For over a decade, job market experts have warned businesses of a large and growing tech skills gap. And hiring managers have seen its effects firsthand for almost as long. It's a problem that continues to defy conventional solutions, and it's easy to understand why. It's that the pace of technological change far outstrips the pace of education. In other words, by the time a new generation of tech workers emerges from school, the skills businesses need have already changed. The good news is that there are some strategies companies can adopt to stay ahead of the skills gap curve. Here are some of the ways they can do it.

Go Big on Low-Code and Automation Investment

Any effort to reduce the impact of the tech talent shortage should begin with minimization. In other words, the business should examine its processes to see if any can be automated or simplified. In doing so, it may be possible to minimize staffing needs without meaningfully altering business outcomes.

For example, businesses can and should use automated cybersecurity incident response tools. These can reduce the need for mid-level cybersecurity staff, whose roles typically involve monitoring and mitigation tasks. That will free up more money to attract higher-level employees to the organization.

It's important to note that businesses can also adopt low-code solutions to help departments outside of IT meet their needs. They can allow relatively non-technical staff to develop solutions that would have otherwise added to the IT workload.

Create a Comprehensive Upskilling Program

Another excellent way for businesses to address the tech skills gap is to upskill existing employees. That should start with a skills inventory of existing staff. Often, it's possible to identify workers with skill sets that make them ideal for specialized retraining. Another benefit of this approach is that it produces workers with the exact new skillset required.

Businesses attempting to upskill workers should also consider integrating AI tools into their efforts. They're already becoming a key part of internal training efforts among some of the world's most successful companies. Examples include Accenture, which utilizes an algorithm to match employees with training opportunities that align with their existing skills.

According to surveys conducted by McKinsey & Company, a large majority of high-revenue firms are already using this approach or plan to begin shortly. Their data indicate that 82% of executives from firms with $100 million or more in annual revenue expect reskilling to be at least half of their strategy to meet upcoming skills needs.

Partner With Specialist Recruiters

Ultimately, businesses should acknowledge that they are unlikely to be well-suited to the task of finding and hiring specialized technology staff. After all, few companies hire CTOs early in their lifespan, unless technology is central to their business. As a result, most companies expect human resources (HR) managers to locate and hire the right technology candidates. With few exceptions, this leads to trouble, as HR specialists often lack the necessary technology background to vet candidates properly.

To avoid the problem, it's a good idea to partner with a specialized recruiting firm and outsource the process. Countless technology-focused recruiting firms would make excellent choices. For example, Gravitas Recruitment Group has in-house specialists in technology areas ranging from software development to data analytics. They can even help with technology executive searches, as well.

Working with a recruiter can provide businesses with options they wouldn't have otherwise. That may include the option of hiring specialists on short-term contracts or even on a temp-to-hire basis. That can be an excellent way to meet short-term skills needs or to ensure that a given candidate is a good fit before hiring them permanently. Additionally, recruiters maintain their own skills databases that help them select ideal candidates with minimal guesswork.

Encourage Skills Transfer Through Cross-Training

Finally, businesses should do everything possible to facilitate skills transfer by establishing a cross-training program. That can help alleviate the dreaded key person dilemma that often afflicts firms when it comes to technology. That refers to the inherent problem of hiring workers with specialized skill sets, where these workers become the only staff capable of performing specific critical business tasks. Then, if the workers depart, it triggers a frantic search for a replacement.

To prevent that, the business should begin by fostering good documentation habits. Employees with specialized skills should document their work, including all relevant workflows and processes. That will at least provide a roadmap for a successor to follow. It can also serve as the basis for cross-training to ensure that other staff members have a basic ability to act as a backup. If nothing else, it ensures business continuity and provides the breathing room necessary to avoid a rushed replacement process.

An Integrated Solution

At the end of the day, it doesn't seem as though the longstanding tech skills gap will close anytime soon. On the contrary, its history implies that businesses are on their own to solve the problem. The strategies detailed above should go a long way towards doing that. Together, they can reduce skill demand and maximize the use of existing staff as well as new hires. The bottom line is that businesses will always be seeking skilled employees. At the very least, these approaches will let them direct their efforts at fewer skill deficiencies.