The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has created a revolution among startups. New companies have turned en masse to the potential of modern AI and machine learning (ML) solutions to address business problems. Developing cutting-edge AI-based products is now the hottest idea among tech startups.

These fast-moving businesses will need top talent with relevant subject matter experience to thrive. This focus is creating unprecedented demand for specific skill sets. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2027 the demand for AI and ML specialists will increase by 40%, and the demand for big data knowledge will rise by 30-35%.

Tech talent recruitment is a challenge when so many companies are focusing on candidates with the same specialized skills. Navigating the maze to hire the best possible team will demand special focus from ambitious emerging-tech startups.

Understanding the unique talent acquisition landscape

AI and general data science knowledge and talent are at a premium, and there are a few prevailing trends that startups will have to grapple with as they search for the best hires. Rather than dealing with one challenge, there are two primary headwinds facing these businesses:

1. AI is a highly specific technology area and one that is growing rapidly. In the past, demand for skills relating to this niche has been lower, and there is a resulting scarcity of candidates with the necessary knowledge and experience to take on high-level AI roles.

2. Competition for workers with AI skills and related knowledge is fierce. Not only are AI, ML and data science startups competing against one another, but they're also facing established tech giants. Large, long-tenured companies have high budgets for talent acquisition, allowing them to make attractive offers for top performers.

Talent attraction strategies for advanced-tech startups should acknowledge those challenges while presenting ways to overcome them. With the right approach, fast-moving young companies can find the skills they need to thrive.

How to recruit top tech talent: strategies to try

Today's AI startups can't afford to be complacent when seeking skilled talent for their teams. The search for candidates with relevant skill sets can be key to long-term success and is therefore worth addressing through specific, well-crafted strategies. These approaches include:

1. Cultivating an attractive employer brand

In an applicant's market, it pays for organizations to build their specific brands and become the kind of place where top employees want to work. This is the present situation regarding AI talent recruiting, and startups should consider how they are perceived when creating their strategies.

In practice, this means establishing a strong brand as an employer, so applicants know exactly what kind of company they would be joining. Glassdoor reveals that 86% of employees and prospects research their potential employers' reviews and ratings when in the process of applying for new jobs.

So, what can companies do to make sure those reviews and ratings are as strong as possible? Companies will seem more exciting and attractive to potential employees who share their mission and values when they highlight:

1. A unique company culture.
2. Innovative new products.
3. Opportunities for professional growth.

In the fast-moving startup world, promoting a current or upcoming project through community blogging and social media posts can effectively build hype. This recently occurred in the AI space when Midjourney promoted its Text2Image generator by launching unfinished versions in waves. This provided a strong incentive for skilled workers to want to get involved.

2. Leveraging employee referrals

In some cases, the best resource companies have for attracting new employees is referrals coming from their current teams. A referral from a trusted friend, family member or former colleague can be more convincing than a large amount of promotion through official channels.

One good hire can quickly turn into a full team if a company finds a skilled AI, ML or data engineering professional who has a strong professional network and can recruit these fellow experts. At first glance, recruiting AI talent through referrals can seem like it is largely out of HR leaders' hands — either it happens or it doesn't. However, there are plenty of steps to take to encourage employees to reach out to their contacts.

Startups actively pursuing new recruits through referrals can offer rewards and incentives to current workers who provide high-quality new candidates, while also offering strong introductory packages for those fresh hires.

A referral-friendly workplace isn't just defined by its tangible benefits and rewards. Rather, these companies have a culture that encourages workers to reach out to their personal networks and bring new people onto the team. This involves fostering trust among those employees and ensuring they're aligned with the company's mission, so they won't hesitate to invite trusted friends.

3. Embracing remote work and global talent pools

One way to overcome talent shortages is to vastly increase the geographic area of the company's search. In today's software development market, where companies often coordinate decentralized teams based around the world, there is virtually no limit to how far emerging-tech startups can look when sourcing tech talent.

Fully remote or hybrid work environments allow organizations to find the skills they need without worrying whether those abilities are available in their local talent pools. Hiring and recruitment processes can be digitized effectively by embracing remote work technology and working with HR professionals who are attuned to the needs of dispersed employees.

Both during the hiring process and after those worldwide employees are on board, the company's culture should explicitly support them. This means devising programs and activities that specifically apply to employees working from home — from virtual social events to health and wellness plans.

Creating connections within teams is just as important for remote-first companies as for in-person businesses, perhaps more so because there isn't the enforced closeness created by sharing an office. Our article on this subject contains more suggestions for distributed team leadership.

4. Seeking external engagement

Going outside the walls of the business to create engagement at external, third-party events is a time- and effort-intensive form of tech talent recruitment. The extra investment is validated, however, because these strategies help in two ways: they promote the company's brand and connect recruiters with a skilled, motivated talent pool.

The two most important branches of external talent engagement include:

1. Engaging with networking events, hackathons and conferences focused on AI technology. These gatherings allow companies to assess candidates' practical skills and problem-solving abilities in a focused environment. For data science and AI professionals, Kaggle is the most important community. Companies can hold contests within Kaggle offering cash prizes, and then recruit top performers.
2. Collaborating with universities, research institutions and industry leaders. Working with the academic world is a way to attract top candidates near the beginning of their careers, broadening the talent pool available to companies. By networking with these individuals and offering internships and knowledge exchanges, companies can stay engaged with rising experts in the field of AI and data science.

When organizations look to external sources, they can build new talent pipelines to provide new high-tech talent that competitors may overlook.

5. Creating a meaningful and supportive work environment

One of the most important priorities regarding hiring for in-demand skills is retaining newly hired talent. The costs of losing new recruits and having to restart the search are considerable. Businesses should provide an environment prioritizing growth, creativity, flexibility, autonomy and purpose to foster job satisfaction.

Giving employees what they really want

Employees will want to join companies that will invest in them, so it's worth offering clear paths for self-improvement. In the rapidly evolving AI and data engineering space, it's especially important to allow opportunities for employees to develop their skills and engage in ongoing learning. This means encouraging:

• Self-guided skill development.
• Mentoring led by experienced employees.
• Knowledge-sharing initiatives and workshops.

Professionals specializing in AI, ML and data engineering today may have unique career aspirations based on personal goals and interests. Not every employee is excited about rapid advancement. It may be more important for these individuals to expand or deepen their experience, and their goals may change over time. Rather than having one narrow advancement path, advanced-tech startups can embrace flexibility.

Acknowledging the power of leadership

Leadership is key to engagement. When subject matter experts trust management, they're more likely to remain loyal and committed. Read our post on motivating engineering employees for more on this concept.

The AI startup world recently provided a clear example of the importance of leadership. When it appeared that Sam Altman would be ousted as CEO of OpenAI, the company's engineers stayed loyal, stating their desire to follow him out the door. Altman was quickly reinstated.

Navigating the talent maze with a proactive approach

Recruiting top tech talent in a high-demand space can feel like a maze, demanding very complex and specialized solutions. Navigating this labyrinth as a tech-focused startup calls for a strategic, proactive approach. These companies need to pursue their preferred candidates, rather than being passive.

With the right combination of strategies, startups can overcome the challenges they face and build teams that will help them build the next generation of innovative solutions.

‍At Transcenda, we embody the ideas we promote, creating a dynamic, enjoyable environment where ambitious and skilled employees can thrive and achieve their potential. If your organization wants to tap into our team's robust company culture and expertise, you can work with us for a consulting engagement, full development cycle support or anything in between. Contact Transcenda now.