Application modernization has become a priority for many organizations, but a major hurdle is overcoming talent shortages. Organizations may seek to modernize their legacy applications because they are aware they can’t find the skills to maintain them, or they may uncover they lack the expertise necessary for the emerging technologies they’re planning to adopt.

The problem is that software tools and technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace, with many developers forced to constantly reskill to stay modern and relevant. At the same time, many organizations have legacy applications that rely on technologies with diminishing talent pools.

Read on to learn more about finding software talent and strategies for overcoming the skills gap for application modernization.

The Challenges with Finding Software Talent

The demand for skilled professionals has exceeded the talent pool in the software industry for a long time, but this is especially true for legacy technologies and emerging technologies. This has created a talent gap for organizations that want to modernize legacy applications.

Most organizations modernizing their applications want to adopt the latest technologies, whether it’s AI, cloud native, or microservices. However, the most popular tools, frameworks, and programming languages related to these technologies are constantly changing. The developers that do gain experience in these emerging technologies are in high demand, making it difficult for organizations to hire candidates with the most current and relevant expertise.

In addition, it’s challenging for many organizations to find experts in the legacy technologies they still rely on. Developers entering the industry tend to focus on the latest programming languages and frameworks, leaving fewer developers knowledgeable in certain legacy technologies each year. This means the developers that do specialize in legacy technologies are often more difficult to find and costly to hire.

For these reasons, companies struggle to obtain the talent necessary to maintain and modernize legacy systems while adopting the latest technologies. This can lead to lengthy and costly modernization projects that impact the organization’s ability to innovate and remain competitive.

Ways to Address the Skills Gap for Application Modernization

Addressing the skill gap requires many different tactics, from investing in existing developers and finding ways to hire relevant talent to reducing the burden on in-house teams using emerging technologies and outside consultants.

• Investing in training programs: Give developers opportunities to enhance their skills through workshops, courses, and hands-on training sessions focused on emerging technologies. This not only improves the capability of existing team members, but also makes them more likely to stay with the company longer. Training and retaining developers is much easier and cost-efficient than recruiting and onboarding new developers.
• Forming relationships with educational institutions: Talent acquisition teams often struggle to find candidates with specialized skills and experience. By collaborating with universities and coding bootcamps, organizations can build a pipeline of developers with up-to-date skills and knowledge. This includes recruiting recent graduates from these institutions as well as implementing internship programs to connect with upcoming talent.
• Leveraging automation and AI: Embracing automation tools and AI-driven solutions can help improve the productivity of software teams. In fact, AI can help with optimizing legacy system performance, automating manual tasks, and enhancing various aspects of the modernization process.
• Partnering with external experts: Depending on the expertise required, it may not be practical to handle everything in-house. External consultants can help fill the gap and bring their experience from other projects and client engagements. This means an experienced partner can provide access to niche skills and accelerate the pace of modernization initiatives.

Bridging the Technology Skills Gap with AHEAD

Talent shortages aren’t new, but the approaches organizations take to overcome them are constantly evolving. Training programs and deep relationships with education institutions are mainstays for fostering and obtaining specialized skills, while AI and automation are an emerging solution to application modernization.

In addition, organizations should consider partnering with an enterprise technology expert like AHEAD to complement their existing talent. Our transformation services can help you modernize your applications and infrastructure so that they’re more reliable, resilient, and secure.

We have in-house expertise across all key areas of application modernization and digital transformation, from development and data to security and infrastructure. This ensures you have access to all the technical talent necessary to successfully deliver modern digital platforms that lead to positive business outcomes.

By partnering with AHEAD, you can accelerate your modernization efforts, reduce technical debt, and futureproof your systems. Contact us to learn more about our transformation services to design, build, and implement modern enterprise solutions.