More than 240 million Americans are eligible to vote this year, and many are more enthusiastic than ever as key issues around healthcare, taxes, and foreign policy take center stage. While the election will undoubtedly have a widespread impact on society at large, enterprise tech and IT companies should pay particularly close attention as new policies and regulations have the potential to shift their go-to-market strategies and, subsequently, their recruiting and hiring strategies.
What We Know Heading into the 2024 Election
Few things in life are inevitable; the election’s short- and long-term implications for enterprise hiring strategies are no exception.
That said, we can say two things with absolute certainty:
- There’s a lot at stake that will directly and indirectly impact recruiting and hiring strategies.
- We won’t fully understand the election’s impact until after it occurs.
And that’s okay.
While the immediate impact of the election won’t be immediately clear, enterprise companies and their hiring teams can still closely monitor how Democrat and Republican candidates discuss topics that affect their bottom lines, such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and data privacy and security.
From there, they can ask themselves: How will these stances impact our business and workforce? For example, if Democrats continue to push for more worker protection and benefits that improve job satisfaction, will this attract more talent to the tech world? Meanwhile, if Republicans support tax reforms that benefit businesses, enterprise companies may be better positioned to implement targeted hiring strategies that quickly grow their workforce amid lower interest rates.
How the Election Will Impact the Tech Workforce
Hiring teams shouldn’t be the only ones paying attention to the upcoming election. The collective tech workforce, especially those entering the workforce for the first time, should also monitor the situation closely.
For tech talent (currently employed or not), staying ahead and standing out will rely on their ability to monitor the ecosystem, understand where the election may take it, and upskill with higher education and certifications that align with technological trends and political direction.
The Key for Enterprise Companies: Be Nimble & Adapt
Was Alexander Graham Bell talking about the impact of elections on enterprise hiring strategies when he said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”
No, but he could have been. While enterprise companies won’t fully understand the election’s impact on their hiring strategies for some time, there are plenty of proactive steps they can take now and in the days leading up to the election to prepare.
Enterprise companies can propel those steps with some fundamental questions:
- How could policy changes affect our current technology and roadmap?
- What are the implications of new regulations on how we handle data?
- How might changes in immigration policy impact our ability to hire and retain workers from abroad?
- How can we better prepare for potential cybersecurity threats that may arise from new government policies?
- What are the financial implications of potential tax reforms?
- What adjustments may we make to our employee benefits and compensation structures to align with new labor laws?
For enterprise companies, effectively navigating the ballot box effect will rely on constantly asking these questions throughout the election season, preparing for every scenario, and making strategic adjustments to ensure they thrive in the post-election landscape.