Sector analysts have warned of shortages of skilled professionals in data center operational roles for several years, raising concerns since having highly trained personnel is vital to facing incidents that may arise at such critical facilities. At Vertiv, we are taking steps to ensure that we maintain a team of top professionals and partners whose expertise is at the disposal of our customers. We are not only mindful of the skills needed today, but also of those needed to meet future demands.
This past April, the Uptime Institute published its global data center staffing forecast for 2021-2025, in which they predicted global growth in data center staff from 2 million full-time equivalents in 2019, to 2.3 million in 2025, including more than 230 specialist job roles with varying degrees of criticality. A survey included in the report showed that 50% of IT and data center managers said they were having difficulty filling open positions with qualified candidates in 2020, up from 38% in 2018.
This is the result of a convergence of factors, starting with a skilled professionals shortage that had already existed for a number of reasons, coupled with the fact that the pandemic led to greater investments in data center facilities to meet increased demand. Data center operators had to evaluate staffing needs for their existing infrastructure, as well as assess what was required for continuity of vital applications, both now and in the future. The result was a scramble for available talent.
'Hiring Smart': Data Center Talent
At Vertiv, we continue to address this challenge, both for ourselves and our customers. We have deployed a variety of virtual tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions that require fewer workers to carry out certain functions. This, however, does not mean AI will replace humans; we view their roles as complementary. While Vertiv solutions and monitoring technology are designed to alert data center operators of potential issues, these tools are not only programmed by experts, but they require trained staff to make decisions to address the issues detected.
In Latin America, our CFAS (Critical Facility and Advanced Services) business provides access to Vertiv experts to operate Data Center facilities 24/7/365, including preventive maintenance. In alternative to having two companies (operating and maintaining), Vertiv's CFAS offering unifies these functions in a single team to keep critical infrastructure running.
We have developed a network of strategic partners who we train and certify, so they can address customers’ needs along with our own experts. By finding the right balance between our in-house staff and our strategic partners, we are able to “hire smart”, bringing on new talent only as required to provide solutions according to specific customer needs and geographies. By deploying these experts to customer facilities, this helps customers focus on their core business functions. Rather than a fragmented process, we provide them with a more holistic view of their operations by implementing integrated solutions.
Preparing Top Talent for Tomorrow’s Data Center Industry
As new technologies evolve, Vertiv is ready to meet the demands of the future. In November, we announced we will be opening a state-of-the-art manufacturing center, engineering and test lab, and global business services center in Monterrey, Mexico. Our intent is to hire highly skilled professionals to innovate, develop new products, and provide training, allowing Vertiv to stay a step ahead.
We are also embarking on initiatives in Latin America to establish relationships with universities so that they train engineers with specific skills needed to join data center teams – a skill set that is generally lacking and contributing to the talent shortage. Such initiatives also aim to bring greater diversity to the sector.
Naturally, the talent shortage varies by market in Latin America. In the same regard, so does digital growth. Brazil firmly takes the lead, as it has accumulated a longer trajectory in data center operations, followed by Mexico. As such – and given that much of the data center investment is in these two markets – they tend to have access to more skilled teams. Yet, other countries such as Colombia and Chile are seeing increased investments and are experiencing a need for top talent. Fortunately, unlike some other regions where many skilled professionals are nearing retirement, Latin America enjoys access to a younger workforce, though it is imperative that they continue to be trained and developed.
So, what’s next? As American organizational guru, Warren Bennis, said: “Success in management requires learning as fast as the world is changing”.
At Vertiv, we seek to inspire our professionals to remain engaged, helping them find a purpose that values their personal and career goals and align them with the company’s needs. We must ensure the sector trains the next generation of top talent so that the shortage is not prolonged. Younger teams also mean that, unlike in the past when workers often spent their careers at one company, professionals are more willing to seek opportunities elsewhere. Engage, train and value your employees; your team, customers and business will benefit.
