The Information Technology (IT) sector has experienced significant growth in Spain in recent years, and Statista projects an annual growth rate of 7.28% between 2023 and 2028. However, this expansion has also highlighted a new challenge: a shortage of qualified specialists to fill the numerous vacancies in the market. Additional figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE) indicate that the unemployment rate in the IT sector is significantly lower than in other professional fields, further underscoring the lack of available specialists. Project managers,
industrial engineers
, electrical engineers,
software engineers—
the shortage of qualified talent in the technology sector has generated high demand for professionals with specific skills and knowledge, leading to fierce competition to attract and retain the best candidates. As observed in the study conducted by Spain DC, Barcelona leads the interconnection market with 24 MW of installed capacity, and the data center sector is expected to experience a 43% annual growth rate in Madrid. Undoubtedly, the human resources teams in technology companies face a significant challenge.
“The sector is becoming increasingly decentralized, and in addition to the continued fierce demand for professionals in the Community of Madrid, we are also seeing a significant increase in regions such as the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Zaragoza. These areas are growing rapidly and becoming key players in the sector's activity,” says Eva Requejo, HR Manager for Spain and Portugal at Vertiv.
An opportunity for talent search and recruitment
Although the shortage of IT specialists presents a year-round challenge, the summer season is often a unique opportunity for companies seeking to recruit talent, as candidates take advantage of their free time to continue or expand their training and to seek new professional challenges.
Similarly, the end of the semester presents an opportunity for companies to find recent graduates seeking their first work experience, as they are more open to considering new opportunities during this period. In this regard, Vertiv has launched its “Vertiv Next Generation” program, which aims to bring young graduates—in mechanical, industrial, and electrical engineering, among other fields—into the sector without experience, so they can train and grow with the company.
“Vertiv Spain currently has multiple open positions, ranging from Product Managers and field technicians to application engineers and telemarketing roles. We manage applications globally and have a zero-discrimination policy, regardless of the candidate's age, background, or nationality,” says Eva. “In fact, in our ongoing efforts to promote diversity, we are actively seeking to increase female representation in technical positions, but this is also proving to be a challenge because there are still few women in the sector.”
Strategies to address the shortage of IT specialists
To address the shortage of IT specialists, companies are adopting various internal strategies that encourage employee initiative, promoting advancements and international mobility, targeting candidates who already possess knowledge and experience within the company. Furthermore, a program has been implemented to encourage internal referrals from current employees to assist in filling vacant positions. These strategies contribute to employee retention and are a good indicator of engagement.
“So far in 2023, 23% of vacancies at Vertiv have been filled by internal promotions,” Requejo confirms.
Training is another key pillar for retaining talent. Vertiv offers continuous and accessible training programs regardless of your position within the company. This initiative is especially important for field engineers, who receive ongoing training to keep pace with the constant innovation and new developments in their work.
Eva Requejo concludes: “Although it may sometimes seem that all industries shut down in the summer and that activity drops significantly, this is not the case for the human resources department. The summer season and even into autumn are key when it comes to attracting talent and improving competitiveness in the technology market.”
