Talent Retention
Brain Drain happens when a country fails to secure its most highly educated citizens, leaving a vacuum of competency in several sectors. The phenomenon has wide reaching impacts on economies, especially in developing countries where talent now has to be outsourced to companies from more developed countries that are better equipped to retain talent. For example, in Jamaica the ICT sector contributes heavily to brain drain in a somewhat self fulfilling prophecy. ICT companies will outsource to foreign companies instead of using their resources to hire local talent and in turn, because there is limited focus on hiring locally, many citizens are compelled to leave. In some instances they may even work at the foreign entities these Caribbean firms outsource. There must be a change in the approach of to talent acquisition and retention that would be beneficial to Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
It is known that Jamaica ranks highly on the Human Flight and Brain Drain Index, second only to Samoa. If we ever needed a confirmation of what has been seen from many families in Jamaica - then this ranking is it. Interestingly our Caribbean neighbors, the Bahamas, ranked 120th on the index.
I have participated in several recruitment activities in Jamaica, focused on identifying talent from an early stage and worked to engage and secure the young and brilliant minds before being snatched up by the likes of Google, Meta and Amazon. Recruiting isn’t easy as I have had to formulate convincing arguments to attract talent and persuade them to remain in Jamaica. Considering the realities of high inflation and interest rates which has only been exacerbated by global conflicts such as in Europe where there is rapid rise in food and fuel costs, it has proven difficult. The outlook seems bleak and increasingly disparaging to a company looking to participate in a global economy.
The grass is always greener..
A young graduate in 2022 has more access to large multinational firms than they did in 2009. The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a catalyst in the era of remote work and since then the world has seen a sharp increase in remote work opportunities with better incentives to foster a healthier balance between work and personal life. High-paying remote work opportunities also increased from 4% (December 19, 2019) to approximately 15% in 2022. I am inclined to believe that remote work is here to stay. With increased accessibility, better working terms and a higher compensation package, traditional company structures and practices will fail to attract the kind of talent they would need to succeed. My prediction is that individuals will become uninterested in recruitment drives and even more disenchanted with compensation packages that promise health insurance at most.
Jamaican companies have now seen its own mass resignations especially during the pandemic where productivity remained high - but demands increased. Managers are now asked to participate in employee engagement check-ins and one-and-ones to ensure that staff remain motivated and committed to the company. The effectiveness of these check-ins are constantly eroded by migration push and pull factors. Jamaican companies rely too heavily on foreign firms which instead of encouraging their employees to stay it encourages them to leave. It is difficult surmise their value within the company when hired foreign consultants earn more but are required to do the same job or less.
Cauterize the wound
It takes a sudden dramatic act to stop the loss of tech talent. It involves acknowledging the hard truths that employees will work if given the right tools, environment and a healthy work-life balance that fosters personal development.
Pay talent - retain talent:
It goes without saying that the demand for talent must be met with a salary that can retain said talent. As a former part-time lecturer in the Department of Computing at the University of the West Indies, I have seen companies such as Goldman Sachs or Google appreciate our own local talent and lure them with attractive and unmatched compensation before they've even received a degree in hand. Why don't we appreciate our own similarly?
2021 global report - Randstad
Attractive salary & benefits is the most important driver globally (62%) and scores highest among women (65%) and middle-educated employees (66%). Furthermore, women, those with mid-level education, and Latin American residents consider as many as eight employer attributes as important in an ideal employer, compared to the global average of seven.
Dispel the myth that North American knows best:
Too often do we look outside to bolster our teams with talent that do not understand the Jamaican context. I have been involved in discussions with consultants from Fortune 100 companies that have sought to influence product direction with their own misconceived notions of demand for features. I have been fortunate to see several instances where, under the guidance of local talent, these product directions are stymied with the appropriate research and proven with adoption with locally developed ideas. We know our audience better than anyone else does.
Remote Work Destination:
Jamaica is an amazing country that enjoys wonderful and consistent weather year-round. People dream of sitting on the beach and writing code - yet it's not taken advantage of. During the pandemic we saw a myriad of countries opening up borders to facilitate remote work and increase potential revenues from these workers spending.
The country benefits by having talent present physically in the same space as a college graduate looking to depart. This encourages a diffusion of ideas that wouldn't be seen outside of conferences hosted in Jamaica. The success of Tech Beach Retreat demonstrates that people are interested in Jamaica as more than the stereotypical Reggae and Tourist attraction..
Summary
The brain-drain is bad, but it can be slowed and maybe even stopped. With a simple reallocation of time and resources it is very possible. The continued over dependence on larger firms to bolster the Jamaican workforce, is simply not sustainable.
