Finding a solution to expert shortage requires a change in thinking
The shortage of expert developers is bound to span over generations says the Rocket’s CEO Juha Huttunen in an interview with Ite wiki – read the whole article below, the original text was published here.
There is a chronic and growing need for software developers, and no solution has yet been found to the problem. According to a 2021 survey by Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA, there is a shortage of about 9,000 experts in the software industry, and the number is growing by about 200 people every year.
The shortage can be considered significant in the Finnish context. Considering that in 2018 the software industry employed approximately 53,000 people in Finland according to the Finnish Government, a shortage of 9,000 experts would mean a shortfall of more than 16%. Now that the problem has become chronic, solving it becomes more difficult by each passing year.
“As the digitalisation of different industries continues, companies will need to employ more and more software developers, either directly or indirectly,” says Rakettitiede’s CEO Juha Huttunen, who has been involved in the software industry since the 90s.
Distorted perceptions behind the expert shortage
One of the reasons for the shortfall can be attributed to the distorted perceptions people have of the software industry and the work of software developers. Perceptions have a direct negative impact on the industry and decrease its attractiveness.
One of the negative perceptions is related to the daily work tasks carried out in the software industry. Many may think that mechanical coding work is the only type of work the industry can offer, which can make the industry seem tedious to those considering it. In reality, many of the industry’s projects require creativity and problem-solving skills.
“If you are interested in logical and creative problem solving, programming can be your thing,” Huttunen says.
On the flipside, the image of the sector has also been sometimes glorified. In films, for example, coders are often depicted as ‘superhumans’, which can shape young people’s perception of the demanding nature of the work. This may lead to the industry appearing unattainable to many potential coders.
In addition, one major problem in terms of attractiveness is the masculinity that has long characterised the industry. The gender distribution has been skewed for decades.
“A large part of the age group is lost due to the established gender distribution,” Huttunen says.
Coders undervalued in terms of money
The labour shortage is also promoted by salaries in the industry. Since the future salary is a decisive factor for many young people who are weighing their degree options, the attractiveness of the field could benefit from being able to show future coders that the work they do is also valued in financial terms.
According to Huttunen, the salaries of software developers do not increase in tandem with the productivity and perceived benefits of the work.
“A coder can be involved in building software that is then sold for millions or even billions of euros,” Huttunen explains. He says this should be reflected more clearly in the compensation of software developers.
Especially in Finland, the salaries of software developers are relatively low compared to other Western countries. A more auspicious salary trend would therefore be one part of a potential solution to the labour shortage.
The salaries of software developers do seem to be on the rise if we compare the salary surveys of Koodiklinikka and Ite wiki. In the salary survey conducted by Koodiklinikka in October 2022, the average salary of a software developer was 5,326 euros per month, while in the salary survey conducted by Ite wiki in 2019, the average monthly salary of a software developer was only 4,222 euros.
The shortage is not solved overnight: the change will take years
There is no short-term solution to the shortage of experts in the IT sector. Instead, the change process will take place in the course of generations. However, there are some concrete solutions for tackling the shortage, which approach the problem from the perspective of society, on the one hand, and the point of view of companies, on the other.
From a societal point of view, it would be important to improve the overall attractiveness of the sector, which can be achieved through changing the perceptions related to the industry. A foundation for the perceptions should be created as early as in comprehensive school.
“Teaching algorithmic thinking and logic from primary school onwards could benefit the field,” Huttunen says. This would help young people gain a real understanding about what programming is actually about.
From the point of view of the company, the most important thing is to keep programming work meaningful for current employees. People who enjoy what they do are unlikely to leave the industry.
In addition, companies’ contribution to employee satisfaction promotes a change in society’s perceptions. Satisfied employees carry on the positive message, which is important from the viewpoint of the expert shortage, especially so when these people convey the message to their own children. If a child’s coder parents return home happy and healthy every day and have time to be present for their child, a career in programming is sure to fascinate the child later on in life.