Technology industry leaders are growing increasingly concerned about a widening skills gap as employees struggle to keep up with rapid changes in technology, according to a new report from recruitment and employment agency Robert Half. It is said that there is.
The research study found that 52 percent of technical managers surveyed believe there is a significant skills gap within their department, and 48 percent believe the impact of that gap is more pronounced now than it was a year ago. I understand that you feel that way.
“Technology moves really fast,” said Nathan Wallach, Robert Half's technology talent solutions expert and director. “Even if you have great people on your team, if they aren’t keeping up with all the changes in the industry, their skills can quickly become outdated.”
The study found that the shortage of skilled staff is most evident in new and highly specialized technologies, such as AI and machine learning. Cyber security and privacy. and cloud architecture and operations.
Challenges extend to recruiting, with nearly all managers (92%) reporting difficulty finding qualified candidates to meet their needs.
Pierce Ujjainwala, co-founder and CEO of Knak, said the need for specialized technical training is greater than ever and technology companies cannot afford to wait.
“AI was one thing for us,” he told OBJ on Thursday. “We started building generative AI into our platform. All of our developers have learned this technology, and some of them are very skilled, but it is time consuming and very unique. So we hired someone from outside. We can learn these things, but we don't have the time to wait until our existing team is strengthened.”
The AI skills gap was most prevalent for many employers due to the newness of the technology and lack of formal training available. Although AI is not a necessity compared to things like cybersecurity, 79% of technology leaders reported that they plan to implement AI initiatives this year. Almost half cited a lack of skilled staff as the biggest barrier to their projects.
Ujjainwala said the size of Ottawa's local technology community is one factor that poses challenges for local companies.
“The talent pool in Ottawa is very small, especially at the vice-president level and above,” he said. “There aren't that many companies that people can join and advance their careers. Looking at this, I wish there were more technology companies that produce great talent like this. Each company can build on each other. We help each other out. When someone leaves Knack and goes to another company, they bring a lot of what they learned to the next place, and vice versa for us.”
Despite the challenges, Ujjainwala said his company is finding ways around them. In addition to hiring third-party experts and hiring more remote workers, Knak is prioritizing staff training and encouraging employees to try new technology.
“We strongly encourage people to use it,” he said. “A lot of our managers have led AI workshops and he's spent his days just studying AI and seeing what it's going to look like. I think we need to give them the time, space and permission to experiment.”
He added that there is hope for the next generation as well. “We have great young people in the city that we have hired out of college and university early in their careers and had great success. They can come in and learn really quickly and figure things out quickly. I think it's open and easy to shape.
Researchers say inequality will continue even as baby boomers retire
According to Robert Half's Wawruck, many factors contribute to the skills gap, including the pace of change and lack of formal training processes. But changing workplace demographics are also having a major impact.
“So many people retire every year, especially in Canada,” Wallach said. “The baby boomers are all retiring, and they're bringing back a huge amount of knowledge. And there aren't enough people, through the school system or even through immigration, to keep up.”
He said the skills gap problem will not go away anytime soon, as this trend will continue for years to come.
“It's going to be a really clear issue going forward, and it's actually accelerating,” he said. “We're going to have a smaller workforce. As companies and as employers, it's important to recognize that. It's not going to be a flash. It's a marathon, not a sprint. If you don't have a great talent pipeline, Instead, you need to keep your sensibilities out in the open to attract top talent.”
This issue is expected to rise and fall as well. For example, furloughs now allow us to hire more highly skilled workers in a way we weren't able to at the height of the pandemic.
“It's a good time to hire,” Waulak said. “I think the labor market has changed a little bit. I'm not saying it's easy, but if you're looking for a skill set and want to see who's applying, I'd recommend at least posting an ad. That's the passive approach. There are recruitment agencies like us who tend to do those things more quickly.”
While there is no substitute for hiring people with the necessary skill sets, Wawrach said putting additional resources into training existing staff is worth the investment.
“When you get training for your employees, it’s more than just checking a box,” he said. “They're going to be around longer and be challenged, which is great for their professional development. Let's put a big part of the budget into training, certifications, education. People want those things. I love it. Help them do those things.”
He also recommends tackling retirement issues before they become a full-blown problem. “Have more senior staff coach and mentor junior staff to ensure knowledge transfers within the company. It takes a little planning and a little organization, but it's worth it.”
