In a candidate-scarce market like MuleSoft, retaining talent can be tough. However, driving salaries skywards isn’t always the best answer. Here are three proven and actionable strategies to help you retain MuleSoft specialists without breaking the bank.
How much are businesses losing due to low employee retention?
The skills gap in the cloud is at a 15-year high. Even when you do manage to attract the right cloud specialists for sought-after technologies like MuleSoft, you’re then faced with another challenge—how do you retain good employees in a sector where poaching skilled talent has become the norm?
With companies worldwide losing a huge percentage of their annual profits due to voluntary staff turnover, it makes sense to invest in employee retention strategies, as this will still be more cost-effective than simply replacing talent. Here’s what the numbers tell us.
What are the global trends for retention?
Australia
In the year to February 2019, 8.5% of the Australian workforce changed their employer or the business they operated.
USA
Voluntary staff turnover is costing US businesses $1 trillion collectively, according to research by Gallup.
United Kingdom
Almost half of the UK’s organizations surveyed by Omni and CIPD believe that the competition for qualified talent has increased since the pandemic.
Canada
In 2018, Canada saw an average staff turnover rate of 21%, with 12% being voluntary.
How much does it cost to replace an employee?
“The cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary—and that’s a conservative estimate.”
[Gallup]
What is the cost of replacing a MuleSoft Developer?
Taking into account the average annual salary for a MuleSoft Developer, and depending on their seniority and level of experience, this is how much you could lose when they leave the role.
| Average salary for a Junior MuleSoft Developer | Average salary for a Senior MuleSoft Developer | Geographical region | Cost of replacing a Junior MuleSoft Developer | Cost of replacing a Senior MuleSoft Developer |
| $113,000 | $152,250 | US | $169,500 – $226,000 | $201,375 – $304,500 |
| CA$ 112,750 | CA$ 152,500 | Canada | CA$ 169,125 – CA$ 225,500 | CA$ $228,750 – CA$ 305,000 |
| £39,000 | £96,500 | UK | £58,500 – £78,000 | £144,750 – £193,000 |
| AU$ 121,000 | AU$ 162,500 | Australia | AU$ 181,500 – AU$ 242,000 | AU$ 243,750 – AU$ 325,000 |
Average salary for a Junior MuleSoft Developer
US: $113,000
Canada: CA$ 112,750
UK: £39,000
Australia: AU$ 121,000
Cost of replacing a Junior MuleSoft Developer
US: $169,500 – $226,000
Canada: CA$ 169,125 – CA$ 225,500
UK: £58,500 -£78,000
Australia: AU$ 181,500 – AU$ 242,000
Average salary for a Senior MuleSoft Developer
US: $152,250
Canada: CA$ 152,500
UK: £96,500
Australia: AU$ 162,500
Cost of replacing a Senior MuleSoft Developer
US: $201,375 – $304,500
Canada: CA$ $228,750 – CA$ 305,000
UK: £144,750 – £193,000
Australia: AU$ 243,750 – AU$ 325,000
Please note: As reported in the Mason Frank Careers and Hiring Guide 2021/22. Salaries have been rounded to the nearest £250 for ease of reading, exclude Mason Frank margins and are correct as of November 2021. Certain markets will exhibit 10-15% variance due to differences in costs of living.
Thinking beyond salary
Of course, people do often leave because of money. Mason Frank data reveals that 75% of respondents from the Salesforce ecosystem saw a salary increase since they last changed their job. What’s more, according to a report by Mercer, an estimated 77% of Canadian employees leave voluntarily for a better job opportunity—a trend that is likely to be similar across the board.
However, ‘leaving for a better job opportunity’ doesn’t always equal a higher salary. The good news is that there are other factors besides offering a salary beyond your means that you, as an employer, can work towards improving, in order to significantly boost your MuleSoft talent retention rates.
Why are employees willing to take a pay cut?
In fact, the same report by Mason Frank revealed that almost one-tenth (7%) of all respondents who work in the Salesforce ecosystem took a pay cut when they last changed their job, showing that money really isn’t everything. Mason Frank also asked respondents to rank their reasons for leaving their previous job, including the below, which fetched the following results:
1. For a better company culture
2. I wanted to work for/in that organization/vertical
3. To gain experience with different projects or products
4. I’d have accepted any offer to leave my last role
5. To be able to work remotely
6. The new role offered flexible working
7. The new role involved a shorter commute
8. To take on more responsibility
9. The new role involved less travel
10. To gain a better benefits package
“Several of these factors can be attributed to a more inclusive company culture and a better work/life balance because of flexible or remote work policies, or a shorter commute. And, as you’d expect, compensation and benefits are important. But the reality is that everyone can make more money elsewhere,” says Nabila Salem, President of Revolent
With that in mind, here are three proven strategies you could implement to retain MuleSoft cloud talent without breaking the bank, along with top tips from Nabila Salem. With over 15 years of leadership experience across professional services, tech recruitment, and marketing, Nabila is a passionate advocate for solving the skills gap and lack of diversity in tech. As President of the world-leading cloud talent creation expert Revolent, she has experience with best practices for attracting and retaining talent in specialist cloud industries like MuleSoft, where talent is especially scarce.
3 proven strategies to retain MuleSoft talent
#1: Offer more flexibility
Following the switch to remote working during the pandemic, employees now prioritize flexibility in the workplace more than ever before.
A recent study by EY revealed that a whopping 9 out of 10 employees expect flexibility and autonomy over where and when they work. The study also revealed that millennials are much more likely to quit, compared to baby boomers, if this requirement isn’t met by an employer.
The sentiment is echoed in Mason Frank’s Careers and Hiring Guide 2021-22 with 76% of respondents that work with Salesforce agreeing that they would reconsider working for their employer if they weren’t offered flexibility around where they work.
Employers seem to be following suit—a new study by the non-profit business research group Conference Board reveals that only 4% of all employers surveyed are asking all their employees to return to the office full-time.
Desiring more flexibility certainly isn’t a ‘whim’ and working from home doesn’t mean that employees are any less motivated to perform. Being able to fit work around their lives, decide how to structure their day, or choose what kind of an environment they work in can give staff a sense of autonomy and empowerment while fostering feelings of trust in the workplace. In fact, a study by Stanford shows that working from home can boost productivity levels by 13% due to a quieter and more comfortable environment, fewer breaks and sick days. For others still, remote working is not a matter of preference but an essential requirement, especially single parents, mothers and workers with disabilities.
The bottom line is: if you want to stay ahead of the competition and retain your MuleSoft talent, offering flexibility is crucial. Especially as this is where the competition is heading, with the proportion of employers taking steps to improve employees’ work-life balance having increased to 49% (compared to 37% in 2019) according to The Resourcing and talent planning survey 2021 (CIPD and Omni).
“Let’s try and overcome old habits because we all need talent,” agrees Nabila. “Let’s be creative and innovative. You should be able to retain the MuleSoft talent you need, as long as you’re willing to adapt and evolve.”
One size doesn't fit all when it comes to flexible working
However, it’s important to remember that when it comes to flexible working policies, everyone is different. Some employees may actually prefer more social interaction and stimulation that an office environment offers, or they may have home environments that are unsuitable for working effectively.
While 44% of Salesforce professionals surveyed by Mason Frank said they’d be happy to work fully remotely, 48% said they’d prefer a hybrid working model instead.
So, if you’re thinking about implementing more flexible working policies across your teams, the best thing to do is ask your employees what would work for them, for example, through an anonymous survey or a focus group. Of course, you’ll likely receive a mix of responses and preferences, but a hybrid model can help you set a good middle-ground, at least initially.
#2: Foster an inclusive company culture
Humans are social creatures who have a need to belong. And considering how many hours of our lives we spend at work, it’s no surprise that leaving ‘for a better company culture’ was the top reason listed among the Salesforce professionals who took a pay cut in their new role (Mason Frank Careers and Hiring Guide 2021-22). In fact, a good company culture is so important that cloud professionals are willing to lose out financially just to work in a more inclusive environment. As such, fostering an inclusive and respectful environment where everyone can thrive is imperative for employers who wish to retain their cloud talent.
While there is no easy fix, and significant changes certainly won’t happen overnight, there are several steps that you can take to improve your company culture. Here are just a few ideas.
Listen to your employees
“Empathy is a crucial quality in leadership, and so much can be accomplished by simply listening to your staff and taking their suggestions on board,” says Nabila.
And often the best ideas come from within. Set up a dedicated Diversity Committee or Working Group within your organization and encourage open and honest feedback channels, whether that be anonymous employee engagement surveys, focus groups, or one-to-ones. Don’t forget to always follow up with action and showcase the changes you have implemented to keep the dialogue between you and your employees going.
Don’t look for a cultural fit
So much has been said about the importance of finding a ‘cultural fit’ for your team. But our advice is the stark opposite. Foster the sort of environment that encourages diverse talent to join—they can bring new perspectives, challenge set ways of doing things, and help your business innovate.
“Companies will typically experience an 18% staff turnover. As someone with over 15 years of leadership experience, I know that the rate is even higher for women and ethnic minority groups who work in the cloud industries, including MuleSoft,” adds Nabila. “This is due to pressures they face being so underrepresented within the wider tech industry. They often don’t feel like a cultural fit. But because people from different backgrounds can bring different perspectives, you should be prioritizing attracting talent from all walks of life to your business.”
Shockingly, over one third of Salesforce professionals surveyed by Mason Frank said they had not received any Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion training from their employer. What’s more, almost one tenth of all respondents don’t believe that their organization promotes racial and ethnic diversity in their workforce, with a further 6% saying they’re not sure if this exists in the company they work for.
“Leadership usually has a huge impact on turnover as well. If people do not feel inspired, supported, and motivated to perform at their best, they will leave,” comments Nabila. “Managers must lead by example by showing empathy and trust in their employees. A lack of trust and empowerment often leads to turnover because ultimately, we cannot expect our employees to care about us and perform above and beyond, if we do not show that we care about them and value their service.”
As members of the Salesforce Talent Alliance, diversity is absolutely crucial for us at Revolent. Thanks to our innovative and inclusive approach, 68% of our own Revols are from a Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic background. By partnering with us, you can bring new perspectives, more innovation and creativity to your MuleSoft team which could go hand-in-hand with the wider efforts to change your company culture to be more diverse and inclusive.
Offer more upskilling opportunities
Most of us want to feel like we’re growing and developing. However, with almost one quarter of the Mason Frank survey respondents certain that their organization is intending to implement MuleSoft applications, it’s surprising that only 14% said they held either a MuleSoft, Slack, or Tableau certification. In addition, they listed MuleSoft as one of the top types of training they felt they lacked.
With Salesforce acquiring more and more cloud products and services, such as MuleSoft, you could get ahead of the game by establishing clear career progression routes and offering upskilling opportunities to all Salesforce professionals already employed in your organization, so that they can gain the crucial MuleSoft skills they feel they currently lack.
With almost one third of Salesforce professionals surveyed admitting that they paid for their own certification, there’s certainly a gap to be filled for employers who wish to gain a competitive edge over others and retain their talent.
There are, of course, expenses associated with upskilling. The new MuleSoft Developer certification exam costs $250 per person, with further costs expected from retakes, coaching and training sessions, and time lost in productivity due to employees needing to take time outto study for their certifications and pass the exam.
However, even if you were to put all these costs together, you’re still likely to benefit financially, compared to the $200,000+ you would pay to replace just one MuleSoft Developer.
Growing talent in-house can also significantly boost your employee engagement rates, their well-being, and loyalty to your brand which will undoubtedly result in higher retention.
#3: Partner with innovative MuleSoft talent creation programs
High turnover rates are absolutely detrimental to organizations, and it isn’t always possible to beat the competition by raising salaries for the specialist MuleSoft roles you need to scale your business. And, while implementing the strategies outlined in this article will help you boost your MuleSoft talent retention rates long-term, this does not fix the short-term problem of losing MuleSoft specialists to competitors who offer a bigger pay or more benefits.
That’s where innovative cloud talent creation programs like Revolent can help. By partnering with us you’ll be able to attract skilled and experienced MuleSoft specialists from a diverse talent pool who can execute your projects at speed while significantly boosting your talent retention rates. This is because the experienced IT professionals we cross-train in sought-after technologies like MuleSoft, also known as ‘Revols’, progress onto a guaranteed two-year work placement with a client after their initial training has been completed and they have become MuleSoft-certified. What’s more, we’ll help you reduce the upskilling costs, as we’ll support our Revols throughout their placement by offering additional training opportunities and industry certifications to equip them with the particular skills needed to match your business needs and projects.
