Why Candidates Are Invested In The Tech For Good Movement, And Why You Should Be Too

If you work in the tech industry, chances are you’re well aware of the Tech For Good movement. It’s a global initiative aimed at encouraging organisations to employ technology to tackle big social and environmental problems head-on, or use it to change their processes in a way that benefits society and the planet.

But what does this mean for tech recruitment? More importantly, how can you maintain a competitive edge in a post-Tech For Good recruitment landscape? Cathcart Technology Co-Founder and Joint MD, Sam Wason, shares his insights below…

What is Tech For Good?

Its privacy issues, its impact on mental health and child development, its association with a couch potato lifestyle, and the prospect of a robot uprising… let’s face it, technology hasn’t always had the greatest reputation. 

But you can’t deny that it does have its advantages; the little things like asking Alexa to turn out the lights before bed instead of stubbing your toe in the dark, and much bigger conveniences like cloud computing and 3D printing, have all massively improved our lives. Tech For Good hopes to remind people of this – highlighting the various ways in which technology can enhance our lives as opposed to limiting them.

What makes a company Tech For Good?

How does a company fall under the socially responsible umbrella, then? What are the qualifications you need to fulfil in order to gain coveted Tech For Good status? There are two ways of looking at it:

1. Companies that have created a tech solution to drive positive change in regard to social or environmental problems – like community marketplace and fast-fashion alternative Depop, or virtual healthcare platform Signum Health.

2. Organisations that consider their own social or environmental impact, and the steps they can take to make this more positive – from reducing their carbon footprint to helping their local communities. Examples include B Corp-certified brands like Image Relay and Rubicon.

Why does Tech For Good matter?

As with most changes in the technology industry, the Tech For Good movement is having a ripple effect on recruitment. Right now, the ongoing talent shortage means companies are competing in a candidate-short market – and candidates have their pick of the crop when it comes to choosing their next career move.

Throw Tech For Good into the mix, and you’ve got socially and environmentally conscious candidates whose goal is to find a role within a company that does more than just foster their career development. It also needs to either share their values or allow them to contribute to positive change directly. 

Are you Tech For Good?

With this in mind, it’s worth reevaluating your operations to see how you measure up in the post-Tech For Good landscape. Is it possible to call yourself a Tech For Good company? Are there changes you can make to achieve this? If so, who could you help? What might you facilitate? Whatever you decide, a crucial aspect of being Tech For Good is making sure your efforts are authentic – and for the right reasons. 

As Cathcart’s resident Tech For Good geek, I’d be more than happy to answer any of your questions about the movement. Or if you’d simply like some recruitment advice, arrange a chat with one of our experienced consultants.