To attract top talent, look no further than your own backyard

With the low unemployment rate and scrapping of the 457 visa, it’s increasingly hard to find talent and fill the skills gap, especially in technology and for small businesses.

Rural Australia is fast becoming an area to recruit much sought-after top female talent, given much of the local female population’s experience managing small businesses and farms. The federal government is also increasing technical infrastructure for more Australians to work remotely, having committed $260 million in satellite infrastructure and a more accurate global positioning system in this year’s federal budget.

Growing up in the Australian bush before spending my adult life navigating the male-dominated technology field, I am no stranger to feelings of bias and isolation. I have been the only female in the board room too many times to count, and it’s what drove me to spearhead the global initiative SheLeadsTech, through global business technology association ISACA, to empower and encourage more female involvement in the tech workforce. And subsequently, I was selected to join the official Australian delegation at this year’s United Nations 62nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women to discuss how technology can empower rural women and girls.

Through my experiences, I have observed several common mistakes small businesses make in trying to attract top talent. Read more

Jo Stewart-Rattray - SmartCompany -  7 August 2018