Putting the T back in IT
We are at the edge of a digital evolution.
Each day, there are new technologies and approaches that are not only helping businesses compete more aggressively, but are digitally transforming and disrupting entire industries. At the heart of this evolution are tech-savvy visionaries, developers and coders who are stepping out of back offices and into product development. Consequently, CIOs at larger enterprises are competing even more fervently for the top technical talent.
Let’s face it, the stakes are high.
In addition to being targeted by numerous competitors and emerging startups, large enterprises are traditionally and unfairly perceived as slow, bureaucratic and conservative. As a result, innovative developers are sometimes more enticed to trade the stability of a large enterprise to work for forward-leaning technology companies or ambitious startups. In essence, they are betting on the underdog.
So, what can we do to change that perception and woo the best developers?
First, enterprises are ripe with opportunity for developers. While it may not be a clean canvas to work on, the solutions you bring to these large environments and complex challenges will have a dramatic, lasting impact on the business and its customers and partners. You could even help reinvigorate the company.
Learn more about our internal Journey, ESG White Paper: A Detailed Analysis of the Dell EMC IT Transformation.
Second, we need to make our technical and developer roles more compelling. We’ll always be tasked with enhancing the performance and stability of our systems. However, we must also experiment and work with the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and Internet of Things, to re-envision how an enterprise does business. These are exciting roles for our IT professionals.
Third, while money is nice, it is no longer a key differentiator. People want to work for a company and a team that is doing good and making a difference in the world.
Who doesn’t, right?
Fourth, enterprises need to overcome the perception that they’re stodgy and slow by removing bureaucracy and eliminating barriers for the developers to truly shine. In addition to having executive support and sponsorship, we need to automate mundane, valueless processes and embrace DevOps and Pivotal methodologies to breathe more innovation, efficiency and effectiveness into our development. Every edge helps in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace.
And finally, to digitally transform for the future, we must first digitally transform ourselves. For years, enterprises have inadvertently stifled innovation because we had to meet a variety of organizational and operational priorities. However, to unlock the promise of digital transformation, we need to foster a culture that favors innovation and puts the “T” back in IT. This involves expanding the culture, capabilities and careers of our current team members and offering opportunities that entice innovative, diverse developers to advance their careers at an enterprise.
What are you doing to attract talented, tech savvy developers?