Where is all the Digital and Tech talent?
The talent shortage in Technology and Digital industries may not be a new concept, but as we enter an accelerated digital world, finding the right Technology and Digital talent will be vital to meet the needs of the new normal.
Digital technologies have progressed from something that only few were literate in, to something everyone uses in their daily life for even the most fundamental actions: it’s how we communicate with our friends and family, learn, find entertainment, manage our health and fitness, not to mention facilitate the way we work!
Digital transformation is not just about technology
Digital transformation is at the forefront of most Technology and Digital leaders’ priorities and will require much planning and preparation: from scoping out what is required to meet the needs of today to laying the groundwork for future digital innovation. This will require a firm understanding of what skills and competencies are needed, including what programming skills, languages, and application software experience will contribute to successful deployment.
Finding cutting-edge Technology and Digital talent who not only have the skills and competencies you need both now - and in the future - has never been so important, nor posed so many challenges.
Exploring the Technology and Digital talent shortage of 2021
If increasingly sophisticated Technology and Digital solutions are so important to the current climate, then why or how is there a talent shortage? The truth of the matter is:
- The development and demand for SAP, Cloud and other digital technologies has far outpaced the speed of which organisations can find the talent to implement and manage them.
- Those organisations that do already have the right Digital and Technology talent in place invest heavily in talent retention schemes so that they don’t re-enter the employment market.
- Technology and software develop at a faster rate than Technology and Digital professionals can become skilled in them.
- Education institutions take up to two years to accommodate new Technology and Digital systems into their curriculum; causing a disconnect between what the universities are training students in and what employers are looking for, leading to large numbers of unemployable ICT, technology and digital graduates.
This means that as more and more organisations look to implement cutting-edge digital transformation initiatives there’s higher demand for existing pools of available Technology and Digital talent. Reports suggest that the demand for Search Engineers has increased by almost 137% in the last 12 months, and Machine Learning Engineers by 89%.
What Technology and Digital skills are in high demand?
While there are almost boundless ways organisations can innovate and improve their digital offering, some of the most sought-after skills include:
- Programming, app and web development
Coding is becoming more and more of a desirable skill when hiring Technology and Digital talent, particularly when candidates can demonstrate mobile and responsive web development experience. For example, there is a rising demand for talent who know Python for managing big data projects.
- Data and analytics
Data and analytics skills have become increasingly important to businesses as they further explore the popular world of digital transformation. Having access to accurate data and insightful analysis allows companies to properly weigh the opportunities and benefits that implementing certain applications, changes to systems and processes will have in the short and long-term.
- Digital design and user experience
Being able to properly coordinate and understand user experience (UX) when building websites, apps and other digital services will help organisations streamline their customer functions whilst maximising profitability.
- Digital project management
Finding talent who are experienced and have a firm understanding of some of the most popular methodologies, like SCRUM or AGILE, will help better coordinate projects. For those roles that do require project management skills, finding talent with a proven track record of successfully developing digital projects will be extremely useful for taking a product or service from ideation to prototype.
How can Energize help recruit Technology and Digital talent?
Providing you with the best-possible recruitment experience is what drives us. We pioneered service standardisation within the recruitment industry via our implementation of Net Promoter Score®, and through our continual pursuit of customer excellence, customers choose Energize time and again, forming lasting relationships and enjoying a more effective – and successful – hiring process.
With a global network of more than one million active and passive candidates cultivated over 14 years of recruitment expertise, Energize empowers organisations to access high-value local talent supported by specialist Consultants experienced in scaling businesses with the experts they need.
The Energize Group offer niche, premium staffing solutions on both a permanent and freelance basis to customers in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and the United States of America.
Our commitment doesn’t end there though, we continue to offer support when you interview or onboard new team members ensuring your draw out the right soft skills and make the right organisational fit with every hire.
If your organisation could use some further support with your hiring strategies, Energize Group is always available to help.
Click here and reach out to our recruitment experts!