The shortage of IT talent is one of the problems highlighted by managers of organizations to promote their innovation projects. However, some studies question this lack of professionals and advocate a real change in job offers, equating them to those of other European countries.
We constantly attend to the complaint of many organizations before IT talent shortage to address the new needs of the technologies they implement. However, more and more voices are raised denouncing the precariousness of technological employment in our country and its poor remuneration, especially compared to other countries.
According to various studies, around 65% of managers have problems finding the talent they need to move forward with their projects. innovation. However, looking at the IT labor market from another perspective can help find the solution to this problem.
Four out of ten university graduates of technological careers are not even around a thousand euros in their first contract, which, in addition, is usually temporary. This is just one of the data that the UGT studies service has highlighted in its report “Technological employment in the Spanish labor market: A critical view”.
Much of the shortage of IT talent is related to the terrible conditions that are offered
It analyzes the employment situation in the IT sector and how much of this shortage of talent that is talked about so much is related to the terrible conditions offered to these professionals, especially those that start from multi-service companies.
As an example, the study notes that some job offers from these companies for a programmer or web designer offer 12,600 euros per year. Is it really a salary according to the work to be performed or do they take advantage of the circumstances of those who need a job at all costs?
This affects, above all, young talents who are looking for their first job opportunity and who, given the lack of good job opportunities, prioritize ‘making a resume’ over salary for their work.
IT talent attraction
The data in this report contrasts markedly with that provided by other sources such as the INE itself (National Institute of Statistics), which indicates that the ICT sector has a job profile with one of the highest employability and remuneration rates.
And it is that the strong commitment to innovation and digital transformation that organizations are undertaking, especially in the last two years, is driving the need for IT talent to address the new technological challenges that come with it.
In fact, from TBS Education they point out that it is the big cities such as Barcelona or Madrid, which act as poles of attraction and retention of IT talent around the digital transformation in organizations. In the Barcelona metropolitan area alone, the ‘Tech Cities’ report by Experis indicates that more than 58,000 IT professionals are being sought by those who offer jobs with salaries of up to 14,000 euros above the state average.
These figures confirm the optimism in IT job market which, without a doubt, needs a review of the model to accommodate these professionals in favorable conditions both for them and for the companies.
The commitment to technologies that simplify the exchange of data, both within and between organizations, as well as the cloud, cybersecurity and the ecosystem blockchain stand as the main trends that will lead companies to need IT professionals in the coming years.
The importance of training
This situation does not occur in all countries equally and the pay gap between countries is increasing, not only between Spain and the rest of European countries, but also worldwide. According to the UGT study, it indicates that, for profiles such as data analyst or application developer, the salary in London is 86% higher than that offered in Madrid, while in Germany it is 82% higher and up to 50%. % more in Paris.
10% of Spanish digital talent goes to other countries looking for better opportunities
But the gap goes far beyond the differences with our European neighbors and, if the salary offered for these profiles in our country is compared with what they can receive in New York, the difference is up to 169% in favor of the american city.
The consequence is foreseeable: up to 10% of the spanish digital talent he goes to other countries in search of better opportunities.
Therefore, are we facing a true shortage of talent or is that talent looking for better working conditions? The report also debunks this myth, pointing out that less than 3% of Spanish companies report having problems hiring ICT professionals.
However, Spain is the country of the European Union with the highest number of people with ICT skills who are unemployed. Eurostat estimates the number of unemployed with ICT skills at 73,600, almost a third of all unemployment in Europe. In other words, 18% of people with ICT profiles are unemployed, ten points above the European average.
But precisely this body also focuses on the fact that only 4.5% of the European population in employment is dedicated to IT, a percentage that has grown at a rate of 1.3% in the last decade. Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are the countries in Europe with the largest workforce with IT-related jobs, with percentages ranging from 8% to 6.7%. A percentage that in the case of Spain stands at 4.1% of the active population.
The leadership of Finland and the Netherlands should not be surprising since these countries have the highest percentage of the population between the ages of 16 and 74 with basic digital notions.
Not surprisingly, training in new technologies is also a key factor in attracting talent in organizations. According to Salesforce’s ‘Digital Skills Index 2022’ report, nearly three in four professionals globally believe they don’t have the resources to learn the digital skills they need to succeed. However, 82% of those surveyed in this study plan to update their knowledge.
And it is that more and more organizations are looking for certain profiles with training and experience to fill the job vacancies that they so much need.
In many cases, we are facing a complex situation: organizations demand IT talent with extensive knowledge and experience, but the salary is more in line with what only those who are just starting out aspire to, without forgetting their precariousness. Adjusting that demand to fair working conditions can be a good start to get out of this situation and begin to attract and retain that much-needed talent for companies to continue advancing technologically.
Initial image | Soumil Kumar
