EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
RHONDA ASCIERTO , VICE PRESIDENT , RESEARCH , UPTIME INSTITUTE
e forecast that global digital infrastructure
W staffing requirements will reach 2.3 million full-time employee equivalents by 2025 , an increase of roughly 300,000 data centre professionals compared to 2019 . Staffing needs are across the board and growing demand for data centre capacity continues to exacerbate the shortage .
As in every other aspect of data centre operation , management must understand their local market , offer competitive compensation packages , remain nimble , remove unnecessary impediments to hiring and develop succession plans for each position . Our research shows that the most successful data centre staffing strategies lower barriers to employment ( for example , by removing unnecessary education requirements ) and provide onthe-job / sector-specific training .
Also , the industry is better evangelising digital infrastructure careers with a focus on building a talent pipeline that is not just robust , but also diverse .
We ’ ve seen in recent years that industry players are aware of the ongoing staffing challenges they face and many are actively looking for new ways to meet them head-on . In addition to adjusting their own recruitment , hiring and training programmes , many take part in broader industry initiatives such as International Data Center Day , a
WE ’ VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS THAT INDUSTRY PLAYERS ARE AWARE OF THE ONGOING STAFFING CHALLENGES THEY FACE AND MANY ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO MEET THEM HEAD-ON . programme launched in 2019 to address the lack of qualified , diverse candidates within the digital infrastructure market . Each year , participants share resources to educate future data centre professionals at the elementary , high school and college levels , host events , promote internship and mentorship opportunities and much more .
Another example of industry efforts to address the sector ’ s growing workforce shortage is Data Center Career Pathfinder , a new online resource we ’ ve built in collaboration with Google , Meta and Microsoft . The tool offers the industry ’ s first comprehensive taxonomy of digital infrastructure job roles , helping to bring awareness to more than 230 different types of data centre jobs . Another valuable resource for industry employers and job seekers alike , Career Pathfinder is helping to expand the sector ’ s talent pipeline by educating people from all backgrounds and skill levels about the unseen world of data centres and the many career paths it has to offer .
There ’ s no single , perfect solution that will make an organisation immune to the many difficulties this ongoing workforce shortage presents . Building the data centre workforce of tomorrow will require attention , effort , collaboration and leadership from across the entire industry .
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