Reprinted with permission © 2008 TreeTop Technologies

There may not really be an IT labor shortage, suggests a recent article in Baseline magazine, because there are enough sheer numbers of IT workers applying for jobs. But there are “definite gaps in select skill sets that employers require to keep their IT departments running smoothly,” the article says.

In the article, the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) notes that soft skills like management, communication and understanding of business processes are most lacking in the IT talent pool. A recruiter quoted in the article notes that beginning in the early ‘90s, IT pros were warned not to lose their technical skills, but with offshoring and outsourcing these days, they are being told that if they lose their management skills they’re in trouble “because if you’re just a coder, you’re toast.”

Despite the focus on soft skills, some technical skills are very hard to come by for hiring managers and recruiters, including security expertise; Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) skills; Web 2.0 application skills; service-oriented architecture expertise; and .NET development ability.

In the quest to ensure that employees have the precise skills needed and avoid frequent turnover, companies need to have a combination of good recruiting practices and a willingness to invest in relevant training to keep staff sharp.

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Footnotes: From "View from the TreeTop" Volume 2 Issue 5 May 2008