Posted: April 2nd, 2015

Employability and Consulting Skills

Employability and Consulting Skills

Introduction

The subject of employment has become one of the most discussed concepts in management. This emanates from the argument that employees in firms form one of the most important assets of organizational production and performance. Of great importance in the discussion of this subject are the skills that are needed by employees so as to fit in different industries. The technology industry is one of the most dynamic industries in the world (Rasul & Puvanasvaran, 2009). This denotes that the industry needs employees with dynamic skills and abilities. This paper thus discuses employability in the technology industry. The paper brings out various skills as well as abilities that are needed for people working in the industry. The paper also discusses about employee sustainability in the technology industry.

As mentioned in introductory remarks, the technology industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. This is because of the high level investments in innovation in the industry so as to come up with technologies that backs the operation of other industries. The demand from other industries for technology services denotes the need for growth and expansion of the industry. This can seldom happen without the employment of people to help people the industry to growth levels that will enable it to sustain the demand from external industries. The industry is marked with a lot of changes or developments for example the information technology industry which highly embraces innovation. Because of the nature of the technology industry, there is often a continuous need for skilled employees in the industry. However, in most cases, a gap often remains in the industry because of the features of available employees and the requirements of best suited employees in the industry. In most cases, the technology industry is being argued to be facing a crisis because most of the employees in the industry are aging. While this is so, firms in the industry are finding it hard to get suitable employees to replace the aging employees. Perhaps, this is a pointer to the fact that the industry is important, yet complicated (Spiezle, 2005).

The industry requires people who have technical skills and who are well experienced to execute tasks effectively. This implies that the fresh people seeking employees in the industry are least eligible for employment opportunities that prevail in the industry. However, firms operating in the technology industry are realizing that a problem looms if they fail to bridge the employee gap that is widening. One of the means used in doing so is by identification and of employees who have skills and potentialities form the industry. These skills and potentialities are enhanced while employees continue to gain on-work experience. This is what guarantees growth of the industry.

Modern human resource management which is being embraced in almost all industries emphasizes on both technical and personal skills and competencies of employees. This is because of the fact that no industry is seclude and no employees can achieve without cooperation or help from other employees. In as far as technical skills are critical in the technology industry, interpersonal skills and developments are equally important because they facet the application of the technical skills in work. The technology industry is marked with a lot of work sections which determine the skills needed by those people working in specific sections. Intra and inter-personal competencies are however applicable in the entire industry.

According to Phillips & Edwards (2009) the technology industry is competitive in nature and need people who have high self-drive and motivation. Research shows that most firms are looking for employees who have high level of self-motivation and who drive initiatives independently. The motivation begins with the acquisition of technical skills required in the industry through learning. This means that the employees should have academic qualifications denoted in courses that are undertaken in institutions of learning. This shows the ability and potential of the employees to work thus forming another important feature of employees being sought for in the technology industry. The technology industry keeps changing, thus, employees working in the industry ought to have the capacity or ability to change with the industry. The employees must be keen to learn so that they can easily adopt and adapt the changes in the industry. Learning is the precursor to the improvement or upgrading of skills to meet the new demand in skills. Learning as an ability of employees working in the technology industry enables the employees to advance their skills while working.

Communication is another important skill that is desirable of employee working in the technology industry. Good technological practices and outcomes are in most cases dependent on coordinated communication between and among developers in the industry. Most technologies are developed through projects. These projects are composed of team of project workers. The level at which these project teams work together, determines the outcomes of the projects. All the team members have to know how to use both the technological language and the normal communication which keeps the group at per and focused on the objectives. Some projects run for longer periods of time which calls for development and the subsequent sustenance of positive relations for positive coordination thence positive project outcomes. Technology projects are also marked with lost of consultations and guidance which point to communication. Therefore, communication is one of the core competencies of people who are seeking to work in the technology industry and must be factored in the selection process of employees (Hager & Holland, 2006).

Flexibility is also one of the qualities that inform the selection of employees in the technology industry. Due to dynamism and continuous changes that are taking place in the industry, employee need to be able to adjust and in most cases perform more than a single role. This aids firms to keep pace with the changes that often occur in the industry. This also acts as a cost cutting measure for companies in the technology industry (Baukens, Bollérot & Weinert, 2001). As they seek to be innovative and adapt to changes in the industry, companies keep working on different projects. The more they get employees, who can work on multiple projects, the more they will be innovative and minimize on costs of hiring more employees to work on projects. Companies need employees who can be assigned with new tasks at close intervals and who will be able to deliver on both tasks assigned to them.

Conclusion

The technology industry is a very dynamic industry due to the expectations and demand of the products from the industry by the greater economy. Therefore, employees seeking to work in the industry must possess technical skills as well as intra and inter-personal competencies to enable them to meet the work demands of the industry. Most of the skills and abilities of employees required in the technology industry revolve around keeping pace with the frequent changes which is a key characteristic of the industry.