Digital transformation is impacting the skills that employers are hiring for. Investments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, and cloud computing are taking the modern workplace by storm with no sign of slowing down. Adaptation is key in this dynamic environment: nearly every industry is seeking to acquire and develop new skills and abilities associated with cutting-edge tech infrastructures.
In LinkedIn's Future of Skills analysis, profile data was analyzed to understand how skill requirements for the same jobs have changed over time. Their analysis shows that, globally and across all industries and occupation types, skills have changed by 25 percent since 2015. Further, if this trend continues at the current pace, skills could change by roughly 40 percent by 2025. This would result in an estimated three new skills included in the top skills used to describe a job, for any given job.
While filling open positions with experienced talent quickly is important, investing the time to review candidates’ technical background and equipping them with all the knowledge is necessary to remain relevant in a digitally-evolving landscape. To meet immediate business demands and participate in digital innovation, companies need to act with adeptness when recruiting for tech roles.
Finding the Right Tech Talent Requires Knowledgeable Recruiters
Talent acquisition for tech roles requires staying on top of rapid changes as new tools and skillsets continually emerge. On the other hand, legacy skillsets remain crucial in powering foundational tech functions that businesses depend on daily. Many times, new technologies are used to replace earlier programming languages and devices, creating a need for recruiters to bridge the gap between these two worlds.
For example, many financial services companies have existing infrastructures that were developed in old-school programming languages like the Java, Angular, and Spring. Newer applications, on the other hand, tend to be built in newer languages, like JavaScript frameworks.
This means tech recruiters are always playing a balancing act between finding candidates with older skillsets to maintain existing architecture, whilst also finding talent to work on innovative projects. This requires both a fundamental knowledge of the industry as well as an ability to tap into emerging skillsets and trends that are harboring innovation.
Hiring for Older Tech Skillsets Is Becoming Increasingly Difficult
Hiring for older legacy skillsets will become more difficult over time. Inflow of talent with these skills to the job market will decline as dated skills are no longer taught in universities and curriculums.
For now, there still exist many workers who possess the skills discussed. In addition, research indicates many of these workers are themselves concerned about the latency of their skills. The coming years offer a window of opportunity to secure and embed these workers in your organization. To successfully recruit for legacy skillsets, employers must market to prospective candidates the value of modern languages and technologies while emphasizing their reliance on existing legacy tools.
As a result of the impending scarcity, candidates with older skills will soon be in a unique position to demand higher salaries. Businesses will have the opportunity stand out from competitors by offering attractive compensation packages.
Nurturing New Tech Skills in the Workforce
Upskilling and training are essential for employees to transition their skillset into emerging trends and technologies. For instance, LinkedIn recently revealed that Microsoft Power BI has taken the place of data analytics as a top skill for supply chain analysts. Citing an 83% overlap between both competencies, the example illustrates how those familiar with data analysis can effectively pivot their expertise towards proficiency within Microsoft Power BI.
From a talent attraction perspective, initiatives to provide employees with upskilling and training opportunities will be important cornerstones of a compelling EVP—particularly among tech roles and younger workers who view skills development as critical to career development. Further, companies that invest in their employees' career growth are well rewarded with a workforce that is more committed, resilient, and productive.
Find Exceptional Tech Talent Quickly and Confidently
Companies must brace for a bumpy ride in the upcoming months—competition to recruit tech talent is reaching new heights, which will test their capacity to handle sophisticated requisitions.
LevelUP's technology recruitment division is poised to help businesses build first-rate teams, offering full-spectrum service talent acquisition and workforce management solutions for full-time and contingent labor. Our talent experts are highly capable of sourcing exceptional candidates for compelling opportunities across North America, EMEA, and APAC. In addition, LevelUP’s comprehensive processes ensure that we are up to date with the latest technologies, skillsets, and market industry trends so that you can have confidence in our ability to tap into the right talent pool. Jumpstart your hiring success today by connecting with a member of our team.
