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Helping employers bridge the technology skills gap
Editorial by Christian Saint Cyr
National Director / Canadian Job Development Network
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With a continuous skills shortage and the growing use of technology and artificial intelligence (AI), employers are regularly finding workers don’t have the skills they require to their job and grow the organization.
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According to a new report, Building Future-Forward Tech Teams, from Robert Half Canada, more than half of technology leaders surveyed (52 per cent) said they have a skills gap within their department, and 48 per cent feel the skills gap has a greater impact today compared to a year ago.
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With rising inflation and a growing skills shortage, employers are scrambling to integrate new technologies to make workers more productive and cut costs.
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According to this research, the top priorities for technology leaders this year include:
- Security of IT systems and information
- AI, machine learning and automation initiatives
- Cloud projects
- Digital transformation projects
- Remote/hybrid work programs and technologies
- ERP/CRM (Enterprise Resource Planning / Customer Relations Management) system implementation or improvements
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A limited pool of available talent and significant technology skills gaps could place these projects at risk, restricting economic growth and productivity. Nearly all tech leaders (92 per cent) report challenges finding skilled talent, and nearly six in 10 (58 per cent) predict a significant hiring challenge will be the lack of applicants with the skill sets needed to support essential initiatives.
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The need to solve skills gaps has accelerated with the emergence of new AI capabilities. As shown in the report, 79 per cent of tech leaders plan to implement initiatives involving AI this year, and 47 per cent cite a lack of staff with AI skills as the biggest barrier to success. In fact, AI and machine learning topped the list of skills where tech managers said gaps are most evident, with more than half (52 per cent) reporting this for their department.
Depending on their role in a company, the knowledge and experience a technology professional may need to effectively work with AI can include:
- Programming
- Data analysis and statistics
- Machine learning
- Software engineering
- Ethics and responsible AI
- Big data technologies
- Deep learning frameworks
- Computer vision
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It’s easy to look at this list of technology skills and see only the shortage of highly specialized technology professionals. As new technologies are brought in, there is a trickle-down effect making each job that touches this technology more highly skilled.
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For example, in a food service establishment, managers and supervisors need to be able to service and trouble-shoot technological challenges such as customers wanting to submit orders through automated menu boards or apps. This extends to issues such as a maintaining point-of-purchase terminals, the CRM system, cloud-based computing connections and managing a workforce which itself needs be more reliant on technology.
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To help hire, retain and advance high-performing teams, Robert Half recommends the following strategies to employers:
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Support upskilling. Implement programs that encourage innovative thinking and ongoing learning, such as cross-training initiatives and specialized training workshops, to help prepare your employees and organization for the future.
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Seek and develop high-potential candidates. Focus on recruiting technology candidates who have an eagerness to learn new skills that support business priorities and offer training to promising candidates with high potential even if they don't currently meet all your desired criteria.
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Embrace a scalable talent model. Adopting a mix of permanent, contract and consulting professionals can help bridge skills gaps quickly and efficiently, allowing your team to access professionals with specialized expertise, keep projects moving forward and stay agile.
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"As the technology landscape continues to evolve, technology professionals need to ensure they are growing their skill sets too, continuing to develop their capabilities alongside rapid change. Tech leaders need to provide training opportunities and initiatives to ensure their teams and their businesses remain as efficient and effective as possible," a spokesperson for Robert Half noted.
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To provide some job development context, while technology is transforming our workplace and how work gets done, the truly sustainable jobs in our labour market will be those which draw on uniquely human skills to perform them. Apps and online portals are great at providing information, collecting orders and processing payments, but it takes a skilled sales professional to draw on their interpersonal skills and experience to encourage someone to purchase who remains unconvinced.
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Employers should focus on hiring people who are a good fit for the job, who possess those uniquely human qualities such as empathy, creativity, team-perspective and enthusiasm. They can then train individuals to acquire the specialized technological skills that are also required.
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We’ll be discussing technological change and how employers are approaching recruitment at our #MotivatingMondays meeting of the Canadian Job Development Network, Monday May 13th at 8:30am Pacific; 9:30am Mountain; 10:30am Central; 11:30am Eastern; 12:30pm Atlantic and at 1pm in Newfoundland. Visit: www.MotivatingMondays.ca on Monday to join the session LIVE.
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