INDEC turned on a new light during the government of Mauricio Macri: unemployment exceeded 10%, the highest rate in 13 years. Paradoxically, most of the companies that are transiting their digital transformation do not find enough professionals to fill positions in key positions.
The projections of the World Economic Forum reaffirm the trend: in the next few years, 133 million new roles will emerge adapted to the division of labor between humans, machines and algorithms.
Thus, the demand for experts in totally new disciplines will be accelerated, based on the use of the latest technologies: artificial intelligence and machine learning, big data, information security, process automation, user experience, interaction design between machines and Human, robotics and blockchain.
"The incorporation of technology in the workplace is replacing routine and standardized tasks. While this process puts at risk the employment of large numbers of people, in turn it will lead to new roles and knowledge. These are occupations that today are not there are, "María Fernanda Álvarez Apa, People & Change consulting manager at PwC Argentina, tells iProUP.
As for the current labor market, experts observe that two totally opposite realities intermingle: the suspensions and departures of unqualified personnel due to the recessive scenario and, as a counterpart, the high demand for talents, to the point that firms do not achieve cover those positions with ease, particularly those in the IT segment.
However, this present has begun to show some variations. Maximiliano Schellhas, general director of Staffing of Randstad, argues that progressively begins to see a slight improvement in labor demand.
"Since last year we saw a fall in skilled employment, which had its floor between April and May, and now we notice that slowly the curve started to take another course," he says.
In his vision, "the drop in consumption has revived searches for the commercial and sales areas." Other items that also show greater dynamism, Schellhas adds, are the field and the agribusiness.
In another order, the demand for profiles linked to the so-called Knowledge Economy and ICT has remained firm.
As for the financial sector and fintech, they are increasingly seeking more searches, as well as energy: "Everything that is Vaca Muerta continues to maintain its good pace since last year," he says.
On the retail, automotive, auto parts and construction side, things do not look as good as in the cases just mentioned: "Since last year there has been a significant recession and recession," said María Andrea Langman, director of the Bachelor of Business Administration. HR from the CAECE University.
In return, it indicates that there are more active industries in which the demand for qualified professionals is growing more and more, such as agriculture, new technologies and energy, both renewable and non-renewable. Miguel Alfonso Terlizzi, president of Hucap, agrees that the sectors that are generating the greatest demand for personnel include agriculture, mining, technology, finance and banking.
Personnel Wanted
For Javier Minsky, CEO of Virtualmind, it is no longer new that technology evolves faster than companies and users can adapt.
"They changed work skills, design and production processes and even forms of consumption. All this impacts fully on organizations that must, some before others, migrate to the digital to adapt to the new demands and needs of each segment "he points out.
According to data from Freelancer.com, the professionals that are emerging as the most wanted in the medium term are those who are trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) because they are the ones that best adapt to the innovation and can assist companies in their digital transformation.
"Within the organizations, according to their core business, engineering, the most technical areas of IT and commercials are looking for senior profiles with experience in business development, strengthening business relationships and sales of tangible and intangibles," says Jimena Ferreño, Director of Talent Recruiters.
For its part, Mauro Forchino, Customer Success at Workana, comments that the most requested profiles on that platform are linked to the digital marketing and IT segment.
Difficulties
According to the Randstad executive, the fact that many companies require certain profiles that they find very difficult to achieve, far from being a circumstantial inconvenience. Rather, consider it a fundamental problem.
"We are not getting to cover what they are asking us. If we do not work together companies, government and people to train workers, I see very little chance of reversing the situation," he warns.
According to Adecco, the most scarce profiles include commercials, in particular with knowledge of the digital market (24%), technology (22%) and specific positions in production (21%)
With regard to the selection and hiring of qualified personnel, companies find it difficult to incorporate developers (55%), technicians (48%) and programmers (45%). The greatest difficulties are related to the lack of technical knowledge, lower level of experience than requested and higher salary expectations than those offered.
According to Prince Consulting, this year the need for ICT human capital will be 12,900 positions but the offer will barely reach 9,500, so the unsatisfied demand of the order of 3,500 positions.
"It is very difficult to meet companies that are not thinking or going through the digital transformation," adds Schellhas, which, necessarily, forces them to require profiles with digital knowledge that are scarce in the market.
Franco Schillagi, CEO of Accion Point, states: "The complicated positions to find are developers, programmers, analysts and middle managers for the implementation of the core banking platform. It is also difficult to find people who dominate the new technologies, as augmented reality. and artificial intelligence, among others, "he completes.
"The role of companies is essential to counteract the shortage of talents. They have to understand the needs and expectations of candidates when they want to incorporate them," says the CAECE directive.
In case of finding the "ideal profile", the Hucap manager warns of another inconvenience: "Their remuneration or working conditions (telecommuting, WorkLife Balance, etc.) generate distortions in the internal salary equity".
Valentina González, HR Manager of SnoopConsulting, argues that the sectors with technical collaborators linked to high technology are the most requested. "More specifically, profiles targeting DevOps, Data Science and UX."
"Engineers, programmers, developers and technical specialists of all levels of training are among the 10 most difficult positions to fill, according to the latest report from the Chamber of Software and Computer Services Companies (CESSI)," the spokesperson for VirtuaMind.
While Ferreño, from Talent Recruiters, provides another difficult figure: professionals in heavy industries, energy and related to the oil and gas industry.
"We see real difficulties in the search for profiles with experience in operations in unconventional deposits, a specialty in which our country is just beginning to train professionals for a maximum of 5 years. The same applies to renewable energy," he reveals.
The future
Carla Cantisani, Director of Services of Adecco Argentina, proposes to iProUP that from the companies "it is important to be willing to hire and develop profiles with less than the required expertise and accompany them in their training".
At this point, Carlos R. Stella, Human Capital Director of VU agrees: "Companies have a leading role in the formation of resources. We are leading initiatives such as VU University, with which we seek to train in technology and cybersecurity together with universities and technical colleges We are also part of programs, such as Digital Talent, promoted by the Secretariat of Modernization, "he completes.
Looking ahead, Javier Minsky, CEO of Virtualmind, points out: "There is no doubt that engineering careers are the ones with the greatest future."
"The labor market will be given by acquiring technological skills necessary to access new forms of business that generate digital transformation. The interrelation between the human and technology and the new ways of conceiving work will have to adapt to changing scenarios," he summarizes Langman, from CAECE.
In the coming years, the positions with the greatest demand revolve around certain axes that cannot be ignored: energy, technology, bioengineering, automation, digitization and data. We will have to be prepared.
