Businesses can build the bridge for talent gap by being proactive and strategic

Pooja Chatrath, CIO IT, Oncquest Laboratories

As a CIO there are many ideas which pop up in mind that can be an immediate support to business, but lack of talent holds back some of the projects. Because technology and particularly the digital tools we use on a daily basis are evolving too quickly for education systems to keep pace, so the skill gap is becoming wider day by day.

There could be some steps which can be followed to bridge the talent gap:

Identify the problem: First step is to identify the skill gap, for each job we have to make a list of necessary skills and roles that individuals need to carry today and in future. Somewhere talking to individuals in the organization also helps in spotting the essential skill which sometimes go unnoticed.

Make a plan: Second step comes in either using the resources available or hiring the new skills. This will involve rolling out new online training courses, bringing instructors in to help, recruiting freelancers, borrowing individuals from other departments and outsourcing jobs during busy periods.

Broadcast the plan: Sharing the plan is the next stage, as this will help to convey why we are doing it and reassure existing employees that their jobs are not at risk. Staff members should understand that the talent gap is not their fault but a universal issue that needs to be addressed in a constructive way.

I strongly believe that by being proactive and strategic and seeing that this is an ongoing challenge rather than something that can be solved with a silver bullet - businesses can rise to it and build the bridges.