If you are an employee looking for a new career, IT may be a great choice. A recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics delivers some good news to job seekers – that is, “Overall employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations. About 377,500 openings are projected each year, on average, in these occupations due to employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupations permanently.” The median income for these technical professionals is attractive as well, reporting in at $100,530 versus $46,310 for non-tech-related occupations at the same level of entry. The report represents great news from an employee perspective. However, if you are a business that is projecting a need for more IT personnel, that information may seem a bit overwhelming… even depressing.
The reality is that most organizations are still struggling to find, recruit and retain the best IT personnel – and experts don’t see that trend shifting anytime soon. According to the recent research, “63 percent of senior tech leaders (director level and above) believe it’s currently difficult to hire skilled IT talent, compared to 58 percent last year.” The published survey also reveals that IT hiring plans are growing annually, with 41 percent of businesses planning to increase their internal IT staff in the coming year. This is the plan, even as the prospects for finding those recruits are slim and becoming much more expensive.
“Managers are especially in need of expertise for cloud and DevOps initiatives, digital transformation, security and privacy, development, AI, automation, system upgrades, and data integration and analytics.” Robert Half
According to the Forbes Business Council, “there is a constant lack of top talent, all of whom companies of different levels—from startups to multinational corporations—are vying for.” Educational requirements also seem to be waning, with most professionals hired with little more than a tech or bachelor’s degree. Faced with these challenges, businesses with a desire to hire the most skilled young IT personnel may wish to consider these innovative methods to secure that talent:
- Utilize analytics for decision-making driven by data
- Use AI and chatbot tools to “search, select and rank promising candidates based on their skills and abilities, obtained from résumés and social networks without human assistance.”
- Implement employee referral programs with bonuses or incentives for referring talent.
- Consider a partnership with a local managed services firm
Managed Services Make More Sense Than Ever
Given the ongoing IT skills and talent shortage, SMBs are finding that outsourcing their IT functions is a viable and robust solution. By outsourcing to a managed services firm, businesses are relieved of the need to find and compete for a full roster of IT personnel – instead gaining access to top talent and filling skills gaps with ease. Research giant Statista reports that:
- Revenue in the IT Outsourcing market is projected to reach $460.10 billion by the end of 2023.
- Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of 11.07 percent, resulting in a market volume of $777.70 billion by 2028.
The most significant outsourcing trends for 2024 and beyond include cloud computing, big data analysis, automation, cybersecurity and AI.
By partnering with a managed services firm, SMBs can gain the skills and expertise they need, without breaking their budget. Alliance IT provides a professional and experienced team that act as your IT department or can fill in gaps and support your current team.
Your organization can retain top talent, access to the most state-of-the-art hardware and software, and share costs for innovative and cutting edge infrastructure that might otherwise be out of reach. If you are a Sarasota based company and are interested in learning more and staying competitive, call Alliance IT today.
