IT is a strategic business investment, so it needs a strategic talent pipeline
Technology is infused into every facet of our lives, from the moment we wake until the moment we fall asleep. It is found in our devices, homes and cars, and underpins the services we need and use every day.
Every business in almost every sector understands that the rate of digital transformation is increasing exponentially which, in turn, puts pressure on them to remain competitive.
We are starting to see a shift in how information technology (IT) is viewed generally. The status quo has been that there are companies that provide a range of IT services to businesses that focus on their own core business. This makes sense. However, think about banking and retail, specifically. IT, especially software development, has become a key differentiating factor and is foundational to their evolving businesses and the services they can offer to demanding customers.
In this highly competitive landscape, digital strategy needs to be at the forefront of an organisationās planning. Rather than be seen as a support function, it needs to be integral to a businessās strategy, with the right people ā producing talent and outcomes at the right cost and quality.
The alternative (and this is currently a very real pain felt by businesses) is that if IT is outsourced at an armās length, there is often a loss in long-term planning and strategic capabilities. This is over and above navigating different organisational cultures, time zones and languages. Of course, one of the biggest worries is losing valuable business intellectual property.
South African corporates have overcome these challenges somewhat by setting up their own development centres offshore. However, one shouldnāt be shy to ask: What is their long-term plan as a good corporate citizen to bring this capability back to South Africa? We all have a vested interest in this country, and being part of the solution is exactly what the country needs, and what the same businessesā future customers so desperately need.
We support the government in its view that young people without experience still need to find employment. However, young people are turned away from businesses that donāt have the capacity to provide the kind of experience they need to become fully fledged software developers. Many businesses believe the only way they can be part of the solution is by burdening their already finely stretched teams with training and onboarding young people.
Itās precisely because of this that we came up with a model that ensures this is all handled by the academy and not businesses themselves, giving businesses peace of mind that theyāre getting talent thatās already proven itself in their live environment, without burdening their own resources.
redPanda Software has hired redAcademy graduates from its 2023 and 2024 intakes. Human capital director at redPanda Software Insaaf Daniels says: āThis initiative has not only bolstered our team with fresh talent but has also resulted in high talent retention and significant cost savings of over R800 000 in recruitment fees.ā
Niel Coetzee, head of Engineering at redPanda Software, emphasises the company’s success in retaining junior talent, as a result of receiving experiential training in their live environment. This approach has proven effective, with multiple cohorts of junior candidates successfully transitioning into valuable long-term employees.
āWith the culture and way of working already entrenched as they join us, we have found they quickly get in step with the delivery team. Additionally, from a technology perspective we have seen that having candidates familiar with the chosen tech stack and way of working allows the onboarding process to be streamlined significantly,ā adds Coetzee.
Point is, none of this is philosophical. There are practical steps businesses can take to get to a point where they are effectively nurturing their own local talent, which addresses their needs without having to slow down or compromise in any way.
The concept that underpins redAcademy demonstrates the efficacy of building role-ready candidates. This is how it works:
- A business carves out time to assess its needs and roles (jobs) of the future.
- The discovery phase only takes a few hours, which results in the development of customised training material to develop role-ready candidates specifically for each organisation.
- After six months of highly focused theory, the team begins live development training in the businessās environment, overseen by the academyās experts ā adding no extra burden on already stretched software teams.
- Because they are trained in a live environment, the candidates are known to businesses before being onboarded as team members.
- A comprehensive quality assurance phase ensures candidates presented are, in fact, ready to hit the ground running, and that they are aligned with the businessās culture and expectations.
- Candidates who have been trained and gained experience in a businessās own live environments are interviewed by an experienced team to assure a culture fit.
Of course, many businesses outsource projects offshore, but with the countryās best interest at heart, they can start small by shifting projects to local software development partners or their own in-house teams.
If businesses across sectors are starting to shift how they see IT and software, from a support element to something key to their businessās strategic roadmap, then they need to ensure a solid and reliable skills pipeline.
Building your own talent, tailored methodically over the space of a year to your own businessās unique needs ā without being burdened with actually doing the training ā really does present a compelling opportunity to grow South Africaās talent pool.
Jessica Hawkey
Managing Director