Two-fifths of IT professionals blame the ‘skills gap’ for new hire struggles

A notable 41% of IT professionals are struggling to hire qualified candidates due to a ‘significant’ skills gap in the industry, with only 12% reportedly unaffected by this gap. That’s according to new data from SolarWinds, a leading provider of simple, powerful, secure observability and IT management software.

The research, based on a survey of 272 global IT professionals, highlights a clear disconnect between the needs of IT teams and the pool of available talent. Two-fifths (40%) of those surveyed say the skills gap is the biggest challenge their company faces over the next year. An additional quarter (26%) expect the situation to worsen, and one in five (19%) say the skills gap is causing project delays and increased costs.

In response, over a quarter (26%) of respondents have already turned to outsourcing to fill the gap in their teams’ skills. One fifth (20%) state that upskilling and reskilling their workforce is the top focus for the coming year. However, despite these efforts, a mere 19% are confident that their training and development initiatives are receiving adequate funding.

The survey also highlights concerns about new graduates, with only 11% of IT professionals believing that these new hires are equipped for real-world roles.

Commenting on the findings, Rob Johnson, VP & Global Head of Solutions Engineering at SolarWinds, said: “Hiring and retaining talent for critical IT functions is a major challenge for today’s businesses. While outsourcing can help, companies should be investing heavily in internal training and development to close the skills gap and foster a culture of innovation from the ground up.

“A ‘T-shaped’ skill set is essential. This is where individuals have a broad understanding of a range of topics while developing deep expertise in specific areas, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, data analysis, and cybersecurity. Nurturing this expertise within teams allows for better collaboration and knowledge sharing, which is crucial in today’s complex tech landscape. IT leaders, on the other hand, will benefit from developing well-rounded, cross-disciplinary ‘M-shaped’ skills.”

“At the same time, businesses should be smart about recruitment by hiring new talent through initiatives like intern programmes and dedicated communities for minorities and early-career individuals. Nurturing young talent now can help companies cultivate a diverse and skilled workforce, drive innovation, and help close the widening skills gap—before it’s too late.”