With this year’s Dreamforce and Partnerforce behind us, Salesforce Partners will be busy making plans for the year ahead. But one challenge remains—namely the talent shortage in key regions, such as APAC.
What solutions are available for Salesforce Partners to find the talent they need to scale? Find out in this article.
Future trends for Salesforce in APAC
Salesforce is on track to create 4.2 million new jobs in APAC by 2026, making this candidate-scarce market even more competitive.
So, what’s in store for the next 2-3 years, and which areas of the APAC Salesforce ecosystem will see the biggest growth?
We asked Charles Woodall, Senior Vice President of Alliances and Channel Sales to share his insights on future trends for Salesforce in APAC.
Charles commented that the key pillars of Salesforce’s vision are to extend its reach across the region, attract new talent, and develop new skills in the ecosystem. All of which are critical to the collective growth of the ecosystem and delivering success for Salesforce customers.
“As part of that growth, we are shifting a range of our business from a direct to an indirect sales model,” Charles said. “In order to do so, we’ve embarked on a reseller strategy in the region to access new geographies and markets, particularly in the small-to-medium-sized business space.”
He went on to explain this in more detail. “Those Partners whom we’ve selected as part of our reseller program are integral to our customers’ success, and we know that ensuring a great customer transformation means having Partners who have the right skills, capacity, and capabilities.”
“With that in mind, opening new pathways for new and diverse talent and investing in their capabilities will be our core focus over the next few years. For example, in APAC we’ve committed to an additional 4,000 net-new individuals coming from diverse backgrounds, such as those from under-represented minorities, into our Partner ecosystem in FY23.”
How is Salesforce building capability and capacity across its Partner ecosystem?
Salesforce has established a number of initiatives to help build their Partners up from a capacity standpoint and grow the available pool of talent. Here are just some examples that Charles highlighted.
The Salesforce Talent Alliance
“In 2019, we launched the Salesforce Talent Alliance, an initiative that connects Salesforce Partner companies to job candidates trained on Salesforce through Trailhead, and brings new talent into the fast-growing ecosystem. The aim of the program is that 20% of their new practice hires will be diverse and net-new to the ecosystem.”
Salesforce Days
“We’ve also launched Salesforce Days—an immersive experience designed to empower all types of learners while supporting Salesforce Partners and those new to the ecosystem in growing their capacity and capability. We plan to add 17.5k new credentials over just three months across APAC through the program. Our Partners have also engaged in 2,500 hours of community-led engagements.”
Why diversity is crucial for solving the Salesforce skills gap?
But today, it’s no longer only about securing the right talent. It’s also about getting diverse talent—individuals who not only have the right skills to harness the full potential of Partners’ Salesforce applications but who can bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table, boosting innovation which should be top of the list for any Partner.
And Salesforce is working on a number of initiatives that are helping to boost diversity across APAC, including creating pathways for Indigenous Australians. One such initiative is the Indigenous Tech Academy.
About The Indigenous Tech Academy (ITA)
Launched in February 2022, the ITA provides opportunities for young adults from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds to kick-start a sustainable career in Salesforce.
“We’ve teamed up with Revolent, AIME and PwC’s Indigenous Consulting (PIC) to establish the Indigenous Technology Academy, which provides young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with access to Revolent’s careers development program, training them to become Salesforce professionals over a one-year learning and development journey,” Charles commented.
The results have been outstanding so far—not only is the Indigenous Tech Academy (ITA) opening new doors to people from underrepresented backgrounds, but it is also encouraging more women to launch careers in Salesforce, with 75% of ITA’s first cohort’s Salesforce consultants identifying as women. We asked some of the ITA consultants to share what this experience has meant for them, and what their hopes and aspirations are for the tech industry at large.
“The tech industry is ever-changing, and I see it as a place for First Nations people to contribute to an exciting and forward-thinking industry,” commented Cassandra, one of the ITA consultants. “My hope is that it continues to be accepting of all people and that it continues to hold room for change.”
“When I think of the tech industry, I reflect on the impact it has in implementing ideas and changing the world. Tech is ever-evolving and has created a space to connect and revolutionise like never before. The tech industry has given me the chance to start a new career with endless possibilities,” expressed Tara, another participant of the ITA.
“Being part of the first cohort of the ITA has opened myself to connect with mob from all over Australia, other communities, and the world. As I begin to navigate my career, my first placement at PIC has invited me to express myself in the world of tech through collaboration tools, presentations, and developing new materials to present to clients across Australia.”
There’s no doubt that competition for Salesforce talent remains fierce, particularly within APAC. But with the number of initiatives that Salesforce has set up, paired with innovative models, such as Revolent’s talent creation program and the Indigenous Tech Academy – there are now more opportunities for Salesforce Partners to lay the groundwork for establishing a sustainable and diverse Salesforce talent pipeline for 2023.
How can Salesforce Partners and end-users attract the right talent?
Although these initiatives are starting to bear fruit, Salesforce Partners can also stay ahead of the competition by offering additional benefits to their candidates at the application stage.
But what kind of benefits do candidates want to see, or even expect to see, from an employer? One of the ecosystem’s most comprehensive and insightful sources Mason Frank’s Careers and Hiring Guide has the answer.
It revealed perks that entice a Salesforce candidate to accept or consider a new role, including:
- A better salary and compensation package
- The opportunity to work remotely
- Opportunities for career progression or a defined career path
- The chance to work in a challenging role or on a challenging project
- The chance to learn a greater range of skills
- To develop personally
- The chance to pursue a better cultural fit
- To pursue a career change
- The challenge of working for a startup
- The new role was a promotion
- To work for a larger organization
- Ability to escape a toxic work environment
- Relocation
Homeworking
44%
Four weeks or more paid time off
41%
Bonus (monthly/bi-annual/year-end bonus
31%
Health/medical insurance
24%
Flexible working hours
21%
Retirement savings plan/401(k) match/pension contributions
17%
Shares in the company/reduced priced shares in the company
11%
Training and development opportunities
10%
Commission
7%
Accommodation/housing allowance
6%
By implementing some of these perks, Salesforce Partners can boost their hiring strategy and attract the talent they need, while utilising the initiatives set up by Salesforce.
Looking to build a sustainable pipeline of skilled and diverse Salesforce talent? Get in touch to see how Revolent can help!
