Empowering the next generation of talent through ServiceNow
The UK is facing a talent problem the likes of which haven’t been seen before. According to ManpowerGroup, the number of organisations reporting talent gaps has grown over the last decade, with 80% of UK businesses reporting difficulty filling open positions.
What’s even more concerning is this problem doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon. According to IDC, 90% of organisations will experience a digital transformation-related IT skills shortage by 2025.
The next generation of talent requires organisations to work together to reduce the skills gap. That’s why at ServiceNow, we’re working with organisations across all industries as part of RiseUp with ServiceNow.
What is RiseUp with ServiceNow?
At its core, RiseUp with ServiceNow is a motion to skill 1 million people on the Now Platform by 2024. That requires an array of global partnerships and programmes. That’s why RiseUp with ServiceNow acts as an umbrella over several initiatives, including the NextGen programme, which is designed to mitigate the impact of the talent gap and empower the next generation of tech talent.
NextGen opens doors for those who may not otherwise be given a chance to break into the tech industry—due to a lack of previous experience, socioeconomic factors, or other circumstances. The programme provides candidates with the practical skills necessary to gain full-time employment in a tech role.
As a key part of NextGen, we work closely with partners and customers to place graduates into roles that may otherwise be left unfilled. It’s a win-win.
The NextGen programme in action
NextGen isn’t limited to one type of company or industry. The Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is one example of an organisation that’s experienced the positive impact of the program first-hand.
Government agencies like DEFRA face restrictive pay bands and limited budgets, which can make recruitment difficult.
“There are real challenges in recruiting experienced ServiceNow practitioners, particularly when you’re competing with the private sector,” explains Gary Kinsella, a ServiceNow platform owner at DEFRA.
“We have a lot of controls within government that we have to work with. We can’t offer the salaries that the private sector can. And we often struggle to attract suitably qualified individuals.”
To combat these challenges, DEFRA began hiring from the NextGen programme to support its growing Now Platform rollout and to foster a new wave of talent. To date, DEFRA has hired nine individuals from the NextGen programme and plans to hire more.
Empowering the next generation of talent
Besides helping organisations overcome the skills gap, programmes like RiseUp with ServiceNow strive to drive representation of diverse or underrepresented pools of talent within the tech industry.
“I have always had a passion for technology that I wanted to explore, but I didn’t have the knowledge or skills to make use of that in a business setting,” explains Diana Tomova, the first NextGen candidate at DEFRA, about her decision to apply for RiseUp with ServiceNow.
Now in her second year of the ServiceNow apprenticeship, she adds, “It’s been amazing. The programme gave me the necessary tools to head straight into the world of technology, and I’ve now found an amazing job at DEFRA as a result.”
Closing the gap in the long term
The skills shortage is a problem for everyone in the business ecosystem. It prevents employers from growing their businesses, negatively affects the services an organisation can provide its customers or end users, and places an additional burden on existing staff who must cover vacant roles.
Programmes such as RiseUp with ServiceNow can help. Many talented candidates have already benefited from the programme, but there’s still a long way to go. We plan to continue to work with organisations to resolve this talent crisis and to give people like Tomova the chance to forge a career in tech.
Find out more about how your organisation can get involved and help mitigate the talent shortage.