Creating and developing business-ready Microsoft talent
Microsoft Azure currently owns more than one-fifth of the world’s global cloud market share. And as the demand for Microsoft’s products continues to grow, so does the need for talent who can wield this specialist technology, especially in talent-scarce markets like APAC. As the world’s trusted cloud talent creation and enablement partner, and official Microsoft Learning Partner, at Revolent we’re keen to support businesses that use Microsoft products, helping them to secure cost-effective Microsoft talent pipelines.
To this effect, we recently hosted a webinar together with Microsoft and one of our clients to share their tips for success for any company across APAC looking to create and develop business-ready Microsoft talent. Here are four key takeaways from the webinar for businesses looking to address their digital skills gap by securing and retaining the Microsoft talent they need to thrive and ensure the successful delivery of their cloud projects.
Watch the webinar
4 key takeaways for Microsoft customers in APAC
1. Evaluate Australia's digital skills gap and its future impact on your organization
The growing digital skills gap in the IT sector as a whole will inevitably affect the talent shortage in Microsoft Cloud. Here are some key statistics to bear in mind from a recent report by Tech Council Australia & Accenture, to help you plan your Microsoft talent pipeline:
1.2 million
Number of IT jobs by 2023 in Australia
653,000
Additional tech workers needed to meet the growth projection
60%
Higher vacancy rate compared to the national average
3x
Rate of job growth, compounding the challenge
(Lead for Future Skills Initiatives for Microsoft Australia, New Zealand and the lower APAC regions)
2. Build, grow, and retain in-demand mid-level tech talent
Research by Accenture and Tech Council Australia further breaks down where the 650,000+ tech workers are likely to come from. The report highlights that the most significant talent shortages are likely to be in mid-level tech talent with prior industry experience. To address the talent shortage, it’s important that companies focus on reskilling talent to meet their short-term needs and invest in ways to access more mid-level talent to build their pipeline. These are both core areas for Revolent.
3. Address any misconceptions about what net-new talent can bring to your team
Companies and businesses often have a misconception about the type of skills net-new Microsoft talent can bring to their team. Because this talent is so new to the Microsoft ecosystem, organizations often label these individuals as inexperienced, undervaluing the passion and commitment they have for learning this new technology, as well as the vast range of soft skills and transferable industry experience they can bring with them.
Like many organizations across APAC, one of the leading money lenders MoneyMe was struggling to attract and retain the right cloud talent that would enable them to ‘work smarter, not harder’. However, due to their CIO’s own professional journey, he knew what skills net-new talent could bring to the team.
One of the ‘Revols’ that MoneyMe hired through Revolent initially started out in a junior role. However, Richard quickly discovered that the Revol had the right attitude and practical experience, as well as the ability to learn the new platforms quickly. Because of all this, they were able to pick up the speed and surpass the work of previous, more experienced contractors MoneyMe had hired, even though they were net-new to the cloud.
Passion for learning, transferable soft skills, and an attitude geared towards success—these are just some of the qualities that net-new Microsoft specialists can bring to any team.
4. Be open to new approaches on how to recruit and develop in-demand tech talent
While the more traditional routes of recruiting in-demand Microsoft talent can work to some degree, filling APAC’s pressing digital skills gap will require new approaches and creative solutions. What’s more, companies will need to do more to retain their existing talent in the face of so many new roles being created.
“When you’re recruiting people, the first thing you want to do is retain that person,” commented Richard. “A lot of the cost comes from losing someone after six months in the role because they want to move on and are using your organization as a launchpad for somewhere else.”
It’s important that organizations continue to invest and equip their employees with certifications to develop their skills and, ultimately, retain them. And programs like Revolent can go a long way in doing some of the heavy lifting when it comes to professional development, freeing up some of the already limited resources for companies that are already struggling with capacity all across APAC.
