Australia’s IT sector is at a crossroads.
The industry is growing rapidly, with high demand for new services and technology projects, but the continuing shortage of workers is affecting the sector’s ability to deliver.
COVID-19, border closures, and limited immigration have combined into a perfect storm for employers looking for the right skills.
The IT industry is no exception.
Where it differs is that the tech sector has long been plagued by labor supply issues, unlike many other industries whose workers have been upended as a result of the pandemic.
Domestically, the small population and long -term lack of investment in proper education, skills development programs, and training opportunities means that the Aussie technology industry has long struggled to develop adequate infrastructure. skills to maintain itself.
As a result, many companies look away for the right talent.
However, national immigration policies continue to affect the ability of many organizations to quickly acquire skills from the global job market.
Wider opportunity
As the country’s borders reopen after the pandemic, Australian businesses are still finding it difficult to fill IT positions and they are now struggling with many countries facing similar challenges.
The reopening will provide some welcome relief, which will ease pressure on local workers and delayed projects.
But opening up new skilled labor pathways, expanding fast -track schemes, and reducing immigration requirements will further ease the pressure – especially as the global talent war heats up.
The industry also needs to change its expectations on minimum skill requirements and be open to upskilling non-traditional candidates to fill in-demand roles.
Structured, career hiring programs should focus on attracting a diverse talent base-people from diverse groups, including a range of socio-economic backgrounds, educational experiences , and mature workers looking for new opportunities.
The power of partnership
A general rethinking of how Australian governments and industry come together to develop skills-and re-skills-is also needed to address the sector’s skills gaps.
A focused, strategic approach is needed, in which governments, industry, and education providers come together to evolve and implement coordinated policies that will boost the nation’s skill base.
There has been good progress-such as the Skill Finder Platform and the Victorian Government’s Digital Jobs program-but there is still plenty of room for growth, requiring higher investment and more state and national procedures.
At ServiceNow, we have been active in developing initiatives to increase our own local workforce.
We have combined our ecosystem partner, training provider MEGT, and TAFE NSW for the NextGen program.
It offers a path in the technology industry to candidates at any stage of the career, and without the need for a degree.
Through our partner network, we provide candidates with on-the-job training along with structured TAFE education.
This year, we will significantly take the initiative to change our supply shortage.
The equation of experience
Retaining IT staff in a post-pandemic world will be a key thought for many businesses in 2022.
COVID-19 has created a new breed of worker, more interested in flexibility and looking for a family-friendly workplace, with streamlined processes for working anywhere, anytime.
Creating a winning employee experience will create more loyalty, reduce turnover and pay long -term dividends.
Even better, a great employee experience is demonstrated to also improve the customer experience.
Employers who go to the party, with a culture that supports hybrid and remote work, and an ethos that is focused on results versus office time, will have the most success in attracting talent.
Hybrid working is here to stay, and businesses now need to look at how they incorporate this model into their long -term plans.
At ServiceNow, we have invested heavily in re-inventing our office space, creating more collaboration space, and including basic amenities such as a games room, barista-café, and gym.
This helps our teams work more creatively, while also improving employee well -being.
Key components for organizations include improving work-life balance, training and development, and benefits.
Australia’s IT sector can only continue to grow if industry and government are empowered to focus on employee development and skills initiatives. The approach should be multi -faceted – more collaboration between government, industry and training providers; faster and simpler immigration requirements; expanding paths to enter the industry; and creating employee experiences that attract and retain workers for the long term.
The future of the industry – and its workers – depends on it.
Cian Zoller is the Human Resources Director for ServiceNow in Australia and New Zealand. He is responsible for managing the people, culture and supporting the growth of the organization.
This content was written by an expert in the subject field and is not a sponsored post or advertisement.