Developing Hard-to-Hire IT Skillsets

This brief profiles tactics that CIOs, HR, and hiring managers can use to support current digital strategy and activate the IT workforce, by developing hard-to-hire skillsets. Check out our resource center for additional tools to build digital transformation capabilities on your campus.

Hiring cannot solve IT workforce gaps

The IT environment is undergoing once-in-a-generation change. Long employed mainly at the periphery, cloud services increasingly provide core business and infrastructure services. AI is beginning to have real-world impacts, and Agile development methods are reshaping the way IT interacts with customers. Taken together, these changes are driving down demand for some familiar IT roles, while putting a premium on emerging skillsets.

What the best are doing

To address the changing staffing needs of the IT organization, CIOs and HR departments should look for ways to supply hard-to-hire skillsets with existing talent.  Our examples from progressive institutions include tactics for introducing early awareness of new technologies, leveraging cloud transition projects for on-the-job development, training cybersecurity apprentices, and using promotion pathways to make the whole IT workforce more agile.

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