What are the most in-demand roles in the channel?
CRN parses through data compiled by channel recruitment firm Robertson Sumner to find out what jobs the channel is struggling to fill
When it comes to matters of the heart, the late Tom Petty told us that "the waiting is the hardest part".
This advice could also easily apply to recruiting in today's tempestuous jobs market, where many channel HR execs flip forlornly through job applications searching for the candidate that is ‘the one'.
From the largest vendors and VARs right through to boutique MSPs, few in the channel have escaped unscathed from the merciless effects of the skills shortage.
According to data provided by channel recruitment agency Robertson Sumner, the top five roles that employers are struggling the most to fill are in the technical field. They are:
1) Back-end/front-end developer
2) Full stack developer
3) Presales consultant
4) Presales engineer
5) UX/UI designer
Marc Sumner, CEO and founder of Robertson Sumner, attributed this to the shortage of candidates on the market with the requisite skills to take on these roles.
"The fight for front-end developers and software engineers has gone through the roof - up more than 52 per cent from 2017 to 2018," Sumner explained.
"Anything related to web development is a major problem for most companies; there aren't enough people in the market with the skills or enough people for the roles being created.
"As a recruiter, I want lots of roles and lots of candidates but at the moment if there are more roles than people, we have to do more poaching and headhunting than we did before - which is really frustrating."
According to the recruiter's data for 2018, the demand for technical skills grew significantly year on year, particularly in the first and third quarters.
The recruiter's data also revealed that channel firms are waiting longer to find the right candidate for the role. Due to the shortage of appropriately skilled candidates, technical roles lay unfilled for an average of 89 days in 2018, compared with 62 days in 2017.
"Finding the right IT staff requires a blend of attraction and hiring strategies even at the best of times," noted Sumner.
"But the current jobs market has really caused problems for many employers. With a higher proportion of the population in work than ever before, the talent pool of active jobseekers is very low."
Article continues on next page
What are the most in-demand roles in the channel?
CRN parses through data compiled by channel recruitment firm Robertson Sumner to find out what jobs the channel is struggling to fill
Sales shortfall
But it's not only the absence of technical workers that is leaving channel firms broken-hearted.
Surprisingly for an industry that centres on sales, Robertson Sumner's data revealed that certain sales roles are becoming increasingly more challenging to fill.
Demand for positions that require both technical and sales skills are increasing at an unheralded rate, reported Sumner.
He added that despite the hugely attractive salaries attached to such positions, presales roles are seeing an increasing candidate shortage.
"The shortage of quality candidates seeking new opportunities, combined with an increase in counteroffers which are offering significant salary increase, means that demand is far outstripping candidate availability," the recruiter said.
However, unlike technical positions, the most in-demand sales roles vary across the channel. For example, the hardest vacancy for resellers to fill is that of account manager with a book of business.
The most in-demand sales positions are:
1) Account manager with a book of business (resellers)
2) Enterprise new business, with experience in new logo acquisition (service providers)
3) Enterprise new business (vendors)
4) German or Dutch speaker sales roles (vendors)
5) New business sales executive (across the whole channel)
Canny companies have placed restrictions o n account managers with books of business to prevent them leaving and taking their list of clients with them to a new employer, Sumner explained.
"If they move to a new firm, they will probably only be able to get 30 per cent of their book to transfer over," he stated.
"Twenty years ago you would have had one guy looking after the customer and who did everything for them.
"Companies are wiser to that now and have multiple people involved in the sale process, so if that person does leave, the firm might be able to retain most of their customers, and lock them into a recurring contract."
He added that account managers with a book now leave a company for three reasons: they have to relocate, a change in commission structure that affects their salaries, or conflict within their company.
The second and third most sought-after sales candidates in the channel are those with experience in enterprise new business, particularly for service providers and vendors.
Finding bilingual candidates is also proving a hurdle for vendors, as they seek candidates proficient in German and Dutch. These vacancies can go unfilled for up to 120 days, according to Sumner.
"Those markets are quite big; the German market, in particular, is big for vendors," he explained. "We are finding it easier to fill French and Spanish roles. If you're a specialist salesperson in these languages, you can name your salary."
The top five in-demand sales roles is rounded out by sales execs with experience in selling to enterprise - a role that is in demand across the whole channel.
This is a role that a graduate or new salesperson would be unable to fill, due to their lack of expertise and relationship-building with potential enterprise customers.
According to Robertson Sumner's data, the length of time sales roles are lying dormant has risen 81 per cent year on year, from 53 days in 2017 to 96 days in 2018.
However, Sumner is optimistic that this waiting time will decrease massively as the skills gap narrows in the near future.
"I think the channel will have its best year this year, but I still see the shortage lasting through 2019," he stated.
"Companies are investing in graduates and talent, and I think the gap will close next year because people are now coming out of universities with the appropriate skill sets.
"With the likes of Softcat investing in training graduates, we will see the gap close between 2020 and 2021."
Article continues on next page
What are the most in-demand roles in the channel?
CRN parses through data compiled by channel recruitment firm Robertson Sumner to find out what jobs the channel is struggling to fill
Bait with benefits
In order to attract that special candidate to the vacancy in your company, companies have to continually monitor what they can offer.
Younger employees now take a holistic view of an organisation, factoring in the work culture, values and career development before applying for a role.
So how can channel firms woo a candidate into taking up a position with them?
"Candidates want a nice, flexible working environment, as well as career development," stated Sumner.
"Organisations need to take another look at the stuff they might have taken for granted in the past, for example, they should benchmark themselves to see if their salaries are competitive.
"Complacency can set in, especially in the channel. Firms can think they are the best due to the package they offer, but then suddenly it's not competitive anymore because they haven't taken a fresh look at it."
Though the waiting may be the hardest part for companies struggling to fill vacancies in order to grow their business and portfolio, jobseekers are more inclined to use the wait to their advantage, according to Sumner.
The desperation for their skill set allows them to effectively call the shots when it comes to the benefits package offered to them.
"In a tight labour market like ours, much of the power already sits with the candidates," said Sumner.
"But these roles that are notoriously hard to fill could prove especially lucrative for ambitious jobseekers looking for a new challenge."