In the year ahead, AI implementation will continue to dominate headlines as a business focus, but there are other automation solutions that organisations will utilise. Success will also depend on greater collaboration between tech teams and the wider business – as such, finding the people who’ll do this (and enable this) will be vital.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the in-demand tech jobs for the future and how these specialists will support your organisation. Using data from Horsefly Analytics, we’ll then look at the availability of candidates and their experience.
Let’s look at the skills that you’ll need to have on board.
Your organisation’s access to data, apps and collaboration tools (especially from remote locations and in a global network) relies on cloud. This means that, for your business to run this smoothly (and securely) in a scalable setup, Cloud Architects will be crucial.
The are multiple Cloud Architect jobs that your team could employ to support with its operations, with each focusing on different aspects of the technology. Examples of these jobs include:
Although their technical skills and innovation set Cloud Architects apart, collaboration is crucial to their success. The best candidates will work with stakeholders in the business to understand their needs. After that, they’ll oversee the design, creation and implementation of the strategy, with a focus on ongoing optimisation and security.
As well as skills, these professionals in general also bring experience. Global data indicates that 81% of candidates in the role have worked in tech for at least eight years.
While Cloud Architects place a greater focus on strategy and aligning with the wider business, a Cloud Solutions Engineer is more responsible for putting the plan into practice. For example, they might be responsible for the migration of your assets, as well as creating new cloud solutions.
As a result, you can expect optimised performance (meaning lower costs) and the ability to deploy updates at speed and scale.
Again, these candidates are often highly experienced, especially in certain parts of the world. In Australia and New Zealand, 88% of these engineers have over seven years of experience in tech, while the same applies to 82% of candidates in the DACH region (with even higher rates outside of Germany).
With cyberattacks a major concern for organisations of all sizes, integrating security practices into DevOps needs to be a priority, rather than an afterthought that can slow you down or force you to go back on yourself. Thinking about cyber security at the end of the development cycle only undermines the benefits that DevOps methodology should bring i.e. speed and collaboration. For organisations who are regularly facing this issue, DevSecOps will soon be a popular solution to increase efficiency and time to market.
Due to the different paths that can lead to working this way, there are candidates across the globe with expertise that can benefit your business. The trade-off is the relative inexperience of working in an emerging practice when compared to the roles mentioned above. Just two thirds of candidates have 8+ years of experience, though again this proportion is greater in the DACH region.
You won’t need telling that organisations are looking to harness artificial intelligence to assist in daily operations, processes and services. The boom we’ve witnessed in the last three years has increased demand for AI experts who can drive this, and AI Engineers (or Machine Learning Engineers) are chief among them.
AI engineers will be the ones designing and building these solutions. They could approach this from a number of angles, such as engineering, architecture or even security. For them to succeed, their employer will need to have their data in order and a clear sense of what the AI tools need to achieve.
Specialists in these roles have, on average, spent less time working in this area than those in other tech roles. Over half (55%) have fewer than eight years of experience.
AI’s capacity to learn may result in it “taking charge” of more tasks. Despite the buzz, we mustn’t lose sight of the ways in which Robotic Process Automation (or RPA) will continue to help businesses. When implemented correctly and appropriately, it offers a reliable solution that enables humans to use our skills where they’re most needed.
RPA Developers usually boast extensive skills and knowledge in creating and optimising these solutions. They’ll work with your business operations to understand where workflows will benefit from automation, before designing and developing the “bots” that can handle them.
Sixty-two per cent of specialists worldwide have been working in tech for at least eight years. You’ll find more experienced candidates in Southern Europe, with the proportion up to 72% in Spain and 76% in Portugal.
To find out what’s motivating these specialists worldwide and how you can attract them your organisation, look out for the upcoming Tech Talent Explorer.
Based on exclusive Hays survey responses from almost 10,000 tech professionals, as well as millions of data points from Horsefly Analytics, its tools enable you to learn more about the state of play where you are and beyond.
Discover where today’s permanent and contractor specialists are based, how much they cost, what they want from their next employer and the skills they need for continued success.
James Milligan Global Head of Technology Solutions
James Milligan is the Global Head of Technology Solutions at Hays, having joined in 2000. In his role, he is responsible for the strategic development of Hays' technology businesses globally.
