IT skills shortages persist despite tech layoffs
A total of 94% of businesses on the island of Ireland are struggling to find IT staff, despite recent layoff announcements from many of the world’s largest tech companies.
This is according to a new survey from Expleo, which found that business leaders believe that the issue is widespread, with nearly three-quarters (74%) saying that Ireland is struggling to attract top technology talent.
Expleo carried out independent research* of 141 business leaders on the island of Ireland and found that organisations face internal and external challenges when it comes to tech talent. Most (86%) business leaders believe their organisations have under-invested in the skills base of their employees. A further 74% believe that automation must be part of their organisation’s solution, as there simply won’t be enough skilled people to get the necessary work done.
As they struggle to recruit and retain talent, the vast majority (83%) of business leaders are finding themselves under pressure to meet rising salary expectations amid ongoing inflation. More than one-third (38%) said that candidates are receiving salary offers that are 20% higher, or more, elsewhere.
The ease at which employees can change jobs to take on a more senior role or receive a higher salary is a key challenge for business leaders, along with their ability to meet employee expectations regarding modern workstyles. The research found that the top challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining tech talent are: offering a better work/life balance and reduced workload (47%), offering competitive promotion and career advancement opportunities (36%), and meeting expectations relating to flexible or remote working arrangements (35%).
As they continue to be challenged by IT skills shortages, 70% of business leaders on the island of Ireland say these shortages are impacting their business and transformation plans, with one in five saying they are having a significant impact.
To address the issue, more than one-third (38%) of businesses are now outsourcing more functions to third parties or consultants. Internal measures, meanwhile, include investing in external training for staff (42%), hiring more for remote roles (39%) and adopting hyperautomation principles to automate as many business processes as possible (39%).
Paul O’Malley, chief operating officer, Expleo Ireland, said: “Our research highlights that business leaders in Ireland are acutely aware of the role that technology talent plays in their growth and success. With this in mind, and despite some very high-profile layoff announcements in recent months, businesses are continuing to struggle to find and retain the IT talent that will be pivotal to their – and the economy’s – future.
“While organisations can only do so much when it comes to external pressures such as inflation and salary competition, our research shows that businesses who are suffering from IT talent issues must take a bolder approach and tackle this issue head-on. We can see that business leaders in Ireland are open to this, with almost three-quarters saying that part of the solution lies in automation, while others are outsourcing more functions.
“With such an overwhelming majority of business leaders admitting that their company has under-invested in the skills base of their employees, now is the time to pave the way to a successful, sustainable future by investing in employees, their potential and their wellbeing.”
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