Why Tech Talent Doesn’t Stay

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The urgent need to redesign attraction strategies in Europe’s corporate landscape

The tech talent shortage isn’t just about lack of supply — it’s about unmet expectations.

Across Europe, and particularly in sectors like pharma, large companies are facing a growing paradox: they invest millions in digital transformation but fail to attract — let alone retain — the professionals capable of driving it forward. The issue isn’t only about salary or location. It’s structural and cultural.

“I’ll move abroad first”: a rational choice for many

It’s not about rebellion or restlessness. For many young tech professionals, leaving their home country has become a logical career move.

“Abroad, I get autonomy, diverse teams, international projects, and time to learn. Here, they want physical presence and strict hierarchy,” said a data engineer quoted by El País (Oct 2025).

What’s pushing this talent away from countries like Spain?

  • Lack of meaningful, impactful tech projects. Many tech professionals want to contribute to high-impact innovation — not just internal process upgrades with little visibility.
  • Slow and bureaucratic hiring processes. Long rounds of interviews, delayed feedback and indecision cause talent to drop out or accept faster offers.
  • Rigid contracts and limited flexibility. The traditional 9-to-6 in-office setup is no longer competitive. Tech talent wants autonomy and work models adapted to how they operate best.
  • Unclear career progression paths. Without visible growth opportunities or cross-functional projects, professionals look elsewhere to advance.
  • Command-and-control leadership that stifles innovation. Rigid hierarchies and lack of trust in autonomous work sap motivation and creativity.

Pharma: digital innovation without talent magnetism

Pharmaceutical companies lead the way in R&D investment and are rapidly adopting tech like AI, data lakes and automation. But when it comes to talent…

They often struggle to attract or retain tech professionals. Why?

  • IT and digital are still seen as support functions, not value drivers. They’re kept away from strategic decisions, stuck in maintenance roles.
  • Legacy hierarchies block agile decision-making. Tech professionals accustomed to fast-paced environments feel stuck in multi-level approval chains.
  • Workplace policies were designed for scientists, not developers. From working hours to incentive models, internal structures often mismatch tech expectations.
  • Projects are managed with a compliance mindset, not agile thinking. Innovation becomes boxed into risk-averse frameworks, slowing down creativity and iteration.
According to LinkedIn Talent Solutions (2025), health and pharma sectors show one of the largest gaps between digital investment and perceived attractiveness among next-gen tech professionals.

What does tech talent actually want?

It’s not just about money — or remote work. Digital professionals look for:

  • Purposeful projects with organizational visibility. They want to create value that’s seen, not buried in internal backlogs.
  • Agile, cross-functional teams. Collaboration across product, data, business and ops is essential to how they work.
  • Leaders with real tech background — not just people managers. Tech mentors are critical to growth and credibility.
  • Continuous learning and internal mobility. Without clear upskilling paths or role changes, they’ll find those opportunities elsewhere.
  • Autonomy to experiment and fail without punishment. Innovation depends on psychological safety and space to learn from mistakes.
“Tech professionals aren’t looking for just a job — they want a context where they can grow, fail, learn, and move forward without falling behind.”

Redesigning to attract: structural essentials

To attract top digital talent, organizations need more than strong recruiters. They need internal transformation:

  • Fast, value-driven hiring — not endless “culture fit” loops. Evaluate what talent can contribute, not how they dress or “fit in.”
  • Instant feedback cycles and visible growth paths. Without clarity and progression, engagement fades fast.
  • Flatter hierarchies and distributed leadership. Empowered teams make faster decisions and thrive on ownership.
  • Digital fully integrated into the business — not as back-office support. Tech teams want to be part of decision-making, not just execution.
  • Real flexibility: not just location, but how people work, lead and collaborate. Remote options aren’t enough — structural adaptability is the real differentiator.
McKinsey (2024) reports that 64% of digital talent turn down job offers due to lack of structural flexibility — beyond just hybrid policies.

Without cultural transformation, there is no digital transformation

The real barrier to attracting tech talent isn’t outside — it’s inside. The talent is out there. The needs are clear. What’s missing is that organizations evolve at the pace of the people they want to hire.

And if they don’t, they’ll be playing a global game with outdated rules — while others win with agility and relevance.

References

Antonio Castaño

Autor Antonio Castaño Romero