System upgrade required: IT employees need to upgrade their skills to survive the digital wave

As time passes by, more and more Indian IT firms are focusing on surfing the digital wave, and because of this, there is an increase in the number of employees, afraid that they would be washed-up by constantly changing and developing technologies.

Even though it can’t be denied that 80% of the business comes from older technologies, experts are still of this opinion that this is all set to shrivel and IT people have to upgrade their skills so that they can stay relevant.

However, some people with specific skill sets that would be out of use would surely have to look for options either within their companies or outside. In April, Wipro official had stated that automation, artificial technology and greater efficiency through digital technology would be reducing the headcount of these companies by 30% in the coming three years. This would most probably happen either through attrition and redeployment to technologies of higher value.

From their end, IT companies are spending crores of rupees so that they can train their employees with new skills, but even the companies tend to naturally pick those who have the desired talent and an aptitude for coding.

"Companies usually invest in upgrading people who are technically very sound. Those who have been mediocre at coding and development, have to change roles into areas like pre-sales, business management or project management, which are a mix of functional and technical skills," Alka Dhingra, assistant general manager at Teamlease, told ET.

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