It’s no news that we’re generating more data than ever. Yet at the same time, our understanding of how to get the most value from our marketing data is increasing. As a result, the demand for effective customer data integration and database management systems is on the rise.
As a leading database management solution, the market for Snowflake specifically is set to grow to $290 billion by 2027—up from $140 billion in 2022. That’s a huge leap and will mean countless more businesses looking to work with Snowflake partners that can help them implement, optimize, and maintain their databases.
While this growth presents massive opportunities for Snowflake partners, it also brings challenges—chiefly having enough resources on their team to service rising client demand.
Without enough talent on their bench, partners risk missing out on chances to grow their client base and seize the opportunities that the expanding market offers.
What’s preventing Snowflake partners from building their data capacity?
Before we explore solutions, let’s take a look at the top 3 challenges that Snowflake partners face today.
Challenge #1:
Lack of specialist talent in the ecosystem
For years, the tech industry has been experiencing significant talent shortages—with vendors, partners, and end-users across every sector struggling to find professionals with the right skills and experience.
A recent report found that 60% of data and analytics leaders cited “recruiting individuals with the necessary skills and talents” as the biggest challenge facing their business.
What’s more, a recent report by Forbes found that data analysis/data science is the top 4 most in-demand skill set in the UK job market, as rated by 500 British businesses that operate in different sectors of the tech industry.
The database management field is no exception, with the need for data professionals with expertise in data ingestion, data integration, marketing data insights, data strategy, and knowledge of Snowflake connectors far outstripping the available supply. This skills shortage could create a major problem for Snowflake partners as they battle to keep up with a growing demand for their services.
Challenge #2:
Skyrocketing salaries
With few skilled Data Engineers on the market, competition among potential employers, including Snowflake partners, is fierce. This competition is driving up salaries, adding a scarcity premium on top of already-high pay checks.
Average salaries for Data Engineers:
The average annual salaries for senior Data Engineers in Australia can be as high as $145,000 AUS, while in the US it’s up to $127,494 (before any additional benefits).
Organizations that operate in the UK can expect to part with up to £61,000 per year and those based in Europe can expect to pay from €3,250 to €5,600 per month, depending on which country they operate in, with a considerable premium in large, popular cities.
What’s more, this premium is constantly increasing as more and more businesses look to integrate a robust data strategy and adopt database management strategies, joining the battle for talent in the process.
As a result, those with the deepest pockets are winning, and pricing out many smaller organizations.
Challenge #3:
High attrition rates
Even when a partner does manage to hire a Snowflake Data Engineer with the right skills, there’s no guarantee they’ll stick around for the long-haul.
In a talent-scarce market, competitors are offering bigger and better compensation packages to win over talent and tempt them onto their teams. For any Snowflake partner, the risk of having talent poached from their current roles and ongoing projects is high.
In the survey cited above, more than three-quarters (79%) of respondents said competition from other organizations was the biggest challenge in attracting and retaining talent.
A central driver of employee turnover, talent poaching makes holding onto skilled Data Engineers difficult, delaying projects and interrupting service continuity. Partners risk losing specialists with data strategy and data integration insights, among other crucial skills, to competitors who are simply willing to pay more.
It goes without saying that this kind of turmoil can be damaging to any partner. While paying more for specialist Data Engineers can solve immediate issues, it may backfire and reduce the projects’ ROI in the long term.
What's the impact of an under-resourced bench?
When the cost of hiring and retaining Snowflake talent who possess crucial skills in customer data integration and marketing data insights prevents partners from building out their capability to deliver data-related services, there can be significant consequences. Let’s take a look at just some of these.
Failure to meet client deadlines
A shortage of Snowflake talent can lead to delays in project completion. Furthermore, not having enough hands on deck makes it harder to meet client deadlines, impacting client satisfaction and potentially leading to customer churn.
The Standish Group’s Annual CHAOS 2020 report analyzed 50,000 global IT projects, finding that a whopping two-thirds of these tech projects end in failure. Another report by CISQ found that unsuccessful digital transformation projects are costing US companies $260 bn.
A large proportion of this failure can be attributed to having a lack of specialist talent to trouble-shoot, problem-solve, and eventually deliver the project successfully. Conversely, 36% of SnowPro certified Data Engineers say they are faster at performing their jobs, leading to boosted performance and faster project turnaround times.
Difficulty ensuring data quality
Without professionals with in-demand specialist skill sets such as data ingestion, data strategy, and data integration, it can be more difficult to deliver expert service. Mastering Snowflake and Snowflake connectors takes time, and your existing team members may struggle to upskill in this technology, as well as crucial data concepts, quickly enough without the right support.
Meanwhile, 66% of IT managers say employees with IT certifications produce higher-quality work and more than one-third of employees produce better, more efficient work deliverables after earning a SnowPro certification, according to a recent Snowflake report. This shows that while mastering these skills is hard in the short-term, the expertise gained certainly pays off in the long-term.
However, it’s worth noting that with multiple projects to juggle, even the most knowledgeable Snowflake professional can become overstretched and unable to devote enough time to thoroughly checking their work. The resulting impact on overall data quality can lead to errors, rework, and damage to your organization’s reputation. This is why investing in Snowflake talent is crucial for any organization that wants to remain ahead of its competition.
Increased pressure on existing staff
The recent PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey found that more than half of employees say their job requires specialist training.
It may be tempting for short-staffed teams to put additional strain on existing, more senior team members to provide the training for junior hires, as they struggle to deliver quality services with minimal resources.
However, this increased workload can dampen productivity levels, squash morale, and drive employee turnover—something that Snowflake partners simply cannot afford, given the state of the talent market.
How to build your Snowflake team the cost-effective way?
The good news for Snowflake partners who want to build their data capacity and attract more clients? There is now a way to build your delivery capacity with zero capital investment.
Revolent’s industry-leading talent program helps Snowflake partners like you hire and retain the Snowflake Data Engineers you need to grow your team while reducing your recruitment, onboarding, and training costs.
As a member of the Snowflake Partner Network, our training has been designed in collaboration with Snowflake, and delivers Snowflake and dbt-certified Data Engineers from a wide range of backgrounds directly to your teams as business-ready talent, equipped with deployable skills in FiveTran, Airflow, and Airbyte, among others.
In a nutshell, we create certified Snowflake talent that is deployment-ready from day one. As soon as these experienced Data Engineers join your team, they’re ready to use their advanced Snowflake data capabilities to offer billable services and support your clients. And with more talent on your team, you can win and deliver on more projects for more clients.
Why invest in Snowflake talent with Revolent?
Here are just a few reasons why Snowflake partners like you should consider working with us to build your data capabilities.
- There’s no upfront investment with our talent program, so you can boost your delivery capacity with zero capital investment. Plus, with lower-cost, experienced Data Engineers on your bench, you can increase your profit margins.
- Not only do we handle the heavy lifting of hiring, training, and onboarding your Snowflake talent, but we also provide ongoing professional development and help them build more advanced skills.
- You’ll also enjoy boosted retention rates at no extra cost, since more than 80% of our Revols choose to convert to our clients’ permanent teams at the end of their placement.
Ready to build your data capabilities by solving your Snowflake skills gaps with zero capital investment?
