Exploring the IT Skills Gap
Whether you’re looking to fill critical positions at your organization or searching for the next big opportunity to propel your career, the hiring and job search processes can be overwhelming. This is especially true in IT, as rapid changes in technology lead to constant demand—and constant opportunity. Yet, hiring managers often struggle to find IT professionals with the skills they need, and qualified candidates can grow discouraged by a lack of response or progression in their job search efforts. This disconnect is part of a ‘skills gap’ that includes not only the perceived shortage of talent in the market but the mismatch in skills needed and those available, unrealistic expectations of both parties and insufficient IT recruiting practices. How can IT leaders improve their chances of attracting the best candidates? How can IT professionals best position themselves for their next career move? TEKsystems’ latest research can help.
Key Facts
- TEKsystems surveyed IT leaders and IT professionals to understand their perception of the IT skills gap, its causes and its implications, and how to address the problem. Read our infographic for a quick look at the results.
- A majority of hiring managers say they just can’t find candidates with skills they require, while nearly half of IT job seekers believe job descriptions are unrealistic and too niche for any candidate to meet perfectly. Watch our video to learn more about what IT leaders and IT professionals can do to overcome these obstacles.
- As a result, the process often takes longer than anticipated; the hiring manager faces increasing pressure to meet deadlines with unfilled positions and the job seeker misses out on potential opportunities to add value to an IT department.
- To fully understand and mitigate any talent shortages, organizations should first define the skills they have in-house and the projected skills they think they’ll need and then develop a plan to deliver on this strategy. Our white paper includes our analysis of the issue and our suggestions for building and executing a strategic workforce plan to overcome the IT skills gap.
- For more detail on our survey and to see how IT hiring managers and IT professionals responded, download our executive summary.