It’s no understatement to say that the Covid-19 crisis has caused huge shifts to our working practices and transformed industry landscapes beyond recognition. What this has made clear, however, is how integral tech professionals are to this new working order, particularly with the increased spotlight on systems and technology in the wake of the mass transition to remote working.
With some form of remote working practice looking set to continue for the foreseeable future as we enter a new working era, professionals in possession of the following technical skillsets will be best placed to secure a permanent or contractor role in the coming months:
Unsurprisingly, with the mass transition to home working within the last couple of months, cloud and infrastructure skills have been hugely in demand – particularly within cloud based services such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, as companies sought to move their workforce to a remote working model at pace.
The use of cloud systems will still remain prevalent as the lockdown eases and we begin to move towards more of a ‘hybrid’ way of working. Experienced professionals will be needed in order to ensure that organisations are able to scale up or down according to business requirement, and deploy cloud services where needed. It will also be vital for connectivity to these services to remain consistent and reliable, as being able to access cloud systems quickly and easily will be key to employee productivity and operational efficiency.
In tandem with the increased demand for cloud and infrastructure skills, the tech profession has also seen increased emphasis on cyber security, with organisations recognising the need for tighter security controls to be put in place to protect remote operating models.
The increased use of personal devices for work purposes, along with new accounts and increased access to remote systems, has put company infrastructure at increased risk of hackers and breaches, and action will need to be taken in order to ensure that the VPNs and network devices being used remotely are updated with the latest security configurations. Top cyber security talent therefore – already in high-demand – will remain indispensable as agile working practices continue for the foreseeable future.
As organisations race to adapt to different ways of working and practices continue to evolve, data scientists are taking increased precedence – particularly within the public sector – as companies look to data insights for modelling the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on their business, and what a phased return to their workplace might look like.
For data analysis to be used effectively it has to be both reliable and available to the right people at the right time to aid strategic decision-making and reduce pressure on day-to-day operations. With companies having to adopt an agile approach to working practices on an ongoing basis, professionals who are able to quickly and effectively interpret data will be in-demand as we head into the new era of work.
The unprecedented speed with which organisations have had to react to the pandemic and its ensuing challenges has triggered an acceleration of digital transformation projects. Companies that were already moving away from legacy systems have had to do so now as a matter of urgency.
This has created increased demand for change management professionals to help facilitate this transformative change – candidates who possess a combination of technical acumen and the soft skills required to lead a team through digital change will continue to be sought after by employers as we move forward.
If you’re considering your next step, get in contact with one of our expert recruitment consultants for a confidential chat about the career options available to you, or to access a host of resources for helping you adapt to the new way of working, visit our Inspire Me in the New Era of Work Hub. As your lifelong career partner, we are with you every step of the way and will be updating this site regularly with new guides, blogs and information to support you.
James Milligan Global Head of Technology
James Milligan is the Global Head of Technology at Hays, having joined in 2000. In his role, he is responsible for the strategic development of Hays technology businesses globally.
