As the technology sector continues its rapid transformation, companies are having more and more trouble filling IT openings. This tech talent shortage is impacting organizations from all across Western Europe and North America, leaving recruiters in a sticky situation when it comes to tech hiring. Here are a few root causes of the massive talent shortage along with some solid solutions for bridging the gap.
Emerging Tech Creates a Wider Talent Gap
Over the past few years, countless new technologies have hit the market, and the number of tech workers learning them are having a hard time keeping up with demand. A couple examples include machine learning, Node.js and No-SQL. The emergence of new tech stacks, which are the underlying framework systems used to build software and apps, may bring new opportunities to companies, but professionals still need time to learn their way around them.
At the same time, employers often seek only the most cutting-edge tech workers so they can stay ahead of the competition. While there is a wide tech talent pool specializing in established systems, the pool of IT workers specializing in the latest technology is naturally much smaller.
A Shortage of STEM Graduates
The other half of the problem begins at the university level. As of 2018, there aren't enough students graduating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees to fill those roles. This is happening across the board, leading many advanced economies to start drawing on talent pools from other countries. For instance, certain companies in Western Europe are beginning to rely on tech talent from Romania, the Czech Republic and Poland, all of which boast burgeoning tech communities.
Outstaffing and Outsourcing as Tech Talent Solutions
Outstaffing involves creating a hand-curated team of remote IT workers located in a country or region with more tech talent available. Under a qualified team manager, outstaffing can produce high-quality work, and the small team size allows for relatively easy communication via email or online coworking services. Outsourcing, on the other hand, involves sending entire tech projects to a specialized company in a market with a strong tech presence. This method lets companies draw on hard-to-find skills while benefiting from the more affordable work of emerging economies.
Hiring Freelance Tech Workers
Freelance work is another strong option, allowing organizations to hire on a project-to-project basis. Hiring tech talent this way is also cost-effective since companies can work closely with specialists who they wouldn't necessarily benefit from taking on as a full-time worker. Working with freelancers internationally gives you access to an even wider talent pool.
Until the gap closes, tech companies may need to keep relying on outstaffing, outsourcing and freelance workers to find tech talent for their projects. Which of these solutions do you think is the best choice for most companies? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Photo courtesy of watcharakun at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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