"Schooling doesn’t assure employment, but skill does."
Amit Kalantri,Wealth of Words
Look closely at the news stories circulating about the hiring challenges facing companies around the world and you will see a common narrative emerge. Loads of jobs, in virtually every industry, but a lack of talent is hampering recruiting efforts.
This situation appears even more daunting in the tech sector given the competition for talent. Why? Because every company is now a tech/digital company. If they hadn’t already, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated efforts to adopt and deploy new technologies to help businesses pivot and stay afloat over the last year and a half.
According to our latest report, ‘Stack It Up: Tech Skills in Demand’, tech-related jobs currently make up more than 50% of the top 20 in-demand roles, globally. Included in the list of most in-demand tech jobs are:
Data analysts and scientists
AI and machine learning specialists
Digital marketing and strategy specialists
Software and application developers
While the search for qualified talent with these skills is ongoing, and an uphill battle, getting talent with the necessary technical qualifications is just one side of the coin.
It’s not enough to just have the right technical skills anymore
As companies automate processes to improve efficiencies, and utilise AI capabilities, the skills required from employees is changing. There is a growing need for human soft skills to effectively execute in-demand roles, and finding the right combo of skills is likely to only become increasingly competitive.
Along with technical capabilities, some of the top soft skills that will be advantageous for companies to hire for are:
Analytical thinking and innovation
Creativity
Leadership and social influence
Emotional intelligence
Resilience and flexibility
As tech evolves towards 5G, driven by the rapid rise in remote and mobile work, and demand for cyber security and cloud engineering continues at pace, the future profile of talent is morphing.
Two-thirds (64%) of companies do not have the skills required to implement their digital transformation strategy and capitalise on growth potential. But what can be done to help this?
The 4 B’s – Build, Buy, Borrow and Bridge
Changing workforce dynamics and the acceleration of tech adoption is forcing organisations across all industries to redesign their workforce composition and rethink their skills mix. Companies want to be employers of choice and ensure a competitive advantage in the market, but in order to do this they must development sophisticated, competitive workforce strategies up to the task.
Maintaining a Build, Buy, Borrow and Bridge strategy can help ensure you have the specialised IT talent and in-demand skills your organisation needs to stay ahead. What do the 4 B’s entail? We’re glad you asked:
Build – Invest in learning and development to grow your tech talent pipeline
Buy – Go to the external market to find the best tech talent that cannot be built in-house in the timeframe required
Borrow – Cultivate tech talent outside the organisation, including part-time, freelance, contract and temporary workers to complement existing and emerging skills
Bridge – Help people move on and move up to take on new tech roles and acquire new technical and soft skills inside or outside of the organisation
To learn more about how orgnaisations are adopting new technologies, the most in-demand tech roles and skills, and how Experis is helping businesses become employers of choice, download the Stack It Up: Tech Skills in Demand report here.
