“You’re fired,” has become an all-too-proverbial phrase, thanks to the massive success of Donald Trump’s hit show, The Apprentice. Described as the ultimate job interview, applicants are subject to scrutiny, tough questions, and downright embarrassment at times. But despite the popularity of this reality show, Trump’s boardroom antics are far from the reality of today’s high tech hiring game.

The reality is that the balance of power has shifted from the company to the prospective employee, especially when it comes to the recruiting process.

Suzanne Hyatt, Human Resources manager with Tech Capital Partners, a venture capital firm in Waterloo, says that there is a shortage of talent in today’s tech labour market, resulting in an ongoing war to lure top players.

“The market in 1999 was hot. There was a lot of competition for talent and talent was generally available. In 2001, the bubble burst. The market was flat, the talent was available, but the opportunities weren’t there. People who were living in the boom to the bust got intimidated. Today, in 2007, the market is hot. There is a lot of competition for the best and the brightest, but there is a shortage of talent, especially in middle management,” says Hyatt.

Why the tables turned

According to a recent report conducted by Deloitte Research, a wealth of skills and experience is disappearing from the job market as the baby boomers reach retirement age.

Jennifer Ricci, strategic sourcing director at Manulife Financial, says that the changing demographic is greatly impacting today’s tech labour market.

“You have it at both ends. You have the baby boomers retiring, and you don’t have as many students entering the tech market,” says Ricci.

Even Waterloo, a rapidly growing tech cluster, is experiencing the effects of a changing demographic. Being home to RIM, the town is becoming an increasingly attractive region for other tech companies.

“You get a great opportunity and everyone else wants to get in. So you’ve got other organizations, like Manulife, all competing for talent. But now you’ve got a market that’s saturated. Too many competitors in a small scene,” says Ricci.

It’s simple supply and demand—a shortage of talent means that employers must step up their game if they want to lure the very best.

Being coveted has its benefits

Technology employers are going to great lengths to attract today’s top performers.

For example, professional development opportunities play a big factor in an employee’s decision to join the company, so top players are being offered leadership training, sabbaticals, coaching, and skill development. Bigger companies are even guaranteeing a fast track to executive roles.

Companies are also offering better benefits, bigger paycheques, and perks that reach beyond the job.

“Employers aren’t just supporting an employee’s worklife. They are also supporting an individual’s home life. Things like sponsoring a child’s sports team,” says Ricci.

Employers are realizing that they must build a relationship with their employee that extends beyond the workplace, which is why the line between home and work is so obscure.

Making a good company impression

In a talent-thin market, tech companies are putting on a smarter public face, using employer branding, greater investment in HR, and more applicant-friendly job postings to attract the best.

Employer branding

Similar to a marketing strategy, employer branding allows a company to create a unique image of themselves to sell to job applicants.

“People want to work for great companies, something they can be passionate about. And how companies distinguish themselves from others, such as exciting technology or a great work environment, is why people look to join your team,” says Hyatt of Tech Capital.

More sophisticated job postings

One of the ways in which a company can market effectively is through the careful crafting of job postings. Instead of writing laundry-list descriptions, companies are defining the challenges and benefits of a role from the applicant’s perspective, and using less formal language to do it.

These methods all convey to the job applicant that they are highly valued, signifying a shift in both power and positioning.

The trend to come

Some experts say that the power shift is simply a trend that will ebb and flow depending on the market. Katie Dolgin, an executive recruiter at IQ Partners, says that the war for talent has filled many job applicants with cockiness and a sense of entitlement.

“People know that they’re wanted, so they think that they can set the rules,” says Dolgin.

But Dolgin also says that these applicants need to be cautious, because their perks can be taken away when the market changes. Until then, however, top players can reap the benefits.

Young tech companies know that great people make a great business, so employers are discarding Donald Trump’s power-wielding attitude in order to woo the best and the brightest. For tech professionals, that means fresh opportunities with better cash and prizes – prizes such as a company car, for example, where they can blast the Apprentice’s ‘money, money, money’ theme as loud as they want.

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