The shortage of IT professionals in the communication market

With an increasingly dependence on technology, the global market faces a barrier to digital advancement: the shortage of professionals with training and knowledge in IT-related areas. Today, in various sectors of the Brazilian economy, there are reports of "cannibalization" or "fraternal struggles," with various players, including international ones, competing for talent and trying to attract them with higher salaries, additional benefits, among others.

A study conducted by Softex, a social organization focused on promoting the IT sector, last year, estimates that the shortage in the sector will exceed 400,000 jobs by the end of 2022. This number goes against the lack of employment in Brazil, which affects 12 million people, according to recent data from the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics).

And experts and market professionals warn that this problem is likely to increase in the coming years. "This impact is not in one area or another, it is general. Our biggest challenge is not selling, but rather recruiting, developing, and retaining talent. Therefore, in addition to seeking professionals, we invest heavily in the development and training of professionals," says Tomás Trojan, COO of Cadastra, a digital performance and communication company.

Marcelo Soares, Chief Technology Officer of WMcCann, says that, as the agency's business demands agility and precision to launch projects or implement innovations, the shortage of professionals in the market reflects throughout the structure. "All areas are affected, even indirectly, as it is a chain reaction." Currently, 41% of the agency's employees are linked to technology, such as media, digital, and data areas, including statisticians, mathematicians, engineers, and data scientists.

This problem can also be perceived by the time companies take to fill vacancies. At Cadastra, Trojan says it varies from one to two months, with leadership positions taking longer. Today, the company has around 20 vacancies, including developers, strategists, and technology operation teams. At Bornlogic martech, the necessary period doubles, from 20 to 40 days, on average. And at McCann, it is between 30% and 40% higher than hiring in other areas.

Another important indicator when analyzing the real impact of the situation is staff turnover, which is usually high. To address the issue, WMcCann has defined diversification as a process: it has strategic positions within the team and a support and execution arm in partners.

"Currently, it is very difficult to have all the expertise within the team and, in this line, we choose to maintain a strategic and experienced team so that, in synergy with a select group of partners, we can carry out depending on the size of the demand," says Soares.

Cultivating Culture

Companies have also been increasing investments in the development of the so-called "culture" as a way to attract and retain talent. Bornlogic martech says it is improving its relationship with employees, which, with practical counterpart, represents the restructuring of all benefits offered, such as increased meal vouchers, improvements in health plans, adoption of benefits such as remote work assistance, and education support.

"We want our professionals to feel welcome within the company, so we are always attentive to demands that matter both personally and professionally," says Fábio Camões, head of HR at the company. The startup is also negotiating with programs and projects that promote the training of technology professionals.

Cadastra also sees employee engagement as the way out to solve the problem. "Transformation and growth are inseparable, and are only possible when we put people at the center and connected to our purpose," says Trojan. And, for this, one line of action is the training and development of professionals. As an example, the executive mentions Digital Start, a company internship program that he himself was part of at the beginning of his career.

In the same vein, Guilherme Stefanini, CEO of Gauge and responsible for the digital marketing platform of the Stefanini Group, says that the company has developed over the years a series of programs that assist in the continuous development of employees and follow career progression.

Training is also supported by the Stefanini Institute, the group's social arm, which prepares young people for their first job, especially in technology areas. According to him, these are efforts that, in the long term and as an ecosystem born in a technology-native holding company, have prevented companies from experiencing "accentuated" impacts on their operation.

"We have been continuously improving and always attentive to the main market movements and trends, focusing on expanding knowledge in the area of innovation and digital transformation," says Stefanini when asked about the expected increase in demand for professionals driven by new technologies and the metaverse.

According to Soares, from WMcCann, everything will be technology, and therefore, the term itself as we know it, "departmentalized," must cease to exist. "All people will need to understand the subject and be able to operate, so we are investing in awareness and education," he adds.

A considerable challenge considering that, according to a Brasscom survey (Brazilian Association of Information Technology and Communication Companies and Digital Technologies), Brazil will need 159,000 new professionals every year until 2025, while currently training just over 50,000 people per year.

Article originally published in Jornal Propmark.