Bridge the tech skills gap and keep pace with innovative technologies

March 17, 2022

As many of us know, the technology and IT sectors are experiencing unprecedented and rapid innovation. Add to this the growing lack of available talent, and IT leaders are finding themselves struggling to keep pace with constantly changing technology.

Companies need IT talent that answers to these changes, but it’s impossible to have experts in everything. With so many companies investing in emerging technologies, demand for experts compounds even further. Now, organisations must balance onboarding technology that enables them to thrive in a new digital era with recruiting the right talent to keep these systems running.

In the next twelve months, we are going to see a continued push for digitisation and an intention for organisations to increase technology investments. This means having the right IT skills and knowledge in place to ensure a strong, future-proof foundation.

While this level of innovation and the continued demand for tech investment is great news, it also creates huge pressures, particularly when it comes to resourcing talent. Organisations are finding that they need specialist knowledge and certified skills for new technologies, and even the most adaptable in-house IT teams may not have enough exposure to the products, not to mention the time, to efficiently address issues.

Increasing IT headcount might seem like an obvious answer, but this is easier said than done. Huge demand for technological skills mixed with capability gaps, and potential budget constraints are beginning to spell trouble for many organisations looking to recruit.

Cybersecurity, for example, is one of the most-sought after technological skills, with 76% of organisations stating that it’s difficult to recruit and hire talent in this sector, according to a report by the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and industry analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG).

Another report shows similar responses, with 43% of the 823 UK digital leaders surveyed admitting a shortage of cybersecurity talent. This was followed by big data/analysts (36%) and developers (32%) as the most sought-after tech skills.

This increasing skills gap can make it difficult to maximise your technological investments. Adding to this are constantly evolving technologies and software updates, which make it nearly impossible to keep up. Being an expert in everything simply isn’t viable.

So how do we help IT departments develop new skills and capabilities to unlock the full value of their systems and keep innovating?

Mix things up to keep ahead of the curve

The mind of an IT professional is a curious blend of creative problem-solving and technical know-how, but it’s impossible for them to know everything. A recent report, which surveyed 489 cybersecurity employees, found they experience a heavier workload (62%) and worker burnout (38%). The need to juggle constantly changing systems with implementing projects under tight time constraints has had a wearing effect on the talent pool.

IT employees need support now more than ever, and although organisations want to ensure good recruitment and retention rates, they can’t afford to let a skills gap slow down their digitisation efforts.

Organisations are feeling the pressure: “Almost 40% of IT Leaders surveyed identified tech skills and resourcing as a major challenge they are most concerned about for 2022.” (Q Associates Independent IT Survey, 2022.) This is an increase from 34% in 2021.

Thankfully, there’s a solution. Many businesses are discovering that working with specialist IT partners provides a flexible, long-term answer to capability gaps by giving them access to the skills and flexibility they need.

Benefits of working with an IT partner

In today’s environment, flexibility counts for a lot. Many organisations won’t be in a position to grow their IT team with software specialists, and this approach doesn’t scale well anyway. Similarly, upskilling the team takes them away from their day-to-day activities. It’s also a never-ending venture, with new systems and software versions routinely being released.

Bringing on the services of an external IT specialist sidesteps these challenges while giving you access to a team with both the time to stay up-to-date on the latest technology innovations and the experience in implementing them.

More often than not, they will work closely with technology vendors and other providers, giving them inside knowledge when new software updates or functionalities are rolling out. Independent providers will be able to recommend systems and solutions bespoke to your needs, so you know you’re getting the technology and the skills necessary for your business.

In the short-term, these expert services are crucial to helping you maximise the value of your IT investments, but they offer longer-term benefits, too. Find a reliable partner you can trust, and they will quickly become an extension of your IT department, championing the cutting-edge systems that solve for your business and driving technical innovation, as well as providing the everyday tech support and skills needed in this rapidly changing environment.

Stay ahead of the curve with all the findings from our Independent UK Survey of IT Priorities 2022.

Solve the skills gap with Q Associates

When it comes to the benefits of partnering with an IT specialist, we practice what we preach. From our range of certifications, you’ll know that every consultant and technical support professional you speak with are qualified to the highest standards, guaranteeing you best-in-class services you can depend on.

As an award-winning independent provider of specialist IT services, we offer data-centric technology solutions to customers across the UK and beyond. We work closely with many of the world’s most exciting and innovative technology companies to design, deliver and support their IT service platforms across desktops, data centres and clouds.

Our customers deserve the highest levels of technical expertise and innovation from a partner. We are proud to support over 700 customers to make the best technology choices for their organisations.

We offer:

Expert IT consulting and advisory services
Converged, hyper-converged and cloud-based solutions
Data protection, compliance and information security
Remote IT support, 24/7 UK-based help desk

We also provide multi-vendor remote support, and we’ve been recognised as a specialist support centre for leading IT hardware and software technologies, including: Microsoft, VMware, Dell, NetApp, Oracle, IBM, Veritas, HPE/Aruba, and Cisco.

Our in-depth knowledge translates into better value, lower risk, and improved reliability for all the systems you’re leveraging. And we’re not just good for technical support; every day, we help organisations to overcome obstacles associated with digital transformation and reduce the complexity of their environments, for IT systems that work for your business.

So whether you need an IT consultant with an independent view of the marketplace, 24/7 infrastructure monitoring and management, professional services assistance, system administrations or simply advice — we’re here to help, certified by some of the world’s leading technology providers.

Key takeaways for IT management

When looking for an IT specialist you can trust, consider the following:

Do they have the technical expertise and the experience to meet your IT requirements, and can they evidence this?

Look for logos and partner certifications, either from systems you use or solutions you’re considering.

The effectiveness of your solutions will in large be driven by the strategic plans underpinning them.

Do they offer strategy or consultancy? Do they take the time to understand your goals, your business and what you need your systems to deliver?

Trust can also be measured through how they work. When it comes to strategic IT innovation, you’ll want a partner, not just a provider.

Are they flexible to your needs? Can they tailor their contract or service offering to suit your requirements? Do your values align? Look for testimonials and reviews to understand how well you’ll work together to solve your IT challenges.

To find out how Q Associates will support your in-house IT team and help drive future growth and innovation, please get in touch.