To combat the alarming shortage of qualified techs, MSPs are discovering how to “Grow Their Own”
Finding the right IT talent today is difficult and will only get more so in the future. Rather than battle the tech giants for experienced workers, the most successful MSPs are finding ways to develop their own talent. Just how bad is the shortage? According to Forrester Research:
- 86% of organizations cited a severe shortage of IT professionals as a major issue for their business.
- 83% of US and Canadian respondents agreed that there is a shortage of experienced IT professionals.
- And 65% of top IT Management said that an IT skills shortage is holding them back1.
Sound bleak? Well, it’s only getting worse. 1.5 million new cybersecurity openings will be created by 2020. And a half million new IT professionals are needed just to replace the seasoned IT pros who are retiring in the next 10 years1.
So, what can you do to fight back? Hire young, ambitious entry-level people who are passionate about IT, hungry to learn and willing to make to effort to improve their own careers.
There are several advantages to this approach.
- First, you are not competing head-to-head with the Ciscos and Amazons of the world to hire techs.
- Second, their compensation demands are not nearly as outlandish as those of experienced workers.
- Third, you are grooming a loyal, appreciative employee instead of bringing in free agent mercenaries.
- Finally, you can manage their long-term compensation so that your payroll costs don’t drive you out of business. Of course, you must be careful how you do this. If you are not paying them close to what they are truly worth, their loyalty will be lost and they will look elsewhere. Finding talent is a challenge. Managing high employee turnover is a nightmare.
Clearly, a smaller business does not have the resources to implement an in-house training program. Your stars need to be working with clients, not training a bunch of newbies. Bringing in trainers for on-site training can cost thousands of dollars. Send new hires off to boot camps? Again, that option costs thousands of dollars for each employee. Plus, on-site training and boot camps keep your techs away from their jobs during peak work hours.
A better alternative for many MSPs is online training. It is economical, self-paced and available 24/7. Technology Certifications Training offers a comprehensive library of courses that range from certification training to business skills, customer service, management development and desktop skills on popular end-user software. Training is available on a monthly, quarterly or annual subscription basis. And ConnectWise Partners are offered an exclusive 50% discount.
By carefully creating a training roadmap, you can be sure your techs are getting all the training they need in order to be valuable assets for your business.
An effective learning plan must address the following issues:
- Establish a clear understanding of the desired learning outcome. Set very specific goals for each Tech.
- Create a reasonable time budget/plan for the training that is both realistic and will allow your Techs plenty of time to learn what they need to learn.
A grow-your-own talent development program can be a cost-effective — and perhaps your only – option to successfully compete for talent in our IT talent-short world. It will take some planning. And finding the right job candidates is crucial. But if you do it right, the return on your investment will be enormous.
You can learn more and request a complete course catalog here. https://www.Technologycertifications.com/blog02/?utm_source=socialmedia&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=q42018
1ISACA, Frost & Sullivan, ESG, ISSA, Forrester Research’s 2017 Global Business Technographics Priorities and Journey.