Experis Blog

UK unemployment is at the lowest level seen since the mid 1970s, while the number of job vacancies continues to rise. In 2012, there was a ratio of 5.8 unemployed individuals for each job vacancy. Now, there are just 1.7. The talent shortage is more acute than it has been for decades, and candidates with in-demand skills are firmly in the driving seat. To find out about the impact that talent shortages have on companies, we surveyed nearly 40,000 employers in 43 countries. We asked how much difficulty they are having filling roles compared to last year; which skills they most struggle to find and why; and what they are doing to solve talent shortages. Our research found that talent shortages are at the highest levels seen since our survey began in 2006, and employers in Japan, Romania and Taiwan report the most difficulty filling positions. In Japan, talent shortages are fuelled by an aging workforce, a lack of labour supply and immigration restrictions. Whereas in Romania and Taiwan, the growth of nearshoring and offshoring over recent years has left employers with unfilled roles – threatening growth and operational efficiency. In the UK specifically, large companies with 250+ employees have the most difficulty filling job vacancies – with 50% experiencing talent shortages. Large companies account for 0.1% of businesses in the UK, yet they employ 40% of the total workforce, demonstrating the significant impact that talent shortages will have on the wider labour market. Our research found that Skilled Trades, Drivers and Healthcare Professionals are the hardest skills to find in the UK. In fact, Skilled Trades have ranked as one of the most difficult skills to find since 2011, demonstrating that the problem isn’t going to fix itself overnight. Why UK employers can’t find the talent they need One-third of employers say the main reason they can’t fill roles is a lack of applicants. Given the low levels of unemployment currently seen in the UK, the lack of applicants may not come as a surprise. Another 26% say candidates lack the necessary experience. Another commonly cited reason why UK employers can’t find the talent they need is because applicants lack the hard skills they need (14%) or they lack certain soft skills (6%). As companies digitalise and transform, finding workers with the right blend of technical skills and human strengths is more important than ever. For example, sales representatives need strong product knowledge, excellent relationship management skills, and the ability to use digital inventory and analytics tools – three skill sets that are very disparate. Furthermore, IT functions need technical capabilities, alongside people management and strong communication skills. Finally, 8% of employers said applicants expect higher pay than is being offered, while 1% said their applicants wanted better benefits. It’s important that employers ensure their remuneration and benefits package is competitive, to prevent themselves losing out on in-demand talent to their competitors. Addressing talent shortages today The same old recruitment and workforce practices won’t yield different results. New people practices are required to overcome talent shortages, and employers are harnessing a number of key strategies to ensure they can secure the talent their business needs. In today’s world of work, new roles are emerging as fast as others become obsolete. With this in mind, employers must recognise that what you are likely to learn is becoming more important than what you already know. This is why many companies are beginning to tackle talent shortages by upskilling their own workforce: 72% are investing in learning platforms and development tools to build their talent pipeline. Companies are also trying to reach new talent pools, and attract people who would not previously have been considered for a role within their organisation. 41% of employers are recruiting from outside their traditional talent pool and looking to attract different demographics, age ranges and geographies, as well as groups like retirees, returning parents and part-timers. Added to this, more than one-third (36%) of employers are being more flexible about the education or experience requirements for their vacancies. We’re also seeing employers readdress their workforce strategy and utilising workers in different ways. Skilled talent is looking to work with employers in new ways, giving rise to a whole host of non-traditional employment models – such as contractors, freelancers, gig workers, offshore workers, agency workers, and much more. With this in mind, 31% of employers are using different types of workers than they have in the past, and 29% are changing their existing work model. The future of work We know that we’re operating in a high-change environment. Strategies that are effective at overcoming talent shortages today may not be so effective in the future. This means organisations must continually review and refresh their hiring strategies, to stay ahead in the future of work. Even if we don’t know exactly what the future of work looks like, we do know that companies perform better when they understand their people. And people perform better when they are understood. It has never been easier to identify people’s talents. Of course, this also means that if you want to remain competitive, you have to be even more discerning when it comes to spotting people’s potential before others can see it. By putting people first and creating a culture of learning, organisations can ensure both individuals and companies can reach their potential. This article first appeared in the ninth edition of The Human Age Newspaper.

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for the first quarter 2019 was conducted by interviewing a representative sample of 2,102 employers in the UK. All survey participants were asked, “How do you anticipate total employment at your location to change in the three months to the end of March 2019 as compared to the current quarter?” The survey results for this quarter report that: “Leaking bucket” jobs market drives highest Outlook since summer 2017 Churn pushes retail sector Outlook to seven-year high Despite talk of Dublin and Frankfurt, no sign of UK finance jobs outflow. Hiring intentions among UK employers have climbed to their highest level in 18 months, despite huge uncertainty around Britain’s post-Brexit economic environment, ManpowerGroup’s latest Employment Outlook Survey reveals. The national Outlook for the first quarter of 2019 has hit +6%, as the war for talent hots up in an increasingly tight labour market. But while the buoyant hiring intentions should be read as a positive indicator in some sectors such as finance, in other areas it is a symptom of dwindling supply of the right people, akin to a leaking bucket that employers are struggling to fill. ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Report ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Infographic

The gender gap that exists within the IT sector has been well documented. It begins at school, where girls are less likely to study STEM subjects than boys, and it endures throughout each stage of the career ladder. Plenty of efforts have been made to secure parity across the sector. Yet the gender gap shows little sign of closing. In fact, research from PwC found that just 27% of female students would consider a career in tech, with just 3% saying it was their first choice. Two-thirds said they haven’t been given enough information on what it’s like to work in a tech role; while a quarter say the industry is too male-dominated. What’s more, our own Industry Insiders research found that the gender gap is feeding into a brand-new tech discipline: voice technology. We found that the gender breakdown of voice specialists is heavily weighted towards males, with an 84% to 16% split of men to women. Significant efforts are being made to promote the tech industry to women, particularly those who are at the beginning of their career. Yet, it would seem that the fruits of these labours are yet to emerge. The gender gap that is emerging within voice technology should be a particular concern to industry leaders, since these are the individuals who are setting the rules on how cognitive technology will interact with human beings. If women are excluded from the development process, there is a significant risk that gender bias will be inadvertently embedded within the software. Enterprise adoption of voice technology is set to enter the mainstream within the next two years. If these technologies adopt the biases (unconscious or otherwise) from the individuals that develop them, the ramifications could be significant. The Road to Gender Parity in IT In the IT world, one of the biggest barriers to progress is an entrenched male culture. Women working in organisations of all shapes and sizes often acknowledge the same familiar obstacles – a lack of role models, a lack of access to sponsors, and gendered career paths into support functions like HR and Communications, instead of IT. The bright side is that many men also recognise that this needs to change. And, as the majority of leaders setting policy are male, they have the power to make change happen. But it won’t occur by itself. IT leaders need to work to shift the needle. It’s not easy to change people’s attitudes in the wider workforce. But leaders can change the way they lead their teams, embed their organisational culture and measure performance, to help their people thrive. It’s this type of proactive work which will progress the journey to parity. Building on our own commitment and experience, we have identified seven practical steps that can help IT leaders to close the gender gap across their teams: Get everyone onboard – it’s important that the IT professionals who already working in your team recognise the need and take responsibility for working to overcome unconscious bias. Leadership willingness – for commitment to be authentic and aligned with business strategy, change must ultimately flow from the top and be demonstrated by the leadership team. Challenge assumptions – moving the needle requires a wholesale rethinking of culture, policy, opportunities and the workplace. Hire people who value people – companies should look to recruit IT professionals who place value on human performance, output and potential. Be consistent – businesses must create a culture that promotes consciously thinking about inclusion as if it was a business objective. Be explicit – look to develop a tailored programme to enhance the competencies of individuals who have the desire and ambition to excel in their careers. Be accountable – by setting clear goals and expectations, IT leaders can develop a structured process of validating promotion and hiring decisions. Voice technology has a significant gender gap. But there are many, many more areas of the IT department that face a similar challenge. It’s an emerging discipline, so efforts that are taken to close the gender gap today can help to ensure this culture does not become engrained in the workforce. The time to act is now. To learn more about the rise of voice of technology, we invite you to download our latest Industry Insiders report from Experis. hbspt.cta.load(4674640, '99354f9f-a7c1-4547-85c6-069337df079c', {}); Alternatively, if you’re interested in speaking to Experis about our latest job opportunities with organisations across the UK, please visit the Experis website.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve begun to open up our homes to some new residents. They’re helpful, always quick with an answer, and eager to please. They go by the names of Siri, Alexa, Google, and these voice assistants have been quick to transform how we interact with technology in our homes. Until now, adoption of voice technology in the corporate world has been much slower, with only distinct functions like call centres making any real headway. Yet enterprise adoption is set to become mainstream by 2021. In the process, IT professionals across all disciplines can expect to see the effect, as new skill requirements emerge and others become obsolete. Here are four ways that voice technology will impact IT professionals in the years ahead. Your IT Strategy Will Be Reconsidered We all know that new technologies are rarely a complete success if they’re developed in isolation and bolted onto existing IT systems as an afterthought. The integration simply won’t be seamless enough, and voice technology is no exception to this rule. It has the power to transform the very foundations of how your users will interact with your systems. So it must dovetail into every corner of your IT department, if it’s going to be a success. With this in mind, voice technology is likely to mean that your cloud strategy, your security architecture, your data model, and lots more besides will change. This is a big undertaking for all IT departments, which we cannot underestimate. Nonetheless, it’s better that you do this now, rather than face the prospect of reverse engineering your architecture later, when voice products have been implemented in silos. You’ll Need To Acquire New Skills You might not plan on developing voice technology yourself. However, given the widespread impact that it will have on IT infrastructures, it’s likely that you’ll still need to acquire new skills, in order to integrate with this emerging trend. Most people who have experience in the major coding languages can be easily trained in the additional ‘human factors’ elements that are required by voice technology. You can learn this while you’re on the job, either in your own time or with the support of your employer. While you may not be eager to spend time on training in a skillset that you don’t plan on directly utilising yourself, having a core knowledge of the basic development principles can still be incredibly helpful. After all, the most successful IT professionals demonstrate that they have learnability – the ability to continually adapt their skills to keep up with the break-neck pace of change. Voice Technology Will Bring New Opportunities Of course, there will also be opportunities for people to make a permanent move into the voice technology space, and become a go-to expert in this specialism. Our research found that senior roles like Technical Architects can command up to £75,000 a year, or £550 per day on a contractor basis, with most roles based in the south-east of England. Individuals who are currently working in IT specialisms that are experiencing a reduction in hiring demand may be particularly interested in making the move. For example, whilst demand is still high for C, C++, Java and PHP developers, we’re starting to see this gradually reduce. Make the move into an up-and-coming discipline now, and you might find yourself in higher demand in the years ahead. But You’ll Face New Challenges, Too Every interaction that a customer has with your organisation helps them to build a picture of what your company is really like. Many of these interactions will be with the people who work for your company – your sales team, customer service advisors, and more. But the experience they have when interacting with your technology is equally important, and voice technology is going to rewrite all of the rules. Adopt voice technology too early, and it will frustrate your customers and cause cognitive friction. But if you adopt it too late, it’s likely that potential customers will instead turn to other brands that are easier to engage with. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s one that your whole IT department will need to get right in order to effectively harness this technology. Voice technology will enable organisations to nurture more engaging, personal experiences with their customers. But they’ll only be able to achieve this if they have the right skills in their business to develop this technology, and embed it into the wider IT infrastructure. Those IT professionals that are aware of this emerging trend and align their skills accordingly can expect to be in strong demand in the years ahead. To find out more about the growth of voice technology and how this will impact IT departments, please download our report ‘Industry Insiders: The Rise of Voice Technology’. hbspt.cta.load(4674640, '99354f9f-a7c1-4547-85c6-069337df079c', {}); Alternatively, if you’re interested in speaking to Experis about our latest job opportunities with organisations across the UK, please visit the Experis website.

Replicating human cognition in new technologies has been the goal for over half a century. Voice assistants have been growing in popularity in the consumer world for some time now. But uptake in the corporate world has been much slower, and often limited to distinct functions such as call centres. Nonetheless, there are significant benefits that can be enjoyed when organisations embrace voice technology within their IT infrastructure. Since it nurtures a more engaging, personal experience, it can communicate a uniquely positive perception of an organisation’s brand. In the next 18-24 months, we can expect enterprise adoption of voice technology to grow at pace. Yet there are significant challenges that must be overcome before it enters the mainstream, particularly when it comes to securing the talent required to develop and maintain this technology. Blending Cognitive Voice Technology with the Power of People In the first Industry Insiders report from Experis, we explore the Rise of Voice Technology. Organisations that blend the capabilities of their people with emerging cognitive technologies will be most successful in the future. We explore how employers can prepare their workforce for this emerging trend, and the strategies that can be implemented to ensure secure the voice skills your business will need. Combining latest market intelligence with Experis expertise, Industry Insiders examines the opportunities and challenges that will make or break organisations in the future of work. Visit the Experis website to download your copy today. hbspt.cta.load(4674640, '99354f9f-a7c1-4547-85c6-069337df079c', {});

Every day, 800 million people globally use TomTom’s technology in taxis, on mobile phones and to deliver packages on time. To remain competitive, they have to embrace change as the digital world accelerates. That’s why TomTom decided to pivot into software development for the B2B market, using its expertise in GPS, location, routing, navigation and maps to provide embedded mobility solutions. TomTom recognised that the digital age requires new mindsets and new ways of working across generations. Their goal was to unleash their people’s potential for innovation. To reach this goal, they needed to assess and measure the potential of their leaders and makeup of their culture. During their transformation, TomTom partnered with ManpowerGroup to ensure they had the right workforce and talent strategy. Digital Transformation To achieve a culture of innovation, TomTom had to transform their digital tools and skills to allow them to pivot into a new market. Connected Brands TomTom partnered with ManpowerGroup’s connected brands to build a recruitment process that stayed true to their culture. Leadership Assessment To achieve a culture of innovation, TomTom had to transform their leadership to assess mindsets and new ways of working across generations. In six months, TomTom assessed 750 managers in 35 countries. By investing in identifying the right leaders, TomTom was able to successfully complete its digital transformation and drive ROI for the company. Today, TomTom has 5,000 employees who are eager to outsmart the competition and delight customers with innovative solutions. Learn more about the ways in which we help businesses meet the challenges of today’s world of work. Visit Recruitment and Workforce Solutions.

Digital transformation is creating a more connected world, and providing new opportunities for companies to grow. Against this backdrop of constant change, leaders can invest in the future of their business by creating a culture of innovation. This will act as an insurance policy against any radical disruptions that occur in the future. There are countless studies which show that a clear return on investment can be achieved when organisations have innovation at the heart of their culture. A PWC study found that companies who allocate at least 25% of their research and development budget to software and services (as opposed to products) report faster revenue growth than their competitors who allocated a smaller proportion. Added to this, an Accenture study revealed that 51% of organisations with a formal innovation system and structure in place are first to market with most innovations, products and new services. Creating a culture of innovation can create considerable business success. To develop such a culture, it’s important that there is an organisational mindset that promotes and supports the ideas of individuals. Your culture is more than an abstract concept. Instead, it’s a way to produce measurable and quantifiable change. While this isn’t always easy to implement, but it’s one of the best way to drive sustainable competitive advantage that will enable you to achieve short and long term goals. It’s about focusing on tomorrow, as much as you do on today. Defining a culture Historically, organisational value has been based on tangible assets, like buildings, brands and human capital. Technology has turned this on its head. Digital organisations today are judged on much more: their beliefs, their purpose, their contributions to society, the list is endless. This is what your culture needs to be based on. In essence, your company’s identity should be determined by the answer the question: what does our organisation aspire to be? What’s more, during any organisational transformation, leaders must be open to change and ready to take opportunistic risks. To facilitate this, certain foundational leadership skills will continue to be critical, like endurance and adaptability. Yet in the digital age, it’s also important that leaders know how to unleash talent, and occasionally fail, in order to accelerate performance. Organisations that invest in leaders who have these skills will adapt more quickly to the needs of an increasingly digital future. Creating a culture of innovation requires extensive planning and, most importantly, strength of execution. Even with a plethora of creative ideas, bringing those ideas to fruition requires strategy and execution, and many organisations struggling to fill this gap. But even if you were able to realise just 20% of your organisation’s creative ideas, this could translate into significant growth and a radical positive transformation. Having a formal innovation system and structure in place can see your organisation reap significant yields. But it requires you to pay constant attention to the culture that you nurture within the workplace. Take a look at our 9 indicators of innovation to learn more about the specific traits that you should nurture within your organisation, in order to generate ROI through innovation.

In our rapidly evolving business landscape, organisations must adapt to change, remain agile and transform their workforce strategies, in order to maintain their competitive edge in the future of work. As we embrace new technologies and ways of working, the value of human capital is at a premium. Access to skilled talent is becoming an even more significant predictor of business success. Yet, in a world of accelerated disruption and shifting skills needs, employers are struggling to find the talent they need. Shaping the Future of Work is Humanly Possible The Human Age newspaper is our overview of the workforce trends that are challenging employers to think differently about their workforce. In this ninth edition, we are proud to share some of the exciting ways ManpowerGroup is helping our clients address the complex workforce challenges confronting them, such as talent shortages. In addition to sharing our perspective on the current labour market, this edition also explores the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the future of work. We examine the need for more sophisticated talent analytics, the impact of digitisation on workforces, and how our ground-breaking training academy will help organisations prepare for industry 4.0. Highlights from the latest edition of the Human Age newspaper include: State of the Nation: Labour Market Update Helping Tech-Driven Industries Harness the Skills Revolution Babcock’s Road to Total Talent Management Leading Through Digital Transformation Sophisticated Analytics that Optimise Workforces Why Employers Should Adopt a High-Tech, High-Touch Approach to Hiring The Future of Recruitment DOWNLOAD Related posts: ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey – Q4 2018 The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for the fourth quarter 2018 was conducted by interviewing a [...] Read More 0 Overcoming Skills Shortages with Total Talent Management With UK unemployment at a record low, employers cannot find the people they need to fill open positions. Talent [...] Read More 0 2018 Talent Shortage Survey In the digital age, technology is transforming how work gets done, creating new roles that require new skills. Read More 0

IR35 legislation was originally introduced in 1999 to counter tax avoidance and ‘disguised employment’ through the use of Personal Service Companies. Since then, it has been down to the individual to determine whether or not you were ‘in scope’ of this legislation. However, in 2017 the responsibility for determining and deducting the correct amount of tax passed to the ‘engager’ (usually the end client) in the public sector. As a result of these changes, many contractors actively avoid public sector contracts now. This has led to project delays and a severe drop in productivity. In a study by the CIPD and IPSE, 51% of public sector hiring managers believe they have lost skilled contractors because of April 2017’s changes to the IR35 rules; while nearly three-quarters were facing challenges in retaining their contractors. There are also still significant issues with the IR35 decision-making process, with a number of contractors challenging the decisions that classify them as ‘in scope’ in court and winning. The Government claims that, to date, the changes in the public sector have raised £410m in revenue through improved compliance. With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why they are keen to introduce the same or similar changes to the private sector. With the private sector consultation now complete, it’s expected that the Government will confirm whether the changes will be rolled out to the private sector in November 2018. And, if they are as keen to implement these changes as it appears, the amends could come into effect as soon as April 2019. The likely impact on the private sector, if the changes take place, are increased costs, reduced talent availability as contractors look for work that falls out of scope of IR35, increased frequency of fines for workers and employers, and potential damage to the employer brand. All of this has been fairly well documented. And, whilst clients will no doubt be reviewing their ‘time and materials’ population, one category of contingent worker which is often missed is the Statement of Work (SoW) population. SoW workforces are likely to have a significant portion of workers (often up to 20%) who should instead be engaged on a time and materials basis. There are a number of reasons these workers may have been misclassified, including: Lack of training for the Hiring Manager around hiring practices Reduced organisational control over the SoW population Restrictive policies relating to the time and materials workforce. SoW workers represent the greatest risk to organisational compliance, if changes are introduced to the private sector to reflect the public sector model. In order to have a compliant workforce by April 2019, businesses will need to implement strategies to mitigate risk before the end of 2018, to allow time for requisitions to be approved, replacements to be found, and contractors to be converted to permanent employees. Failure to act promptly will lead to non-compliance and may expose the organisation to the risk of increased costs and liability for tax bills. When it comes to SoW and IR35, one of the most important things to be aware of is that the HMRC’s assessment is based on what happens in reality. What is documented in the clauses written into SoWs will not protect clients by themselves. Proactivity is therefore key to minimising the impact of IR35. Organisations who take no pre-emptive action are likely to see costs increase significantly when the legislation is put in place, running a significant risk of damaging their employer brand. As the world’s leading workforce expert, we have a wealth of experience in managing SoWs and worker classification, as well as helping to build organisation-wide IR35 compliance strategies. If you would like support with any of the topics mentioned in this article, feel free to get in touch.

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for the fourth quarter 2018 was conducted by interviewing a representative sample of 2,100 employers in the UK. All survey participants were asked, “How do you anticipate total employment at your location to change in the three months to the end of December 2018 as compared to the current quarter?” The survey results for this quarter report that: Employers in England report highest confidence in 18 months (+7%) But 2018 is the worst year for overall UK hiring intentions since 2012 Smart metering deadline drives strongest Utilities outlook in over a year. ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Infographic Regional Factsheet East Midlands North East North West South East South West West Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber Scotland

Our lives and businesses rely on the Cloud. So much so, that Cloud computing spend has grown at 4.5 times the rate of the wider IT industry since 2009. And, looking ahead, it’s expected to grow at more than 6 times the rate of spending through 2020, according to IDC. The only way is up for Cloud adoption and, in turn, the skills to support that growth. As the latest Tech Cities Job Watch highlighted, demand for Cloud professionals is very strong, clearly outstripping supply. However, these individuals cannot rest on their laurels. Cloud will continue to play a critical role in the years ahead, but as new developments are made, the skills which professionals need to possess will change. As with all IT professionals, constant upskilling is required to ensure Cloud specialists can stay one step ahead of employer demand. Individuals will need to reskill and upskill because there are industry challenges that they need to help their employer overcome. Alternatively, they may want to develop skills to enable themselves to harness new opportunities in the Cloud sector, and make themselves more employable as a result. Either way, it’s important that they keep one eye on the future, so they can align their skills to future requirements. Here are three ways in which Cloud professionals will need to evolve and upskill in the years ahead: Integration Over the last few years, Cloud services have become incredibly easy to acquire and set up. We’re constantly seeing new innovations entering the marketplace, which organisations are keen to harness. With little governance in place to manage this, it’s easy to create a hotchpotch of Cloud elements, which cannot exchange data between one another. As a result, many organisations have a jumble of public and private Cloud services working alongside their heritage on-premise IT services. Cloud professionals who can develop solutions to bind all of these disparate elements together will be in high demand. This is a real opportunity for Cloud professionals, and those who do not currently have these skills would do well to upskill in this area. Organisations will be looking for those professionals who can draw on deep technical expertise to break down technological silos and unleash the full potential of the Cloud services. At the same time, this same person will need strong business skills, in order to educate the ‘powers that be’ on the necessity to take a different approach to Cloud service integration. Security One of the major reasons why so many organisations are heavily investing in the Cloud is because of the need for greater IT security. They’re all too aware of the potential ramifications of hacks and security breaches, from both a monetary and reputational perspective. So much so, that Gartner expects worldwide information security spending to reach $93bn in 2018, while IDC anticipates that this figure will reach $102bn by 2020. For many organisations, the Cloud presents an ideal way to stay one step ahead of the hackers. As a result, the role of Cloud professionals is becoming increasingly intertwined with that of an IT Security specialist. In many ways, the two roles now go hand-in-hand. And, as more and more innovative solutions emerge in this space, the two roles are likely to get even closer. With this in mind, we can expect to see demand for both Cloud and IT Security professionals to grow in the years ahead. Those professionals that can have a foot in both camps will be particularly desirable. Edge Computing One of the more recent developments in Cloud computing is the move away from centralised Cloud platforms, and the emergence of Edge Computing. Instead of data being whizzed across to data centres to be processed, data is processed within the device in which the data resides. It’s a quicker, more efficient solution, which reduces latency and limits bandwidth requirements, too. We can expect Edge Computing to further drive up demand for Cloud talent, as it will open up further opportunities for remote devices to communicate data with one another. It’s critical that Cloud professionals quickly get to grips with the intricacies of Edge Computing development, so they have the precise skills required to meet this demand. The Cloud has become a critical element of business and societal infrastructure. But it can only grow and develop as fast the supply of skilled people allows. The most employable Cloud professionals will be the ones who start upskilling in areas where demand may not currently exist, but which will be in high demand in the years ahead. These individuals will be ahead of the curve and able to command a premium when employers come knocking. Organisations have an important role to play, too. While it’s important that Cloud professionals take responsibility for their own development, it will only be effective if they have the support and guidance of their employer. IT employees at different levels and with different specialisms want – and need – vastly different training. Businesses that offer each group the chance to dictate their training programme, and then give them the time and space to upskill, will benefit from highly skilled staff. To learn more about the trends affecting the Cloud workforce now and in the future, download the latest Tech Cities Job Watch – it puts a spotlight on the emerging tech opportunities and challenges businesses face across the UK: techcities.experis.co.uk.

In today’s digital age, growth in the Internet of Things and 5G communications are driving business models to become increasingly reliant on the Cloud to function. As a result organisations are stepping up their investment in the Cloud to ensure they can harness leading-edge technologies that will drive their business forward. And as Cloud adoption increases, so too will competition for individuals with this skillset to lead adoption and integration. However, moving towards the Cloud doesn’t just require specialists. These days, many technologists’ roles involve the Cloud – but they use it, rather than build or maintain it. These individuals may not require specialist knowledge about the inner workings of the Cloud, but they do need continual reskilling and upskilling to ensure they harness and integrate these technologies in the most efficient and safe manner. With this in in mind, it’s important for organisations to take a long-term view of how they can stay ahead of the competition and secure the relevant skills their business needs, making the acquisition of Cloud skills a strategically important matter. Here are a number of things to consider when recruiting and retaining talent for your organisation: Be willing to offer attractive remuneration. Consider what impact saving a few pounds on your recruitment costs may have on your organisation’s transformative intentions from both an attraction and retention standpoint. Efforts to save on a pay packet may hamper your organisation’s ability to secure individuals that can drive substantial business value. Provide an opportunity to upskill. Not all Cloud experts are motivated by money alone. Contractors will also be attracted to organisations that provide them with an opportunity to upgrade their existing skillsets. Cloud projects that focus on the latest technology such as the Internet of Things and Edge Computing will most appeal to talent. Cross train your staff. There shouldn’t be a motivation issue, given that entering the Cloud skills market currently has no downsides. Transferable skills include SQL and MySQL, software quality assurance and project management. Consider outsourcing. In the extreme, this may mean outsourcing your complete IT function. Or it could mean selectively outsourcing elements, so that you retain overall control. Consider new ways of working with your suppliers, such that the relationship evolves into a partnership where risk and reward are shared. Embrace diversity. According to Microsoft, 80% percent of IT roles in the UK are occupied by males. However, research has shown that gender balanced teams better adhere to project schedules, incur lower costs and achieve higher performance ratings. Addressing this imbalance will help to fix the Cloud skills bottleneck and in turn improve the overall economy. Hire for Learnability. Today, employability is less about what people already know, but more about their capacity to learn and their desire and ability to continually develop in-demand skills. In turn, this will enable your employees to remain innovative and responsive to emerging trends. Remove unnecessary qualifications barriers. As the accepted view of what good education looks like changes, so too must the requirements of new hires. With that in mind, it’s a good opportunity to reassess your qualification criteria. Does it really matter whether your Cloud specialist went to University if they have all the necessary training? Consider hiring untapped talent. Training schemes such as AWS re:Start are working to help organisations give military veterans experience in IT roles, providing individuals with relevant Cloud based foundation training and allowing them to show their potential to learn and progress in the space. Find talent with the right skills mix. Don’t just focus on finding talent that understand Cloud technology and systems. They also need the soft skills required to solve problems, communicate and collaborate. The right blend of hard and soft skills will be increasingly valuable to your organisation. Regardless of whether you’re employing Cloud specialists or technologists with Cloud skills, employers have an important role to play in ensuring their skills remain relevant. Since Cloud adoption is only set to increase in the years ahead, we can expect the war for talent with the right skills to continue to intensify. If you need support with attracting the right Cloud talent for your organisation, then please get in touch.