The most recent survey from Equinix, the digital infrastructure world, revealed that global IT leaders have serious concerns about retaining and recruiting people with technology skills.
According to the Equinix 2022 Global Technology Trends Survey, 62% of IT decision makers see a shortage of IT-skilled staff as a top threat to their business. Which is why companies, including Equinix, are looking to broaden the talent pool, attracting more diverse candidates through alternative recruiting campaigns.
Globally, the most in-demand technology employees are IT technicians (27%), cloud computing specialists (26%), and those with AI/ML skills (26%). Other skills gaps include data analysis (21%), data protection (21%), security software development (19%), and security analysis (18%).
Eduardo Carvalho, General Director of Equinix for Latin America, mentioned that the most common concerns for the region, identified by 52% of the 2,900 respondents, have to do with candidates with the wrong skills for jobs and talent retention. current. Additionally, changing workforce expectations around ways of working, as well as pay and compensation (49%) stand out as particularly strong concerns. He added that the most in-demand technology employees are those related to technical aspects of IT (34%), those focused on artificial intelligence / machine learning (28%) and cloud computing specialists (25%).
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In response to the skills shortage, many companies in Latin America are working hard to retrain people in other areas. In fact, 76% said they retrain workers from similar industries, while 25% are trying to bolster their workforce with recruits from unrelated sectors. With recent layoffs and furloughs prompting workers to start looking for opportunities to advance their skills or careers, tech companies that offer training and development opportunities could be better positioned to attract talent.
The most common sources of retrained workers globally are business administration and support (36%), finance and insurance (33%), and those returning to work after a period of absence (30%). These workers tend to help companies close technology skills gaps by working in technical IT functions (51%), cloud computing (36%), and data analytics (35%).
Equinix has a collection of career transition programs in its Career Pathways portfolio. These programs are designed to expand and diversify talent pools from careers with transferable skills, such as military veterans transitioning to civilian life and retired Olympians and Paralympians, through a partnership with Athlete Career Transition (ACT). The career transition refresher program makes up 40% of field operations that are hired globally, they are workers from adjacent industries like airlines, oil and gas, and hospitality, where they are retrained for positions in the data center.
Meanwhile, companies are looking to hire through apprenticeships and higher education programs. Global IT leaders said the top ways their companies partner with higher education institutions include offering internships for students (42%), running training programs in collaboration with higher education institutions (41%), participating in college career fairs (37%) and associate in degree apprenticeship programs (34%).
According to Brandi Galvin Morandi, Equinix Legal and Human Resources Director, “the survey reveals which unmatched skill sets are hindering talent acquisition in technology-focused teams globally.”
“This challenge gives our industry the opportunity to recruit and develop talent in different ways. We believe that companies should foster a progressive talent development roadmap that caters to both inexperienced and skilled candidates. Another opportunity is mentoring programs, which help potential candidates gain access to an established network for career guidance, while connecting companies with suitable candidates to a strong talent pool.added Galvin Morandi.
