Gap Coverage

Six ways to find critically needed workers for tech employment openings.

- John Harris

I’ve worked in information technology (IT) and training for almost 40 years. During that time, IT has evolved from a useful component of overall business operations, typically handled by small groups of highly technical experts, into an absolutely essential aspect of all successful companies. In 2017, it’s almost impossible to find an employee who doesn’t use technology on the job.

Sadly, there is a much-noted shortfall between the IT expertise that is sorely needed in the marketplace and the skills that incoming employees already possess. Industry observers call this phenomenon the “skills gap,” and most believe it is getting larger by the day. More than half of employers in all industries report that it’s increasingly difficult to find and retain quality IT-savvy employees.

There are three primary factors that cause trouble when it comes to filling IT positions: lack of technical skills, lack of experience, and lack of soft skills. The bottom line is that there just aren’t enough properly trained individuals to fill all the IT jobs available. And the problematic lack of workers just keeps getting bigger.

The IT skills gap is most prominent in the areas of information security, data center management, Big Data, and cloud computing. Without individuals to fill jobs in these important areas, organizations are unable to serve their customers and regularly miss out on opportunities to expand into new markets. A recent CompTIA survey of 500 IT and business managers found that IT skill deficiencies negatively impacted “productivity, customer service, security, innovation, speed to market and profitability.”

Clearly there is a pressing demand for employees who are trained and qualified in IT. Here are six things employers can do to get the skilled IT people they need:

Communicate the skills gap