have learnt many lessons when it comes to hiring developers, so we have put together our top 4 tips.

Ultimately hiring is a two-way process. The job ad and the interview process is as much about the candidate assessing your business as it is about you assessing them. Make sure you’re providing a clear and compelling picture for the candidate about why your business is a great place to work.

If you are experiencing difficulty finding the tech skills you need, chat with us about our team augmentation service.