What you can do about the IT skills gap

More than two out of three CIOs (67%) say they have an IT skills gap. That means they lack the knowledgeable tech talent to keep pace with the changes necessary for implementing digital transformation projects.

If that finding from the 2021 Harvey Nash Group Digital Leadership Report (formerly known as the CIO Survey) is accurate, that could spell trouble for your firm. It’s essential to keep up with technology to stay competitive, and your tech leadership may need some help to accomplish that.

Filling the IT skills gap

Harvey Nash Group, a UK-based recruitment consulting and IT outsourcing company, suggested these tactics to avoid an IT skills gap at your firm:

• Keep the talent you have up to date. Offer IT staffers training to develop new skills. They’ll be more likely to stay if they feel they have a meaningful role and a long-term career.
• Consider alternative talent sources. See if there are tech freelancers that may be able to fill your IT skills gaps. That way, your firm gets the capabilities it needs and contractors get the flexibility they want.
• Cast your net wider. Companies used to recruit IT talent within a 20-mile radius. Now cloud and collaboration technologies make it possible to hire skilled candidates from around the globe.
• Cross-train your staff. There may be people outside your tech team willing to pick up valuable digital and data skills. Identify staffers who want to develop new skills, and get them the right training. More than half (51%) of the CIOs surveyed plan to cross-train people during the next year. 
• Fill talent gaps as quickly as possible. If your HR team finds a promising and interested IT candidate that looks like a good fit, they shouldn’t wait too long to make an offer. Remember, with the current IT skills gap, your competition might also want to interview the same person. Keep in mind candidates missing one or two skills can be trained on the job.