Bridging the IT skills gap, Part 1: Assessing current strategies and introducing GenAI as a unified solution

With advanced technologies like AI transforming the business landscape, IT organizations are struggling to find the right talent to keep pace. The gap between emerging technological capabilities and workforce skills is widening, and traditional approaches — such as hiring specialized professionals or offering occasional training — are no longer sufficient as they often lack the scalability and adaptability needed for long-term success.

According to IDC’s July 2024 CIO Sentiment Survey, 26% of CIOs identify recruiting, retaining, and upskilling talent as their biggest challenge to success. Skill mismatches (31%) and inadequate training and development opportunities (29%) underscore the demand for talent as well as the difficulty in finding candidates with the right skills.

The problem isn’t just the shortage of qualified candidates; it’s the lack of alignment between the skills available in the workforce and the skills organizations need. Take cybersecurity, for example. A staggering 21% of organizations report a severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, with another 30% finding it difficult to find suitable candidates. Only 8% of organizations have a relatively easy time finding qualified cybersecurity experts. This shortage puts additional pressure on existing IT staff and leaves organizations vulnerable to cyberthreats.

As the pace of technological advancement accelerates, it’s becoming increasingly clear that solutions must balance immediate needs with long-term workforce transformation. Spoiler alert: The solution we will explore in this two-part series is generative AI (GenAI). But before we get into that, let’s talk about what steps CIOs have taken to ensure their teams are equipped to navigate this rapidly changing environment.

Current strategies to address the IT skills gap

Rather than relying solely on hiring external experts, many IT organizations are investing in their existing workforce and exploring innovative tools to empower their non-technical staff. Organizations have adopted several strategies to acquire and develop talent, as illustrated in the bar chart below.

IDC’s CIO Sentiment Survey, July 2024

Cross-training or hiring line-of-business (LOB) staff to do IT: A notable 41% of organizations are cross-training or hiring internal LOB staff to perform IT functions. Leveraging current employees who already understand the company’s operations and culture can build a more versatile and adaptable workforce. This approach can help foster collaboration between IT and other departments, but while LOB staff bring valuable business insights, this approach doesn’t necessarily build the long-term technical expertise needed for the IT team to complete complex tasks.

Devolving duties to LOB staff: 40% of organizations are delegating duties to non-IT staff through tools like no-code or low-code platforms. These tools enable employees to develop applications and automate processes without extensive programming knowledge. Using this strategy, LOB staff can quickly create solutions tailored to the company’s specific needs. However, without proper governance and oversight, this can lead to inconsistencies, security vulnerabilities, and technical debt. Additionally, while these tools are excellent for simple applications, they might not be suitable for more complex systems that require specialized IT expertise.

Training programs: To bridge the skills gap, 34% of organizations are utilizing external training and certifications, while 28% are implementing internal upskilling programs. By investing in their current workforce, companies can equip employees with in-demand skills and prepare them for evolving roles. However, this approach isn’t always feasible, as it requires significant time, money, and commitment from both the organization and the employees — and continuous updating to keep pace with rapid technological changes.

This indicates a strong effort by CIOs to bridge skills gaps and offer some relief, with some organizations reallocating internal talent and others investing in formal training programs. However, while these fragmented strategies address immediate needs, they lack scalability and a forward-thinking approach. Is there a transformative solution that meets current operational demands while also fostering future skill development to effectively close the skills gap?

GenAI: A transformative solution to the IT skills gap

Enter GenAI, which offers the potential to revolutionize how organizations address the IT skills gap. GenAI can augment workers’ capabilities, automate complex tasks, and facilitate continuous learning. It can play a pivotal role in filling the skills gap through several key applications, such as:

• Cybersecurity assistance: GenAI can monitor networks 24 x 7, detect anomalies, and respond to threats in real time, helping to compensate for the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals.
• Knowledge management: GenAI helps organize and retrieve organizational knowledge, making it easier for IT professionals to access the information they need to solve problems and learn new skills.
• Virtual assistants and IT support: GenAI-powered virtual assistants can handle routine or repetitive IT tasks — like resetting passwords, troubleshooting common software issues, managing access permissions, and monitoring system performance — reducing the workload and allowing IT staff to focus on more complex and strategic tasks.
• Continuous learning and development: With GenAI-driven learning platforms, IT and business workers can have customized training modules tailored to individual learning styles and skill levels that continuously update based on the latest trends and technologies.
• And more: These are just a few examples; GenAI has many applications and can be tailored to meet specific organizational needs.

Despite the pressing challenges posed by the IT skills gap, many organizations hesitate to embrace GenAI’s transformative capabilities: Just 30% of companies plan to augment IT and business workers with GenAI, according to the CIO Sentiment Survey. This leaves a significant 70% who aren’t exploring this avenue. CIOs who act decisively now will gain a competitive edge by building adaptable, AI-ready teams. The next step is understanding how to implement GenAI effectively, from overcoming adoption barriers to change management — a topic we will explore in Part 2 of this series.

Conclusion

As organizations strive to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, the limitations of current strategies to address the IT skills gap become increasingly apparent. While current strategies address parts of the problem, they lack the scalability and foresight needed for long-term success. GenAI offers a unified solution that fills immediate gaps and sets the stage for a more resilient and innovative IT workforce. In Part 2, we’ll explore practical steps for CIOs to adopt GenAI, ensuring it becomes a transformative tool for their organization.

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Mona Liddell is a research manager for IDC’s CIO Executive Research team. She is responsible for leading the creation, analysis, and delivery of quantitative-based research and related marketing content for business and technology leaders. This research provides guidance on how to leverage technology to achieve innovative and disruptive business outcomes. Mona has over 10 years of experience using data to drive actionable insights and recommendations. Prior to joining IDC, Mona served as a market insights advisor for the IBM infrastructure team. She led large-scale primary research studies and advised the IBM Systems and IBM Cloud teams and executive leadership on strategy, market dynamics and trends, and competitors.