Experis Blog

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.

Demand for Cloud talent is soaring, as employers recognise that they need to recruit specialists to lead Cloud adoption and integration. Since Cloud adoption is only set to increase in the years ahead, we can expect the war for talent to further intensify. In a market like this, it’s important that organisations take a long-term view of how they will stay ahead of the competition and secure the skills their business will need. The talent challenge According to Microsoft, 38% of those involved in recruiting people with Cloud skills in the last 12 months said it was difficult to find the right skills. To address this issue, organisations are looking at a combination of: Retraining existing staff Using external partners Recruiting new people with Cloud skills Our experience at Experis supports this view. We are seeing strong growth in both the contract and permanent marketplace, with demand for Cloud skills outstripping supply. The permanent market is impacted by the fact that those with the right skills recognise that they can get a better return on their talent by becoming contractors. Amazon AWS skills dominate, but demand for Microsoft Azure is high too. Whilst Google Cloud is still considered niche, it looks set to grow significantly in the months and years ahead. Battle of the Cloud platforms Permanent salaries The competition between the top four Cloud platforms is heating up. With an average salary of £68,672 across all four, Google Cloud is leading the way with an average permanent salary of £71,701. Surprisingly for one of the more established players, Microsoft Azure had the lowest average Cloud salary in Q2 2018, perhaps reflecting the strength of the Microsoft brand in the IT space. Contract rates The picture in the contractor market looks a little different. With an average day rate of £478, Amazon Web Services is offering the highest amount of £502. Interestingly, despite paying the most for permanent employees, Google are paying the lowest amount (£445) for contractors in Q2. Hiring demand for the top four As expected, the largest proportion of hiring demand in the UK comes from Amazon Web Services, accounting for 54% of the roles advertised by the top four Cloud platform providers. The main challenger, Microsoft Azure, is fairly close behind, with 41% of the roles advertised. Download the full report to find out more. DOWNLOAD

If you’re a hiring manager recruiting for specialist IT talent, you’ll know that it’s a tough market to find the right candidates for your organisation. This is a problem for organisations of all sizes, but affects large businesses the most, with organisations of 250+ across the globe facing more than twice as much difficulty filling roles as micro organisations. 67% report hiring challenges and nearly a quarter say they’re having more difficulty now than a year ago. The reasons behind this struggle are varied, but 35% highlight a lack of applicants as one of the biggest challenges, and 14% say candidates are expecting more than businesses are prepared to pay. In order to attract the right talent, businesses should start to remove barriers and plan for a different approach to the talent pipeline: Remove unnecessary qualifications barriers A high percentage of organisations have traditionally required a university degree or specific GCSE’s as a basic requirement for all roles. But as the accepted view of what a good education looks like changes, so too must the requirements for new hires. With that in mind, now is a good time to reassess your qualification criteria. For example, does it really matter whether your Cyber Security specialist went to University if they have all the necessary IT and Cyber Security training? This isn’t about recruiting less qualified talent – it’s about opening up your talent pool to avoid missing an often overlooked set of candidates. Look at alternative talent pools Reviewing your existing team demographics, age range and diversity, are there any groups which are missing? 41% of organisations in the UK are looking to target different talent pools to those they have traditionally recruited from, focusing on widening the breadth and depth of individuals they’re drawing from. As well as giving you access to previously untapped talent pools, increasing the range of backgrounds your talent comes from can help to improve employee performance, encourage creativity and drive innovation. To help avoid subconscious bias when looking to increase the diversity of your team, it’s worth considering a blind CV approach – removing a range of details where appropriate to the role; from the candidate’s name, to academic and education details, to their criminal record. Upskill your existing talent For many of the roles you’re looking to recruit for, it’s possible that you may already have the talent you need sat right under your nose. With skills development being one of the highest ranked drivers for employees in the workforce, assessing individuals for existing capabilities and transferable skills could be a winning combination – helping to retrain your existing talent and upskill them to plug skills gaps and retain them in your business for longer. Over half of businesses globally are investing in learning platforms and development tools to build their talent pipeline, up from just 20% in 2014. It’s clear that businesses in the UK are already taking this approach seriously, with 80% of large organisations providing additional training and development for existing staff. This approach can also apply to looking externally for talent. Whilst it will require some investment in time and training, looking for transferable skills and learnability in a candidate can help you to access otherwise untapped talent. For example, training schemes such as AWS re:Start are working to help organisations give military veterans experience in IT roles, providing individuals with the relevant Cloud based foundation training and allowing them to show their potential to learn and progress in the space. Improve pay and/or benefits Pay and benefits continue to be one of the key motivators for talent, particularly for specialist roles in areas such as IT. If your organisation is competing with other businesses with strong employer brands for the same talent, then a relatively quick fix is to compare your salaries with those offered by the competition, increasing the salaries if necessary and marketing this as your USP to potential candidates. It’s also worth looking at whether the benefits that you’re offering appeal to alternative talent pools. Which incentives could you offer to target specific groups of individuals that you’re not currently reaching? With 32% of organisations looking to improve benefits like increased holiday and new joiner and well-being incentives, this is certainly becoming a popular option. Hiring a new starter can be a long and expensive process, so it pays to get the right person onboard first time. From psychometric tests, 360s and interviews, to new generation tools like big data scraping, social network analysis and gamification, organisations need to move away from biased intuition, to data based decision making. If you need help in attracting the right IT talent to your organisation, get in touch today.

Unless you have been avoiding the internet and all media sources for the past few years, you will have heard (likely on multiple occasions) about the skills shortage affecting both the UK and countries across the globe. And it’s impacting every industry, with organisations simply unable to find the people they need with the right blend of technical and soft skills. As ManpowerGroup’s latest Talent Shortage report highlights, Engineers, Technicians, Accounting and Finance, IT and Professionals (project managers, lawyers and researchers) are among the top 10 most in-demand skills in the world. But what can organisations looking to recruit this specialist talent do to ensure that they are not negatively impacted by these shortages? As the global leader in professional resourcing and workforce solutions, working with over 80% of the Fortune Global 500, we have a deep understanding of the most effective workforce strategies in the digital age. To help you build your specialist talent pipeline, here are the four key parts we believe organisations need to develop an effective talent strategy: 1. Build – Invest in learning and development to grow your talent pipeline With specialist professionals becoming increasingly difficult to source in the market, many organisations are beginning to turn to building their own talent in-house. Over half of the organisations surveyed are investing in learning platforms and development tools to build their talent pipeline, up from just 20% in 2014. 64% of employers are upskilling people in hard skills through technical certifications, apprenticeships and programming courses. And 56% are investing to develop their employees’ soft skills. But rather than selecting who goes forward for specific training based on a gut feeling, businesses must move towards making these decisions based on data: improved people analytics, psychometric assessment, predictive performance and AI can help employers to map their workforce and upskill their talent to areas where they require specialists. Most importantly, this approach can also be very positive for the employee, encouraging them to stay with the organisation longer as they develop and progress in their career. 2. Buy – Go to external market to find the best talent that cannot be built in-house in the timeframe required Sometimes the speed that you require for business critical projects to be delivered means that organisations just don’t have the time to upskill an existing member of staff into a new role. Instead, you need to deploy someone who already has the right capabilities to fill your skills gap. In specialist markets such as IT and engineering where the talent is particularly hard to find, employers need to work harder to attract talent. This includes developing and showcasing a strong employee value proposition, a clear purpose for the organisation and an attractive culture. In the absence of this, employers should expect to be prepared to pay a premium with benefits, wages or other perks. This is all the more important given how transparent workplaces are to today’s job seekers – and it’s becoming much harder to hide when your culture isn’t up to scratch. 3. Borrow – Cultivate communities of talent outside the organisation, including part-time, freelance, contract and temporary workers to complement existing skills Businesses often require talents for a short-term project, perhaps as part of an IT infrastructure implementation or to support with a large-scale engineering project. Traditionally, HR has focused on permanent employees, but with a greater number of workers choosing to work more flexibly, particularly in markets such as IT where contractors can often attract much higher salaries, total talent management solutions will be increasingly beneficial. Organisations must learn to cultivate communities of workers inside and outside of the company, tapping into the required talent in all its available forms. 4. Bridge – Help people move on and move up to new roles inside or outside the organisation The final pillar of the talent strategy is helping people to move on and up to new roles – whether they are with your organisation or elsewhere. This is particularly important for roles which are becoming redundant within the organisation, and organisations should work to identify and nurture talent with transferable skill sets. Done effectively, this approach will help the organisation to optimise the skills they have, and find alternative pathways for those whose skills no longer fit the business requirements. Unfortunately it will not always be possible to move people into a new role within their existing organisation, and employers must ensure that they treat people with respect and dignity in helping them to transition smoothly, taking their skills to new roles in other businesses. If you’d like to find out more about how Experis can help with your talent shortages, visit our Client Servicessection, or get in touch. The post Build, Buy, Borrow and Bridge – how to solve the talent shortage in your organisation appeared first on ManpowerGroup.

With unemployment remaining at the lowest levels seen since comparable records began in the 1970s, organisations are chasing an increasingly elusive talent pool in order to fill their skills gaps and allow their businesses to grow. To help us understand how this is impacting organisations globally, we asked nearly 40,000 employers in 43 countries and territories: How much difficulty they are having filling roles compared to last year Which skills are the most difficult to find, and why What are they doing to solve talent shortages Have a look at the infographic below to find out more about what employers from across the UK told us: Professional talent shortages in the UK Technicians (quality controllers, technical staff), Engineers (chemical, electrical, civil and mechanical) and Professionals (project managers, lawyers, researchers) were all ranked in the top 10 for the hardest skills to find in the UK. Large organisations are experiencing the greatest difficulties in filling job vacancies - with 50% experiencing talent shortages. The key reasons cited for the difficulty in finding the right talent are: a lack of applicants (30%), a lack of candidates with the right experience (26%) and skills (14%), an expectation for higher pay than is offered (8%) and a lack of the required soft skills (6%). Organisations with skills shortages in these areas, and other fields struggling to find niche talent such as IT, should revisit their approach to talent, building an effective talent strategy made up of the four key elements: Build - invest in learning and development to grow your talent pipeline Buy - Go to external market to find the best talent that can't be built in-house in the timeframe required Borrow - Cultivate communities of talent outside the organisation, including part-time, freelance, contract and temporary workers to complement existing skills Bridge - Help people move on and move up to new roles inside or outside the organisation. If you'd like to find out more about how Experis can help with your talent shortages, visit our Client Services section.

Technology is disrupting every industry, exposing cracks in the business plans of those organisations who do not move with the times, and creating great opportunities for growth for those who do. As a result, far from the siloed business admin function it was previously, IT has become a fundamental priority for businesses. With the increasing speed of change, keeping on top of technology is no small feat. Here are six reasons why you need a senior individual steering the IT function in a business looking to drive rapid growth and establish the organisation in a global market: 1. Setting the technology strategy and driving sales growth For businesses used to taking a bootstrap approach, hiring a CTO may seem like an unnecessary luxury. But with technology now one of the key drivers of growth, digital strategy goes hand in hand with growth strategy. So it’s crucial that you hire someone who can grow with the business, setting the technology plan and managing small teams to deliver it today, whilst also demonstrating the potential to lead the function as it grows over the next five to ten years’ time. 2. Play to your strengths Without someone leading the technology, it’s likely that those who should be focused on other key business functions, such as driving sales and developing new products, will find themselves swamped by the number of technology requirements requiring input. And if they don’t engage, the alternative is even worse, with decisions not being made and technology stagnating. CTO’s will help to free up the core team to focus on what they do best, whilst the IT team focuses on which technologies will help to make a genuine difference to the business. 3. Strategic vs. Tactical It’s important to remember that a CTO is not there to reset your login details when you forget them. They are a strategic hire who should be working alongside the senior management team, helping to navigate the organisation through the changing technology environment. As the rate of technological advance continues to gather pace, new disciplines and job roles are emerging and skills are going out of date faster than ever before – 65% of Gen Z will perform jobs that don’t even exist yet. For small businesses looking to keep up or ahead of the change, it is essential that they hire someone who keeps up to date and can understand how to implement the latest innovations for the benefit of the business. 4. Driving growth Technology is disrupting how business is conducted in every sector; reducing the need for physical assets and creating value by turning data into insights. Hiring a technical and strategic mind within the organisation focused on unlocking the business benefits of this data, is and will continue to be invaluable for competing SMEs. 5. Protecting against current and future threats With the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ongoing cyber security attacks, technology has become a boardroom level discussion as it represents business challenges which affect the entire company, not just the IT department. CTOs should play a major role in leading the company strategy for these areas, ensuring that the right solutions are in place and providing a bridge between the IT department and the board. The consequence of being unprepared for this is huge, both from a financial and reputational perspective. Are you looking for a CTO to help your business grow? Get in touch today to see how we can help.

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for the third quarter 2018 was conducted by interviewing a representative sample of 2,107 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 September 2018 as compared to the current quarter?” The survey results for this quarter report that: Negative business & financial services data suggests firms will cut jobs 2018 on track to be most downbeat year for hiring prospects since 2012 UK manufacturing optimism surges – buoyed by weak pound and home-grown investment. ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Infographic Press Release East of England East Midlands London North East North West South East South West West Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Regional Factsheet East of England East Midlands London North East North West South East South West West Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber Northern Ireland Scotland Wales

Every quarter, we survey a representative sample of 2,107 UK employers, asking them how they anticipate employment changes in their location over the next three months. This infographic highlights the key takeaways from the Q3 2018 report, including a regional heat map of jobs outlook. Click here to download the pdf. What do the percentages mean? The % of employers anticipating an increase in headcount – the % of employers expecting to decrease in headcount = Outlook Percentage Seasonally adjusted – Seasonal adjustments are applied to research data to remove employment fluctuations that normally occur at the same time each year, such as the end of a school term or a change in season. For all the data, download the full ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey report.

With new technologies emerging at breakneck speeds, business models being disrupted and organisations going through digital transformations, the dynamic of the workforce has also changed significantly over the last few decades. For the first time in history, today’s workplace is made up of five different generations working together – thanks to lifestyle improvements, later retirement ages and earlier career starts. Generation Z has started to hit the labour market – born between 1995 and 2009, they are the first global generation of digital natives. And, unlike the previous generations, these young people are experiencing the world of work through this altered lens. If you’re Gen Z – and are about to join or have already entered the world of work – other than the obvious differences in age, life and career experiences, what can you expect of previous generations in the workplace? We’ve listed some of the characteristics and motivations you should know about, followed by a few pointers on what you can look forward to when entering the world of work: Traditionalist Also known as the ‘Silent Generation’, Traditionalists are currently the oldest working generation, born before 1945. Many have already retired from the workforce but for those who remain, Traditionalists are largely known for their loyalty, often working at one company for their entire career. With a strong work ethic, they have a respect for authority and like to follow rules, as they favour traditional business models with a top-down approach, and are therefore typically the slowest to adapt to new working habits and technologies. The most important attributes for this generation is hard work and reliability. Baby Boomers Now in their late 50s to 60s, Baby Boomers today occupy many of the senior management positions. They are known as the career-focused “workaholics”; a goal-orientated generation who are motivated by challenges, promotions, perks and status. Similar to traditionalists, they are also dedicated, loyal and known to stay at the same job for a long time. They believe in the hierarchical structure and ranking, and are therefore less open to adjusting to today’s workplace flexibility trends set by the younger generation, often viewing the younger workforce as disloyal and lazy. Baby boomers like having their expertise valued, as they offer a lot of knowledge and experience to businesses, which the younger generations may not yet have. Gen X Those born between 1965 and 1980 are known as Generation X. This is the generation which first disrupted the workforce culture, whilst learning to adapt in an era of technological and societal change. They are known to be independent, entrepreneurial and, as the first generation to have grown up with computers, they are also tech-savvy. Unlike the former two generations, work-life balance is most important to them – with less of a typical 9-5 structure – and they are more likely to regularly change jobs to get ahead in their career. They are eager to learn new skills, are driven by results and value being recognised and rewarded for their hard work. Millennials (Gen Y) Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are both shaping and being shaped by the world of work. Born in the early 80s through to the mid 90s, they not only grew up with technology but also heavily rely on it to carry out their work, expecting information to be immediately accessible. Contrary to the lazy label, Millennials work as hard, if not harder, and are expected to work for a longer portion of their lives than previous generations – with 27% of Millennials globally expecting to work over the age of 70 and 12% until the day they die. As the most diverse of the previously mentioned generational groups, they are focused on ‘a career for me’, paving their own path and developing their skills to ensure employment and security in the long-term. They also want regular change, new challenges and advancement, whilst seeking a good work-life balance. It’s therefore not uncommon to see a Millennial change jobs every two to three years. They are also known to like collaborating with others, have flexible schedules, and are more likely to treat their superiors as equals, unlike previous generations. They also prefer communicating through the latest digital platforms, rather than face-to-face or telephone. Learning how to work with multiple generations Whilst the workforce dynamics have changed drastically over the decades, being part of a multi-generational workforce has great potential for your career. Working with people from different generations and backgrounds gives you the opportunity to learn and grow, as you’ll not only pick up on ideas and different ways of working but are also exposed to other perspectives, experiences and values that will be highly valuable throughout your career. What opportunities are on the horizon for Gen Z Whilst today’s work environment may be more uncertain than ever before, the generational changes have created more opportunities for today’s young generation entering the world of work and continue to do so. Organisations are already looking to adapt and improve their current ways to attract Gen Z talent and here are just a few things you may be able to look forward to as you start your career: Learning and development Employers will be expected to provide a culture of learnability within their organisation and to nurture their talent. To support the personal and professional development of their existing and future workforce, they’ll be offering more learning and development opportunities than they currently provide. Potential to be hired based on capabilities Many organisations may be looking to alter their recruitment processes to match with today’s working generation’s needs as well as their own business needs. You may therefore have the potential to get a job primarily based on your capabilities and transferable skills, rather than work experience and specific qualifications, as today’s employability is less about what people already know, and more about an individual’s capacity to learn. Increased flexibility With both Millennials and Gen Z looking for jobs that gives them a flexible schedule, more organisations will be increasingly offering workplace flexibility to attract and retain this talent for the long-term. Changes in organisational structures With more Millennials taking over in shaping the future of work and working environments, and younger senior leaders leading organisations, it’s likely that junior employees will have a more direct working relationships with their senior leaders. As a result, there will be more opportunities to influence business strategies as well. Increased company values With purpose and meaning being huge motivators for the younger workforce, organisations are becoming more open about what they stand for and how their workers will be contributing positively to their business and communities; allowing you to make a more informed decision about the organisation that’s right for you. Are you looking to join the world of work or change your career? Why not browse our latest jobs to see what opportunities are available for you.

On the 18th of May 2018, the Government published the latest consultation attempting to curb IR35 non-compliance, this time focusing on the private sector. The consultation will evaluate the effectiveness of the 2017 public sector IR35 reform and explore how best to tackle non-compliance in the private sector. The public sector reform is estimated to have generated an additional £410m of income tax and National Insurance Contributions since April 2017. As a result, the HMRC will view the private sector consultation as an opportunity to expand on this perceived success, both in increasing tax revenues and resolving some of the compliance challenges they faced in enforcing IR35. The HMRC estimates that around 1/3 of people working through their own company should fall within IR35 and be taxed as employees, but only 10% of this group have identified that they meet these criteria. The cost of non-compliance in the private sector is expected to increase from £700m in 2017/18 to £1.2billion in 2022/23, with the costs continuing to increase as the number of people working through Personal Service Companies (PSCs) rises. So, what options are the HMRC considering to tackle non-compliance in the private sector? Extending the public sector off-payroll rules The Government’s lead option for reform in the private sector is to extend the public sector off-payroll rules. However, the Government recognises the challenges that public sector bodies faced when implementing the public sector reforms. So, as part of the consultation the HMRC will be exploring whether the design of the reform and implementation process could be improved, at the same time as looking to ease the administrative burden resulting from the implementation of the rules. Encouraging or requiring business to secure labour supply chains Another option being considered is encouraging or requiring businesses to ensure that consultants working for them via their labour supply chains are IR35 compliant. Suggested checks are as follows: Ensuring the labour chain is commercially sustainable so it can meet statutory tax obligations and make a profit Checking the history of the labour supply business – if a previous business failed because it did not pay its tax debts, what processes have been put in place to avoid the same problems? Adding a clause to the contract requiring labour suppliers to show evidence of the PAYE returns filed and payments they made to HMRC Adding a clause in the contract requiring authorisation of further subcontracting before any of the suppliers are sub-contracted to a third part labour provider Adding a clause in the contract preventing the use of offshore intermediaries Where workers supplied by recruitment firms are being treated as self-employed, deciding if the ‘agency rules’ apply (i.e. whether the recruitment firm should tax at source) Ensuring the recruitment firm has complied with employment intermediary reporting requirements and has evidence of submitted reports to HMRC where they do not operate PAYE (this includes where they use an umbrella company) Additional record keeping To reduce the time required for HMRC to conduct investigations into the incorrect classification of contractors and freelancers, organisations could be required to retain certain records on off-payroll engagements. This might include information about contracts, shift rotas, and line management reporting requirements and could potentially speed up the compliance process, helping HMRC to progress cases more quickly. However, the HMRC has stated that they recognise that this option may not be desirable given the significant administrative burden it places on all parties, as well as how this would be enforced throughout a supply chain. The consultation is welcoming other suggestions for combatting non-compliance, but has said that any solution would have to meet the following criteria: It must address or mitigate the compliance challenges (see the consultation document for further details); It must be efficient for HMRC to enforce, providing value for the tax payer; and It must not be disproportionately burdensome to administer for clients, PSCs, and recruitment firms What are the potential risks for the IT sector? The key area of concern for IT contractors and freelancers and organisations looking to hire them, are the continued reports of freelancers and contractors who have been incorrectly accused of flouting the rules, based on previous incorrect classification decisions taken by public sector organisations. However, these issues seem to have reduced over time, as a result of the introduction of the IR35 CEST tool and increased experience in managing the new processes. There have also been reports of contractors who have increased their rates since April 2017, to help negate the impact of being classified as in-scope of IR35 on their take home pay. Similarly, concerns were expressed when the reform was introduced to the public sector, that public bodies would find it harder to fill off-payroll vacancies as the talent migrated to the private sector. Research has found that whilst the overall impact of this has been low, it has had a higher impact in areas where skills were already known to be scarce. And whilst the research hasn’t gone into detail around the specific skills, it’s likely that IT roles will have been effected by these issues. Whilst the extension of the IR35 reform to include the private sector may dampen the impact of increased rates and hiring issues to a certain extent, it’s likely that some contractors will simply avoid roles which look like they will fall within the scope of IR35, making some positions very difficult to hire for across the board. Ultimately, the reform to the regulations are designed to make employment and payment of taxes more fair throughout the economy, but the consultation should give special consideration to the impact of any changes on areas of skills shortages in the UK. This is particularly important in light of Brexit and the likelihood that businesses in the UK will find it increasingly difficult to hire talent from across the EU. The HMRC’s consultation on off-payroll rules in the private sector will run for 12 weeks, closing on the 10th of August 2018. All responses are welcome – you can find out more and submit responses here.

There are just a few hours to go until we reach a major Big Data landmark: the enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Significant investment has been made in Big Data over the last few years, as organisations worldwide prepare themselves and pursue GDPR compliance. This was highlighted in our latest Tech Cities Job Watch report, which identified a 78% increase in demand for Big Data professionals over the last year. But now that the GDPR is here – what’s next for Big Data? When weak signals can be detected in large, dynamic datasets, Big Data can be an incredibly powerful tool. For example, by analysing the population’s search engine habits, the outbreak of a virulent type of flu can be detected long before it becomes a pandemic, saving countless lives. Until now, many organisations have focused their Big Data efforts on GDPR compliance. But there is so much more that can be done, to unleash the power of Big Data and turn raw data into business gold. This can only be achieved, however, if the right people are on board. Business strategies and workforce strategies go hand-in-hand. Therefore, as organisations plan their ‘next steps’ where their Big Data infrastructure is concerned, they must also look at how they will attract, engage and retain the professionals needed to turn their plans into action. Let’s take a look at four key areas that employers should consider when developing their Big Data workforce strategy: Ensure your remuneration keeps pace While demand for Big Data skills has increased, our research found that remuneration for these skills has stalled in recent months. Permanent salaries only increased by 0.1% over the last year, the smallest growth of any of the five technology disciplines tracked. Added to this, contractor day rates fell by 5%. This may demonstrate that the market is rebalancing. After all, in years gone by, Big Data skills were scarcer and employers had to put their hand in their pocket to secure the best. While candidate supply may more closely meet demand right now, that won’t necessarily be the case for long. As the industry continues to evolve, businesses must keep a close eye on the market to ensure they continue to offer the remuneration package required to maintain their position as an employer of choice. Don’t overlook the value of contractors While it’s important to invest in permanent Big Data professionals, employers shouldn’t overlook the value of contractors. As the Internet of Things continues to gather pace, the lines between different tech disciplines are blurring – particularly where Big Data and IT Security are concerned. This has already created the need for Big Data professionals to quickly upskill and diversify into new areas, and we can expect this to accelerate in the years ahead. In these circumstances, contractors can be a great support in training existing Big Data professionals, so they are continually equipped with the skills needed to add long-term value to your organisation. Look beyond the Data Scientist Naturally, Data Scientists are very much associated with Big Data. They are the new rock stars of the tech sector, and their prominence is in part associated with the success of data-driven companies such as Google, Amazon and Netflix. Nonetheless, many other skills are associated with Big Data too – including Matlab, SAS, Hadoop, and general programming languages such as C, C++, Python and Java. Let’s also not forget that the many administrative roles that support the infrastructure on which data resides and tools run. When looking at the long-term development of your organisation’s Big Data footprint, it’s important that the availability of all of these skills are projected and taken into account. The focus cannot just be on Data Scientists. Always remember the long-term picture For some organisations, Big Data has been a necessary evil. They have made the investment required to ensure compliance with the GDPR, however they cannot see how it will ever make them money. They often have poor data consolidation processes, and a lot of grunt work must be done before senior executives can marvel over 3D holographic data visualisations and get real value from their data. Nonetheless, persistence is critical. While the workload may look daunting right now, the ability to better process, secure and manage data will set organisations them apart from the competition. Long-term, consistent investment is critical. Big Data cannot slip from the boardroom agenda. Download our latest Tech Cities Job Watch Q1 2018 report to find out more. Looking for Big Data jobs? Find out more here.

In recent years, many organisations have invested in Big Data, recognising that turning raw data into valuable insights can help to set them apart from the competition. To achieve this, employers must engage with the right professionals, who can turn this data into business gold. It’s therefore hardly surprising that Big Data professionals are highly sought after. So much so, that our latest Tech Cities report findings reveal a 78% growth in demand over the last 12 months alone. Big Data embraces a broad range of activities. But it’s important to remember that it’s more than just ‘a lot of data’. It’s about the meaning and value that can be extracted from the data. Artificial Intelligence (AI), and machine learning in particular, also has a role to play. The key to all of this is finding the talent with the right skills to turn this data into power. We’ve listed some of the essential skills to have for a Big Data role: 1. Learn how to programme A key foundation for Big Data is learning programming languages. Big Data involves handling large volumes of unstructured data which come from various sources. Having the ability to code, analyse and customise large datasets to draw relevant insights is a crucial component. Typical programming languages which are in demand for Big Data include: R, Matlab and SAS. It may also be worth learning some of the basic languages, such as C, C++, Python and Java. Whilst it’s not important to learn every programming language, starting with the basics will be useful to help you get started and pick up other languages easily. 2. Data analysis and interpretation Being able to decipher data patterns and sequences and draw conclusions from them is a vital skill to have to remain in demand and competitive. As a Big Data professional, you will be required to give your organisation valuable insight about their customers as well as their own business performance, helping them to gain a competitive advantage. 3. Creativity and problem solving The need for solving problems will vary depending on what Big Data experts are working on. Whether it’s related to the systems, data or processes, being able to identify an issue, think outside the box, find a possible solution and implement it is a necessity. When so much of the business world relies on technology and information, any issue could have a significant impact on the organisation. For example, with the need to drive significant change to ensure compliance with GDPR, Big Data professionals must deal with handling large customer datasets accordingly to avoid any fines and reputational damage. 4. Business understanding Being a Big Data professional isn’t only about data and understanding technology. A good understanding of the organisation you’re working in, their goals, objectives and processes is important. This will enable you to identify opportunities, communicate them to the relevant stakeholders and influence key decisions, ensuring the business is heading in the right direction to achieve their objectives. 5. Understand multiple technologies The broader your understanding and skills in a range of technologies – from the most basic, Microsoft, Excel and SQL, to the more sophisticated such as Matlab, SAS and Congos – the better your prospect of succeeding in your career and being in demand. Big Data means different things to different organisations. Many of them want to make use of Big Data and want to have the best qualified talent with the latest skills. However, the technologies that you will be working on will vary depending on the organisation. Therefore, the broader your general Big Data knowledge the easier you can adapt to match with their requirements. 6. Continuous learning Finally, no matter how much you’ve mastered your Big Data skills and knowledge, to remain employable for the long-term, it is less about what you already know and more about your learnability. As technology and Big Data tools and requirements continue to advance at pace, it’s essential to continue learning and developing your skills to remain flexible and adaptable to any future changes and stay ahead in your career.