A lot of research is available about the IT talent shortage in the United States. The unemployment rate in just about any metropolitan area is close to zero for many functions, despite the recent slight slowdown in hiring linked to ever-greater cloud adoption.
12 TIPS TO SURVIVE THE TALENT CRISIS
Proven Advice from CIOs and HR Leaders
- Ensure team members feel they’re part of something greater than themselves
- Invest in coaching, mentoring, training—one CIO said he’ll cut headcount before he cuts his training budget. Curt Carver, CIO at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, sets aside 3 percent of his budget for training, “no matter what”
- Hire less for skills and more for emotional maturity and the ability to learn and change
- Offer interesting opportunities, such as working with the latest technologies or creating an application that will make a real di erence in customers’ lives
- Rethink the org chart and keep it flexible—Carver redesigns his every 12 to 18 months
- Redesign work around projects rather than roles, then tap into nontraditional sourcing methods such as crowdsourcing and talent platforms; not everything needs to be done by an FTE
- Use social media and speaking events to find and engage top talent
- Use open source as a magnet for talent by having your team become part of (and contribute to) the community
- Create affiliations with colleges/universities (course design, internships, etc.) and even K-12
- Invest in diversity programs that go beyond filling your corporate social responsibility requirements— for example, retaining women returning to the workforce or hiring individuals with autism
- Build a strong collaborative relationship between IT and HR
- Be clear about what you’re offering upfront (culture, mission, type of projects), and then be consistent in delivering that
A. The indicator being discussed is unemployment of IT workers/support.
B. The article talks about how there are many jobs in the IT industry that are overlooked somehow and how many of these jobs provide good income and don't all require over the top certification requirements. Also tells about how to get some of these jobs. It also seems to point out that there are this many jobs that need to be filled but the unemployment rate is still sort of high for having so many vacant jobs.
C.I did not realize there was such a huge demand for IT support.