– New findings from a global survey of over 500 IT decision-makers indicate that 381% of organizations are struggling to find skilled AI employees
– The figures further reinforce that the cloud skills shortage has increased the individual workloads of 50% respondents and led to significant repercussions, including burnout and high turnover rates within departments
– Additionally, retention issues are compounded by conflict within teams, with 28% of respondents saying the cloud skills gap caused tension between them and their bosses, while 33% said it caused tension within the team
THE SoftwareOne, a leading cloud software and technology solutions and services company, has just released unprecedented data from its Cloud Skills Report, which highlights the need to bridge the gap between humans and machines. The study, conducted with 500 IT decision-makers from the UK, Benelux, North America and Australia, aimed to understand how the skills shortage in a cloud is impacting their teams and how they plan to combat it in 2024.
According to the data obtained, the biggest problem for companies in their efforts to digital transformation is to ensure that employee skills growth keeps pace with the rapid pace of innovation. More than half of U.S. companies (53%) report that they currently lack the skills to leverage AI (Artificial Intelligence), and 38% are struggling to find skilled AI employees.
The research also reveals an imminent reality: Prioritizing close collaboration between human workers and advanced technologies is paramount amid a growing cloud skills gap and apprehension around AI. This relationship is poised to redefine organizational dynamics, with 981,000 U.S. companies planning to prioritize upskilling their workforces.
According to the report, the cloud skills shortage has also increased the individual workloads of 50% respondents in the US and led to significant repercussions, including burnout and high turnover rates within departments. The data indicates that 91% of companies perceive IT retention issues as a significant challenge.
These retention issues are compounded by conflicts within teams. 28% of respondents said the cloud skills gap caused tension between them and their bosses, while 33% said it caused tension within the team. And more than one in five (23%) respondents said they don’t feel comfortable asking for additional training to improve their skills.
For SoftwareOne Brazil Country Manager Otavio Argenton, the rapid advances in AI and cloud offer great prospects for companies around the world, although they now face the challenge of qualifying and retraining their workforces to leverage cloud and AI services.
“Our global survey reflects much of the Brazilian scenario, as most organizations are planning to reskill their IT teams to accelerate AI adoption and the journey to the cloud. By putting people at the center and showing how these innovations can enhance their roles, rather than pose threats, organizations can cultivate a culture of empowerment and optimism that helps increase retention, boost productivity and make work more meaningful,” he highlights.
Challenges
Preliminary data from SoftwareOne’s report, released in February this year, also revealed that 981,000 organizations worldwide are facing a gap in cloud skills, particularly when trying to find people with general skills, cloud architecture knowledge, and adaptation, monitoring and troubleshooting skills.
The survey also found that to address the market shortage, IT leaders are taking a four-pronged approach: 97% are upskilling existing staff; 84% are retaining current talent; 98% are seeking to attract new talent; and 93% are investing in managed cloud services to fill the gap, which are expected to play a key role in overcoming this challenge.
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