Modern IT companies operate in a very competitive environment. High demand for programmers, the sector’s rapid development, stability of employment and handsome salaries have caused the IT sector to enter what might be well described as an “employee time”. In its E-skills for jobs in Europe report, the European Commission estimates, that the European market alone suffers from a shortage of approx. 500 000 IT specialists, which makes the companies try to outdo one another by unconventional ways of recruitment, attractive forms of employment, hourly rates and additional benefits. A question continually asked by employers is what one should do to not only attract new specialists but also retain them.
A young generation of employees is characterized by increasing expectations, of which the primary ones are no longer a high salary and stability of employment. What counts today is development, recognition and access to new technologies. Therefore, it became clear for Edge One Solutions that in order to effectively fight competition and create the best expert teams, the company needs to make itself distinct from other employers. How? The answer is People Development Programme (PDP).
WHAT IS PDP ABOUT AND WHY IS DEFINING YOUR CAREER PATH EXTRAORDINARY?
PDP is Edge1S own career development programme launched in November 2015. In 2016, the first year of the programme’s operation, over 50% of Edge1S employees* chose their development path within PDP. The way it has been carried out is described by the employees as “an unquestionable advantage compared to what is offered by the competition.” As it turns out, PDP has its impact on the way recruitment processes are conducted.
“The intellectual capital is what makes up the real capital of Edge1S – says Justyna Pawliczak, Edge1S Recruitment Manager. – This is why the participation in PDP constitutes our offer’s key element for the candidates applying to work for Edge1S. It means the opportunity to define one’s career path and to choose the ways and tools necessary to obtain one’s professional goals. There is no doubt that the programme is what sets us apart in a very competitive market and more often than not determines the selection of Edge One Solutions as a candidate’s future Employer.”
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Once a year each Edge1S employee together with their superior works out the direction of development and the ways of improvement of their skills. Employees may develop by a lateral or vertical move, choosing a career path for a Specialist, Project Manager, Manager and Quality Assurance Specialist. While planning a career development every effort is made to precisely combine an employee’s individual predispositions and interests with the company’s goals and the opportunities it creates.
“The programme encourages employees to indicate their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the areas in which they feel don’t feel competent enough.. – says Bogdan Derdziński, Edge1S Head of Delivery – The method of development of potentially weaker areas is highly diverse – while we prefer to broaden our employees’ specialist knowledge by their participation in trainings and conferences, the development mechanisms for the so-called communication areas and knowledge sharing are less evident. Some employees opt for individual coaching sessions, whereas others prefer to give a speech at a given event. It is often possible to address one employee’s needs with the skills of the other – then, the leader’s only job is to activate and channel the interaction which would bring benefits to both parties. Hence, we combine individual approach to every specialist with the experience drawn from the cooperation with dozens of specialists within the same domain. Our teams are free to put forward development mechanisms suggestions, which allows us to swiftly select the ones which seem the most effective, and at the same time build an organization where everyone has influence on its current shape.”
DOES IT BRING BENEFITS?
During employer branding strategy preparation for 2017, an internal survey* was carried out, which was aimed at analyzing the perception of Edge1S as an employer. It provided a valuable insight into the organization, proving the validity of the actions taken by Edge1S so far. It also defined the needs and outlined the direction of operation for the future. The survey indicates that 80% of employees** describe Edge1S as an ideal place to carry out one’s own development path, and nearly 90% promise to recommend Edge1S as a great place to work and develop. Among those who participate in the programme, the answers to a question about PDP are by all means positive. Here are some of the answers:
Marcin Ziółkowski, Project Manager, Edge1S
“I initially imagined PDP as a process in which, in order to obtain benefits, I will be forced to accomplish a certain set of tasks with an “A” grade. After many, many talks with my superiors and hours spent while working on my PDP I started approaching numerous aspects of my job somewhat differently – more creatively and more critically, in a positive sense. Working on your PDP organically helps you to develop an ability to look at many things from various perspectives. An objective approach allows for indicating flaws or areas which need improvement, and in the long run, it leads to improving individual characteristics, not only as an employee. This, in turn, translates into a higher quality of work, and subsequently, into the satisfaction you get when you excel at something or, even better, when someone else excels at something thanks to you. The quality of work impacts many other aspects, such as the atmosphere at work, which for me is of great importance”.
Dawid Studziński, Senior Frontend Developer, Edge1S
“I perceive PDP as a mobilising element, tightening the bond and raising an employee’s qualifications with the benefit for both himself and the company. Thanks to PDP I develop my skills, both through the implementation of tasks within PDP action plan, and through trainings and conferences. None of my previous employers provided me with such a form of a development program. Nowhere has it been formalized to such an extent, which resulted in employees not being sure whether, when and what kind of event they were going to take part in. The way the programme is being executed definitely sets us apart as an employer. Additionally, I could also mention other very attractive elements of PDP, such as the possibility to obtain an objective assessment from other people, as well as the opportunity to plan one’s development direction in advance by establishing PDP objectives for the next period”.
Filip Sadowski, Line Manager, Edge1S
“PDP is an individual development path adjusted to my own needs, taking into account my current knowledge and experience. It brings me benefits in the form of participation in trainings, conferences, etc., while for the company obtains the opportunity to build a team of experts. I would indicate several most important aspects of PDP. Firstly, it supports the continuation of a current career path by obtaining experience and new skills. It allows for a development in completely new areas, not considered before. It also lets an employee have a broader perspective of what has been done, using what skills, and it indicates the areas needing improvement. Undoubtedly, the programme provides tools for development. Thanks to PDP I have a sense that my opinion about the direction in which I would like to develop is being taken into account”.
WHAT’S NEXT WITH PDP?
Having received such a positive feedback on the course and results of PDP, the company is going to continue developing the program intensively.
“We believe in the great value which PDP brings – says Łukasz Czernecki, Edge1S CEO – we are going to invest in the programme because we are certain that it is not only an answer to modern employees’ needs, but also that it constantly brings profits in the shape of their satisfaction, high motivation and loyalty. It also influences the development of teams, providing highest-level experts.”
This being said, People Development Programme turns out to be a home run. Thanks to it the company can effectively compete on the employee market and IT services market, offering its clients the highest quality of services.
* Company’s internal data for 2016.
** Quantitative survey, sample: 62% of E1S employees, December 2016
