The Future of the IT

Workforce
WHO, WHAT, WHY WHEN?
G a g e A n d r e w s , I S D i r e c t o r, S n o h o m i s h C o u n t y, WA

425-388-3703 :: GageAndrews@Snoco.org

The future workforce will create dynamic

work groups as the need arises

Many people in the future workforce began

with a deep immersion in electronic gaming

The future workforce is hooked on

mobile technology

The future workforce uses short messages,

imagery and social media to communicate
Would Albert Einstein have
taken this self portrait on
Instagram?
Would e=mc2 have been a
Tweet?

People age 16-24 spend 27 hours a week

online
The average adult (older
than 24, apparently) spends
more than 20 hours a week
online.
This total includes time spent
online at work.

The average college student spends 93

minutes a day texting.
Fortunately, they only spend
38 minutes a day driving.
How many of you have to
text someone so that they
will take your phone call or
read your email?

The profile of tech support will be

different in the future workforce

Technology is now part of everything

Who will do the future jobs and what will

the future jobs be?

Is your current workforce balanced? Is it

ready for the future?
My technical organization is:
100% over the age of 30
11% female

22% have a technical certification

54% are within 8 years of retirement
94% Microsoft centric
100% are on two or more social media
34% have mainframe skills

What expectations do we have of the future

workforce? What expectations do they have?
Is the future workforce comprised of leaders
or loners?
Are they building a career or building a
resume?
Do they value their quality of life more than
work?
Are they self-motivated or do they need
constant recognition?
What do we as employers value? How do you
things overlap?

ITs greatest asset and greatest risk is and

always will be
our
people

How do we find, accommodate and

retain the future workforce?
1. Look in new places
2. Adjust your organization

3. Embrace diversity
4. Become more mobile

5. Create new jobs

6. Work differently

Revising the dress code is not enough

What will get in the way of the future

workforce?
Entrenched culture
Entitlements
Single points of failure
Public Records Laws
Fear of change
Excessive controls
Being too slow

What changes will make your workplace

more attractive to the future workforce?
1. Flex hours
2. Define deliverables, not
tasks
3. Have lots of places to
collaborate

4. Embrace new tools

5. Secure things differently

Redefine
mobility
Create a remote work
plan that works
Make the whole campus mobile-enabled
Go to the customers, see their problems
Develop better collaboration tools

Create new opportunities

Encourage self-defined or self-selected projects
Adapt to fluid teams
Promote from within
Offer time to learn - and to practice - new skills
Pose the I know we cant, but if we had to? questions
Pay attention to peoples life and career goals
Set the right priorities family/life comes first

Plan to have fun

Fun is spontaneous.
Planning for fun is an
oxymoron, like a giant
shrimp

Enabling people to have fun

does require planning, until it
becomes part of the culture.

My own checklist for the IT transition

Look everywhere or people
internships, teaching opportunities at
community colleges, vendors, high
schools, social media, ex-military , Comic
Con, hackathons

Make your work place compelling

easy commute, quality of life, innovative
technology, public service, diverse
customers, mentoring, flex schedules,
remote work, center of excellence,
concerts on the Plaza

Recognize and reward innovation

awards for new tools, best adaptions,
most creative, best team, best
development, closest partnerships, most
innovative solution. Be the shadow IT

Respect your people

frequently acknowledge extra efforts, out
of the box solutions, pure determination,
customer relationships, team roles, skills
practice, comparative analyses

If this is true, are magicians the future of

the IT workforce?

For questions and suggestions:

Did you ever have a great boss? What made the relationship great? Do that.

Gage Andrews
IS Director

Snohomish County, WA
425-388-3703
GageAndrews@Snoco.org