Skillsoft: Lack of L&D pushing IT employees to switch jobs
Employers must invest in upskilling and reskilling.
Why You Should Care
Lack of career development is pushing IT employees to change jobs amid the 'Great Resignation'.
So it is time that employers focus on upskilling and reskilling their IT staff, according to Skillsoft.
This is also because it makes good business sense to have certified employees.
No sector has escaped the ‘Great Resignation’. In the IT industry it seems that skills gaps and a lack of career development is pushing employees to leave their jobs.
The 15th annual global knowledge IT skills and salary report by Skillsoft found that 59% of IT employees who have changed jobs in the past year did so because of a lack of growth and development opportunities.
This outranked better pay (39%) and better work-life balance (31%) as the top reason for attrition in IT.
Fortunately, IT decision-makers surveyed by Skillsoft acknowledged the role that learning and development (L&D) not only plays in addressing skills gaps, but also in improving morale and retention.
56% said they had a plan in place to train team members since they believed that recruitment and retention was their biggest challenge (39%) and the biggest hurdle to achieving IT workloads (46%).
The business case for L&D
Therefore, it is clear that upskilling and reskilling are important for retention and saving money on recruitment, particularly as Skillsoft’s survey round that 35% of companies had issues attracting qualified candidates.
However, Skillsoft also found that certified employees did better work (48%), were more engaged with their work (32%) and worked faster (27%).
In addition, 64% of decision-makers said that a certified employee delivered $10,000 more in added value to the company.
Further to this, 50% said certification closed their skills gaps, 46% stated it helped to meet the client’s requirements, 45% found it boosted productivity, and 17% noted it made hiring easier.
Talking about the findings of the report, Skillsoft customer market leader in technology and developer Michael Yoo said: “Gaps in skills don’t just disappear, they only grow wider if not properly addressed. While it is encouraging to see early signs of closing the gap, work is far from done.
“Organizations must place a bigger emphasis on investing in employee training, empowering professionals to earn new certifications, and filling vacant roles with diverse candidates.”
