The world is constantly changing, and with it the way we do business. With the rise of global connectivity, new opportunities have arisen to source talent from around the globe. In particular, IT skills are in high demand and can be found in a variety of locations.
The traditional hotspots for sourcing talent with IT skills are no longer the only viable options. Advances in technology and education have new locations emerging as potential alternatives. Countries like China and India have long been popular destinations for companies looking to maximize budgets. However, these markets are reaching maturity and though they still offer a valuable alternative to onshore staffing, recruitment efforts are now expanding into new territory.
With these changes, and the shift towards remote work, new benefits are being discovered by sourcing skills closer to home. Nearshore talent offers especially promising advantages that businesses will need to consider as they hire in the coming years.
Global Trends
According to Gartner, there are some significant changes in outsourcing philosophy on the horizon. Though expertise and pricing remain crucial, there is new focus on speed, collaboration, and other factors that will have a notable impact on international hiring decisions going forward.
Some trends we'll be seeing more of in the near future include:
The increased diversity of talent portfolios is a sign that borderless talent is expanding, as companies learn to trust in and hire candidates from a number of new countries. A few countries in particular are showing great promise in their ability to compete in this developing international market.
Regions around the world have emerged to demonstrate the possibilities of taking a broader view with regard to talent location. Some of the countries that are best equipped to tackle the business challenges of the future within the IT sphere include:
These places, among others, feature a number of felicitous conditions and are poised to become some of the top producers of IT talent in the near future. For now, there remains a great deal of opportunity in exploring the profiles of each country to see how they can meet business needs today.
A few of the key aspects to look at are education access, economic growth, age demographics, and language proficiency. Thanks in part to the increasing number of universities offering computer science programs, many regions are now starting to produce their own pool of IT talent. Additionally, economic development and high numbers of young adults can be circumstantial signs that a country is fit for further growth and may offer technologically sophisticated employees.
Working across borders also requires a strong command of English, so those countries with high levels of proficiency will have a significant edge when it comes to making hiring decisions. It is also desirable to find employees who can work in time zone alignment with one another, so countries like Mexico and certain South American hotspots will certainly do well as speed and ease of communication become increasingly essential to borderless business functions.
Ultimately, the future of IT outsourcing will depend on the continued growth of these emerging markets. As they become more developed, they will provide an increasingly viable alternative to traditional offshore destinations. Continued international development will help to ensure that businesses have access to the talent they need, no matter where in the world they are located.
By expanding recruitment efforts into emerging markets, businesses can ensure that they have access to the best and brightest minds from around the globe. With new hotspots emerging every year, we all need to be aware of the changing landscape of IT talent in order to stay ahead of the competition.
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