The Internet of Things (IoT) is recognized as a vehicle for potentially exponential growth, and the possibilities are thrilling. However, there is one major roadblock to success. When it comes to tackling IoT, the biggest challenge isn’t budgeting or the technology itself. It’s finding the right personnel to make it happen.
The Challenge of Hiring for IoT
IoT projects are complex, and the increasing demand for professionals is creating a competitive marketplace. Building, deploying and managing an IoT initiative takes highly specialized skill sets, and many hiring teams are facing an uphill battle.
IoT projects require knowledge and experience in areas like engineering, big data, analytics, UX, UI, mobility, networking, development, and security. Even if IoT was not on the upswing, those skills would be in high demand in today’s market. Add in IoT jobs, and the competition for skilled talent gets even more fierce, salaries shoot through the roof, and retention becomes increasingly difficult.
The Cultural Hiring Challenge
Skills gaps are not the only challenge facing hiring managers when it comes to IoT. When a company decides to pursue IoT projects, it signals a shift in culture. Traditionally, operations technology (OT) teams have handled machine-to-machine communications with little regard for or interaction with the IT team. With IoT on the table, IT and OT now find themselves in a situation where they must work together. This sounds simple enough, but many organizations find IT and OT are resistant to this shift, wary that one department may take over another. Hiring teams must be able to identify candidates who can overcome this new cultural challenge.
Finding The Full Package
IoT professionals must have technical skills, they must be able to help the organization bridge the divide between IT and OT, they must possess experience within a vertical industry and they must have a litany of soft skills that ensure open communication between different business units and company leadership. As any tech hiring manager knows, the IT hiring landscape is always changing; typically getting more and more challenging with each passing year. Now that IoT is taking off, organizations have a whole new set of challenges to overcome. Finding talent with the right combination of skills can be daunting.
If your company is taking on IoT – or any challenging tech initiative – and you are looking to find the right professionals to deliver real results, the expert tech recruiters and CSS can help. Contact us today to learn how we can connect you with the talent you’re looking for.