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Amid the “Great Resignation,” the vast majority of IT leaders in North America report skills gaps in their department.
IT talent acquisition challenges are influencing technology investment decisions, according to new research released from Salesforce’s MuleSoft. The 2022 IT Leaders Pulse Report reveals 73% of senior IT leaders agree that acquiring IT talent has never been harder. Tech talent sits in the driver’s seat.
Thus, today’s IT leaders are using technology to create more people-centric experiences for their employees and customers: 86% of senior IT leaders now say the experience an organization provides its employees and customers is as important as its products and services.
“As IT leaders struggle to fill roles to support this additional demand, the traditional playbook is in question,” said Matt McLarty, Global Field CTO, MuleSoft. “Today’s IT leaders must look instead to broader, company-wide process improvements, through automation, that foster innovation, enhance user experiences, and drive efficient growth.”
The majority of respondents plan to invest in improving IT employees’ wellbeing (82%) and up-skilling (78%) ahead of increasing IT headcount (68%).
While creating experiences is crucial, a people-centric IT and business strategy needs efficient processes to succeed. Empowerment and enablement through technology drives business growth, and organizations are using best-of-breed technologies to create new customer and employee experiences.
“The current economic climate leaves IT leaders no choice—they have to do more with less,” suggests McLarty. “The tools are there to empower more users to become digital builders, and help their organizations grow while improving efficiency.”
Many senior IT leaders are turning to automation and self-serve initiatives to address the growing skills gap. Across industries, 58% of organizations are automating tasks and processes, and 53% are empowering non-technical employees with automation tools to meet their own needs.
“By automating processes where feasible,” he concluded, “leaders can realize value faster and accelerate innovation.”