UK tech sector is growing twice as fast as any other despite high turnover

The UK has been listed as one of the tech powerhouses of the world, employing more than 1.64 million people and producing a whopping £170 billion a year. So with things looking up for the tech sector, why is turnover so high?

Recent studies have revealed that the tech sector has the highest turnover in the country (13.2%), despite being a highly skilled and rewarding field.

Within software, the roles of user experience designer, data analyst, and embedded software engineer have the highest turnover rates. The reasons for this are billed as high-demand and rising competition.

Essentially, as the offers get better, more workers are willing to move to a new workplace. At this stage, a good manager could be the deciding factor in whether an employee remains, or tries somewhere new.

Leadership and Management trainer Mike Smith of Ripley Training says a bad manager can be the final straw that sends employees within the tech sector, running for the door: “Being a highly effective leader helps to reduce turnover and increases employee engagement in the business.

“Many team leaders are not provided any form of training to manage and lead effectively.  They also struggle to prioritise areas of importance, and often quality conversations with team members are low on the list even through they are key to employee engagement and retention in the business.”

A significant factor that drives software developers and other tech sector workers away are managers who demand increasingly unreasonable workloads.

With a plethora of options to choose from, it’s easy to understand why workers with some of the most sought-after skills feel they should go elsewhere.

Experts believe that one of the best ways to retain talented members of staff is to invest in the team leaders, manage them effectively, and keep team members progressing through industry challenges to monitor and encourage their growth.

It is believed that the tech sector will be pivotal to the UK post-Brexit, with a dedicated workforce at the forefront of the sector.