Skillsoft report shows IT workers likely to move on

Skillsoft has released its IT Skills and Salary Report 2022. Of the 7,952 IT professionals that were surveyed, 53 per cent said they were likely to find a new job in the next year.

The top reason for employees leaving their organisation was for better compensation, followed by lack of training and development, and inadequate work-life balance. The main reason for employers not providing training was because they don’t see a need for it.

Skillsoft identifies the two biggest challenges for employers as staff retention and attraction. The past year saw the ‘great resignation’ and ‘quiet quitting’ affect industries. Skillsoft said in a statement: “Organisations must take proactive steps to shift their cultures to ensure employees feel fulfilled, engaged, and motivated.”

Technology and developer general manager at Skillsoft, Zach Sims said: “Companies that create cultures of learning and talent development will be most successful in recruiting and retaining ambitious individuals with the right skills and certifications to make an impact. This culture not only supports individual employee growth, which is something IT professionals are actively seeking, but also leads to better business outcomes that propel organisations forward.”

He added: “Learning is the catalyst for mutually beneficial growth for employees and employers, especially as organisations struggle to retain technical talent and keep pace with innovation.”

Training and development are important to employees as 92 per cent of IT professionals in Asia-Pacific (APAC) have undergone training and 61 per cent of companies offer leadership development. The main reasons for doing so were to prepare for tech upgrades, increase their pay, and as a personal choice to upskill.

Those who put time into training and development saw increased productivity, with 56 per cent seeing better quality of work, 41 per cent experiencing increased engagement, and 36 per cent gaining faster performance.

Of the nearly 8,000 respondents, 80 per cent said skill gaps pose a medium to high risk of interfering with work. 63 per cent have struggled to fill jobs in the last 12 months.

23 per cent of respondents were from APAC and 62 per cent of APAC IT managers say their workplace is experiencing skill gaps. The three areas hardest to find talent in APAC are Cloud computing, AI and machine learning, and data analytics, data management and data science. These areas are likely to become the key investments of companies as 70 per cent of IT departments are expecting a budget increase.

Skillsoft’s chief information officer, Orla Daly commented on the report: “Our report shows quite a few positives, especially in the value of tapping into employees’ desire for upskilling and growth.”

She added: “With deliberate planning focused on creating transformative learning experiences, we, as an industry, can not only solve for today’s skills gaps, but also create a sustainable workforce aligned to future skill needs.”

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was also mentioned in the study, with 75 per cent saying their company takes it seriously. 25 per cent have experienced some form of harassment/discrimination, and 74 per cent feel comfortable expressing themselves.