Why tech firms can’t get talent fast enough [Technical.ly Podcast]

How are tech firms finding new employees?
That was the subject of Technical.ly’s February podcast. It’s easier in the U.S. today to start a tech firm, and finance that company, than it was during the dot-com years. As the number of startups has increased, how have startup tech companies found the employees they need to keep growing?
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Per usual, Technical.ly Baltimore sat down with reporter Juliana Reyes of Technical.ly Philly and reporter Brady Dale of Technical.ly Brooklyn for this podcast led by Technical.ly editor Christopher Wink.

Some of the Baltimore-specific highlights:

• Find new ways to solicit and train a workforce. Hampden-based adtech startup Staq recently hired four of five people it brought on in its Ruby apprenticeship program. For almost six months Staq’s five temporary hires were paid by the startup to expand their Ruby programming knowledge while doing work for the company.
• Focus on tech training earlier. Nonprofits such as the Digital Harbor Foundation and Digit All Systems make it a point to teach high school students about a range of technologies, including 3D printing, coding for game development, IT systems administration and “ethical hacking.”
• Selling the city. This was the first year Venture for America sent recruited fellows — recent college graduates — into startups in and around Baltimore city. What was stressed? Baltimore city itself, partly. Finding new tech workers means more than paying a competitive salary. It also means locating the company in a place people are drawn to.