Expleo, a global technology, engineering and consulting service provider, today announced the results of a new survey which has found that 94 per cent of businesses on the island of Ireland are struggling to find IT staff, despite recent layoff announcements from many of the world’s largest tech companies. The research found that business leaders believe that the issue is widespread, with nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) saying that Ireland is struggling to attract top technology talent.
The company carried out independent research* of 141 business leaders across the island and found that organisations face internal and external challenges when it comes to tech talent. Most (86 per cent) business leaders believe their organisations have under-invested in the skills base of their employees. A further 74 per cent believe that automation must be part of their organisation’s solution, as there simply won’t be enough skilled people to get the necessary work done.
As they struggle to recruit and retain talent, the vast majority (83 per cent) of business leaders are finding themselves under pressure to meet rising salary expectations amid ongoing inflation. More than one-third (38pc) said that candidates are receiving salary offers that are 20pc higher, or more, elsewhere.
Expleo Ireland Photo Krupal Vasani
- Expleo research has found that 83% of business leaders on the island of Ireland are struggling to meet the rising salary expectations of tech talent
- 74% of business leaders believe they need to get more radical in their adoption of automation as there won’t be enough skilled people to get the necessary work done
- 47% of business leaders see work/life balance expectations as a top challenge to attracting and retaining staff
As they continue to be challenged by IT skills shortages, 70 per cent of business leaders on the island of Ireland say these shortages are impacting their business and transformation plans, with one in five saying they are having a significant impact.
To address the issue, more than one-third (38pc) of businesses are now outsourcing more functions to third parties or consultants. Internal measures, meanwhile, include investing in external training for staff (42pc), hiring more for remote roles (39pc) and adopting hyperautomation principles to automate as many business processes as possible (39pc).
Paul O’Malley, Chief Operating Officer, Expleo Ireland (above) said: “Our research highlights that business leaders in Ireland are acutely aware of the role that technology talent plays in their growth and success. With this in mind, and despite some very high-profile layoff announcements in recent months, businesses are continuing to struggle to find and retain the IT talent that will be pivotal to their – and the economy’s – future.“
“While organisations can only do so much when it comes to external pressures such as inflation and salary competition, our research shows that businesses who are suffering from IT talent issues must take a bolder approach and tackle this issue head-on. We can see that business leaders in Ireland are open to this, with almost three-quarters saying that part of the solution lies in automation, while others are outsourcing more functions.
“At Expleo, we are helping businesses with the successful blending of internal and external expertise. In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, business leaders are under increasing pressure to keep their organisations ahead of the curve to remain competitive. By providing them with the best technology solutions, teams and talent – such as highly-skilled software teams or agile pods – we are ensuring that businesses are equipped with the right resources to work on the right projects, at the right time.
“With such an overwhelming majority of business leaders admitting that their company has under-invested in the skills base of their employees, now is the time to pave the way to a successful, sustainable future by investing in employees, their potential and their wellbeing.”
Research for Expleo’s Business Transformation Index 2023 was carried out by B2B International, on behalf of Expleo. As part of a global survey, B2B surveyed 141 business leaders on the island of Ireland.
