Bài toán thu hút nhân lực IT: Lời giải từ doanh nghiệp triệu đô

The paradox of technological "white zones"

In reality, technology companies in Dak Lak are mostly small-scale and tend to focus on service and infrastructure installation rather than R&D (research and development). This creates a significant gap in the professional environment. IT graduates face a choice: stay and work in a field unrelated to their expertise or move to larger cities.

Discussing this issue, Ms. Nguyen Minh Hai, CEO of Aletech Technology Solutions Joint Stock Company (Aletech) - a promising software production company in Dak Lak, bringing in over 1 million USD in revenue annually for the province - commented: "I don't think young people want to leave, but rather that Dak Lak hasn't given them enough reasons to stay."

The "cheap labor" trap

In the mindset of most startups, relocating to provincial areas is often seen as a strategic move to "tighten the belt," taking advantage of low operating costs and cheap labor to maximize profits. However, according to Ms. Hai, that view is only half true, and dangerously, the other half is a "trap" that causes many local technology projects to fail prematurely. "We can optimize every cost except human resources," the female CEO asserted, affirming her philosophy.

CEO Nguyen Minh Ha

Ms. Hai analyzed that the biggest advantage of the locality is the very low cost of office rental and related services, only half that of major cities. But instead of pocketing that difference as profit, Aletech chose to use this "surplus" to reinvest in the salary fund. "I never use the excuse 'salaries should be lower in Dak Lak'. Paying fair salaries is a sign of respect," Ms. Hai added.

Retain employees with salaries, retain talent with mechanisms.

According to CEO Nguyen Minh Hai, a competitive salary might be an attractive ticket to recruit talent, but is it enough to buy the loyalty of a skilled individual? For elite employees, basic necessities like food and clothing are essential. But more than that, they "crave" a stage large enough to showcase their abilities.

To solve that problem, Ms. Hai rejected the conventional approach of mere outsourcing and instead steadfastly embraced a product development mindset. Here, the line between the person assigning the task and the person executing it is blurred, replaced by a culture of "co-ownership." Each talented employee is given full authority to lead their own project, independently deciding on solutions, personnel, and even team culture.

Operating on the principle of "the higher the ability, the greater the authority," Ms. Hai positions her colleagues as "co-creators." For her, their dedication and intelligence are a special form of "capital contribution"—an intangible asset valued more than any financial resource. And of course, the greater the "capital contribution," the higher the "return." Many employees in the company have received this "investment offer." This is a reassurance to talented individuals that they never feel like they are "building someone else's dream," but rather building assets for themselves.

However, the CEO also frankly acknowledged: These internal efforts have only helped the company solve the problem of "retaining talent" within its own scope. For Dak Lak to truly transform into a technology destination, Aletech's solitary efforts are not enough; it needs more software companies that are truly willing to venture into product development, creating a sufficiently dense professional environment. Only then will the problem of attracting talent on a broad scale have a satisfactory solution.

Gala Dinner - An annual event to foster team spirit at Aletech.

Waiting for "boosts" from the mechanism.

When discussing the long-term prospects of the province's technology sector, CEO Nguyen Minh Hai stated that the self-efforts of individual businesses like Aletech are only a necessary condition. For Dak Lak to truly become a technology hub, rather than just a transit point for human resources, a solid foundation from the government is essential. "We don't expect huge incentives like those in national high-tech zones, but local businesses are desperately seeking practical incentives in terms of mechanisms," the CEO expressed.

According to Ms. Hai, support doesn't necessarily have to be direct capital injection. The province can create a favorable environment through specific leverage policies: supporting co-working spaces to reduce the infrastructure burden for startups; or, more practically, specific tax incentives for local software businesses, and giving greater priority to businesses that develop technology products "from Dak Lak".

“Besides attracting foreign investment, the province's software business community also hopes to receive appropriate attention and support mechanisms to nurture the budding technology seeds right here. When domestic businesses are strong enough, the ecosystem will naturally form,” - CEO Nguyen Minh Hai, Aletech Technology Solutions Joint Stock Company.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202512/bai-toan-thu-hut-nhan-luc-it-loi-giai-tu-doanh-nghiep-trieu-do-f9b05b4/