Addressing UK's Tech Skills Gap: Approaches and Solutions
The UK's Technological Crossroads. An unusual division presents itself in the UK's technology ecosystem. On one hand, rapid digitalisation, cloud adoption, and the essential need for Big Data are driving cross-industry technological innovation, transforming the way we work. Conversely, change-management hesitancies persist at executive levels, particularly in refining recruitment processes to accommodate tech demand.
Over the past decade, the need for technology-proficient professionals in the UK, notably within cyber security, data analysis, and technical architecture sectors, has surged. The last two years have seen a torrential demand leading to a substantial tech skills gap.
But is this shortage caused by a fundamental lack of talent across the board? Or are there more apparent work culture issues at play that are pushing people into the arms of new employers?
The answer is a bit of both:
A report by CIONET and MIT, summarised in IT Pro, “reveals that 40% of UK digital leaders admit they can't keep key employees as long as they would like as they're being lured away by the offer of more money”.
But according to the University of Birmingham the root causes go deeper than remuneration - “Bad leadership, poor employee support and stagnant growth opportunities during the pandemic are driving enormous employee churn in the UK workplace. Resignations are highest in mid-career, with an average increase of more than 20% between 2020 and 2021, but turnover is highest among younger employees…resignations are highest in tech… and resignation rates are highest in sectors that have suffered the most under pandemic conditions”.
Addressing the UK's tech skill gap necessitates a multi-faceted strategy encompassing enterprise-wide decisions, astute recruitment, and effective learning and development approaches.
Broadening Horizons through Diversification
Breaking down the barriers to entry for underrepresented resource pools is a crucial step towards bridging the tech skills gap. Emphasising diversity is not merely a PR manoeuvre; it signifies your commitment as an employer to a varied, creative team, yielding benefits such as enhanced business performance and increased revenue.
A flowchart outlining the correlation between diversified workforce, increased business performance, and revenue growth.
Understanding the Modern Tech Resourcing Landscape
Harnessing the power of digital platforms is key in the modern recruitment strategy. Recent statistics highlight that most tech candidates explore opportunities via online job boards, yet a minority of employers adopt this recruitment strategy. It's crucial to ensure your brand presence is dominant on these digital channels to reach potential employees effectively.
Adopting Multi-Regional Resourcing Solutions
Companies like BrightBox are leading the charge in utilising near and offshore resources, advocating for a more diverse outsourcing community. Such an approach not only widens the resource pool but also enhances service outcomes in line with rising demand.
The Imperative of Reskilling and Retraining
Developing a robust "work culture" encompasses nurturing attitudes, workflows, and collaborative decision-making processes backed by management. This culture is intrinsic to your team and cannot be bought or imported; instead, it should be nurtured and retained.
Listening to the Voice of Your Workforce
Listening to your people means learning to compete to retain and attract talent on a non-financial basis. It means reaching into your work culture and processes to delineate what your people want beyond a pay check.
If your retention strategies hinge solely on paying more and more money for existing staff, this is unsustainable, and the smaller your firm the harder that is. But if you’re communicative about career pathways and development, diversifying your workforce, in-work training and development and marrying this with ethical leadership (which increasingly is what younger workers demand and what older workers appreciate) you’re listening to your people and building a more supportive working culture of value.
Charting the Path Ahead
The UK's tech skill gap presents a challenge but also an opportunity to build more sustainable and future-focused recruitment practices. It's not about pouring funds into job boards or employer branding. Instead, the goal should be creating a culture of meaningful employment that values employees and their career aspirations.
By honouring your team's ambitions, setting achievable diversity and inclusion goals, and exploring on, near, and offshore solutions, you can contribute to closing the UK's tech skills gap. After all, your people are the bedrock of your organisation's future, and investing in them today will lead to a stronger, more innovative workforce tomorrow.