Month: November 2019

4 Ways to Get Over the Tech Skills Shortage in the U.K: A Brief Guide

According to a report by TechUK on the skills shortage, there are approximately 600,000 vacancies in the digital sector which costs the U.K. government £63 billion a year. As the technology industry in the U.K is growing by leaps and bounds, the demand for IT professionals is soaring too. The start-ups and SMEs working in the IT sector are constantly looking for proficient tech professionals to take care of their in-house projects. Not just that, most of these organizations also face a domain/sector-specific skills shortage.

Take a look at the statistical findings which will give you an idea about the sector-specific skills shortage in the U.K.

• Software Development (35%), Cybersecurity (54%), Business Intelligence and Data Management (41%) are the top 3 skills in demand in the U.K. Industry.
• 50% of IT firm owners revealed that recruitment is a daunting and time-consuming process.
• Only 10% of professionals deemed themselves as ready to compete internationally.

Looking at the above statistics, we can say that when it comes to hiring highly-qualified technology experts or new-fangled IT talent, there needs to be a systematic recruitment strategy in place so that it becomes easy for organizations to thrive in today’s competitive market. Through today’s article, we will try to know about the strategies you can apply to tackle the skills shortage. So, here’s how you can go about it

Provide Cross-Skills Training

Let’s say you already have a small IT team. In cases like this, whenever there is a scarcity of resources, you can find out if one of your staff members is keen to learn new skills and transit into a developmental role. It will be easier for you to do that as the person is already a part of your organization and is aware of the workings of your organization. By training them, you will also be able to save on the costs spent on training and spend it on back-filling their previous position.

Hire Based on Experience, Expertise, and Inclination towards Learning

When it comes to hiring a developer, a lot of factors need to be considered. For example, if you want to hire a developer with React Skills in Bristol, you might be able to find one. But if you are specific as finding a solutions architect having React skills in Bristol at a particular sum, it might get difficult for you. There might be chances of someone in the mentioned area has skills that you’re looking for, but they’re already contracting at £450 per day from home or might be hired at £55K for a permanent role elsewhere.

Now, if you are not willing to spend an extraordinary amount in hiring someone, things might not work in your favour. To get over this issue, you can consider seeking help from an IT staffing solutions provider offshore who can provide you with the right talent for the right project or someone with an expert who can ensure that your project is taken care of. Or, you can hire someone with good problem-solving abilities. A good developer comes with the potential to learn and adapt to a new syntax in a matter of a few days.

Consider Hiring Fresh Graduates and Offer Paid Internships

A lot of experts are of the opinion that hiring fresh graduates and interns from local universities promotes technology careers and contributes to the growth of the organization. So, you can consider partnering with universities and offer placements to students by educating them on the technologies that your organization works on.

You can also offer apprenticeships and trainee programs for amateur professionals. Once you figure out about the specific skills required in the region your company operates in, you can have a broader approach towards overcoming skills shortages and end up hiring skilled professionals.

Other Strategies

It is important to understand that apart from a competitive salary, technology professionals also look for flexible work timings, work from home options, training programs to sharpen their current skills/learn new technologies, etc. You can also consider taking the following steps:

• Organize internal training sessions to upskill or move internal staff to senior positions
• Run advertising campaigns on social media platforms for hiring candidates
• Sign contracts with freelancers for short projects
• Partner with an IT Staffing Solutions Providers
• Get in touch with Head Hunter for permanent positions

Get Over Your Hiring Woes with TecBridge

At TecBridge, we believe that a degree in IT is not enough to fulfill client demands. And hence, we create a talent pool of tech teams that undergo training sessions to sharpen their existing skill-set along with their soft skills. Besides, we also help aspiring candidates to achieve prevailing certifications in the industry to help you bridge the talent gap.

If you are a U.K. based firm looking forward to hiring IT professionals, write to us on info@tec-bridge.com and our experts will discuss the ways in which they can help you hire the right candidates for your project.

Why is Talent Shortage a Major Concern in Finland?

The Finnish software industry is facing a major lack of talent for long. The collective effect of demographic trends and a post-recession slowdown in hiring has resulted in a growing shortage of talent. Due to this, Finnish organizations experience a huge gap in finding candidates with the right skills and expertise.

The Helsinki Times reported that Finnish employers were also struggling to find tech professionals, especially engineers. Despite the relatively high number of 4,000 unemployed engineers in the country, vacancies remain due to a skills mismatch.

Major challenges that Finnish organizations need to recognize and overcome:

Shortage of Skills

The economy of Finland is driving large numbers of startups and providing companies with enough confidence to make big investments in modern technologies. Businesses are transforming in terms of technology, tools, and skills, which help them to innovate and adapt quickly. Therefore, the requirement for niche-based tech skills in various small and medium organizations is increasing at a fast pace.

IT companies and other business organizations have to recognize that digital transformation prevails at the enterprise level. Companies also have to consider the way in which the digital revolution and technology are affecting different facets of product and service delivery.

Skills Mismatch

With increasing innovation in digital technologies, the nature of work has also evolved. From modifying the business models to customers’ expectations the challenge for finding the right fit with relevant skills is going to be intensified as we move ahead with 2020.

Finnish organizations need to bring their hiring strategies more in line with the demands of the business. As companies are experiencing the demand for candidates with new roles, there are chances that the traditional way of working would become obsolete. In addition, onboarding a candidate with a dynamic skill set rather than confined to anyone will be more effective.

Cross-Culture Differences

Cultural differences play an important role while hiring candidates from different regions. Therefore, it is essential to understand and consider those differences for optimal onboarding experience of candidates belonging to different countries. Understanding these differences makes the staffing process more powerful and boosts the success rate of hiring candidates.

Some of the innovative and effective ways to fill the skill gap are:

• Draw a talent map and pen down the required skill sets.
• Identify and analyze the difference between the skills gaps based on your current and projected business priorities.
• Implement training and learning into everyday work by leveraging innovations.
• Opting for global talent searches.

At TecBridge, we suggest you with professionals who have experience of working exclusively with Finnish clients. We can find the right talent or train them correctly after assessing your project requirements in-depth. Collaborate with us and get the right workforce for your next project! For more information, visit www.tec-bridge.com.