Tomorrow’s IT Worker
Another benefit of the National Convergence Technology Center’s (CTC) active Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) is when BILT members send us interesting articles and reports. It’s like having our very own R&D group. Dell executive Glenn Wintrich recently forwarded us a Deloitte University Press report called “Tech Trends 2015” that outlines several trends that could disrupt the way businesses engage with customers and get work done in the office. One of the trends the report identified was the evolving profile of the IT worker.
You can download the full report here (http://dupress.com/periodical/trends/tech-trends-2015/) but here are a handful of highlights, all of which point to the need to innovate and expand one’s skill set beyond traditional IT know-how:
- By 2025, 75% of IT workers will be “Millennials” – born after 1983. This is noteworthy because another survey suggests that a reputation for fostering innovation is the most important factor for Millennials making an employment decision. To stay competitive and attract the best and brightest, some companies may need to change their culture.
- Traditional IT certifications and experience may be irrelevant in emerging technologies. Accomplishments could trump credentials. Companies may put a premium on those employees who show the drive and aptitude to learn new skills. “Lifelong learning” and “continuous education” are the buzz phrases.
- The “maker movement” has created a generation of software and hardware tinkerers who like to experiment and prototype, traits IT shops should embrace.
- Design will be an important part of the future IT worker, be it a mastery of graphic design, user interface, or even anthropology and psychology. Creating good, usable IT solutions will require creative talent that focuses on the end user.
- Developing connections and fostering a sense of community among IT staff may be more important than maintaining old hierarchies.
- Hackathons are more and more used in the corporate world to foster innovative solutions and, in some cases, to help make hiring decisions. Companies want to hire employees based on demonstrated ability, not an impressive resume or a knack for navigating several interviews.
- Employees can be the best recruiters. 70% of Millennials learn about jobs from friends. It’s essential to communicate company vision to employees and to find ways to retain them.
- Companies must develop a mechanism for employees to submit new ideas. Not every company can allow employees to pursue pet projects like Google, but it’s unwise to overlook the hidden creativity of IT employees.