A simple equation could help ease IT staff shortages according to
BT chief executive Peter Bonfield following research that reveals
that companies are leaving their employees behind as they rush into
e-business.
A study of 240 senior and middle managers and staff in 80
companies by research firm Frost & Sullivan for BT's
consultancy subsidiary BT Syncordia Solutions found that 35% of
managers say they will need more IT specialists - and 30% expect a
reduction in administrative staff.
"The lesson is that admin people need to become IT people," says
Bonfield.
This could start with basics and be built up gradually, he says.
"In BT, for example, we have founded an Internet college for our
people, to provide knowledge of the Internet and skills in using
it.
"We can all help to a degree - government, employers and the
education world."
Bonfield believes basic training is crucial. "This is not simply
new technology: it's a whole new economy," he says.
Paul Domorski, head of BT Syncordia Solutions, adds, "Companies'
admin employees are an untapped resource. It is more cost-effective
to source the IT skills internally through retraining."
The findings lend support to other surveys that suggest
employers believe the only way to fill vacancies in their
e-commerce projects is to hire experienced people - and pay them as
much as necessary.
A study earlier this year for training company NETg found that
nearly 60% of managers see high pay as the key to keeping IT staff.
Only only one in 10 thought training was an effective method of
retaining people.
A separate survey for software company Infinium found that 66%
of staff think their ideal job exists in their current
organisation, perhaps in another area rather than higher up their
current career ladder.
Domorski says employers could build on the generally positive
attitude to new technologies that emerges from his company's study
- and should pay closer attention to their staff. "More than 75% of
junior employees felt there had been no discussion of the personnel
issues emanating from e-business roll-out," he says.