Industry leaders and experts say automotive manufacturers need to attract “more top-end talent” as they increase spending on software.
According to McKinsey, the global market for automotive software is expected to rise from $19 billion in 2019 to $50 billion annually in 2030.
The auto industry has “often failed to win over talented software engineers drawn to Silicon Valley's high salaries and fast-moving cultures,” according to experts.
The auto industry continues to be a “harder sell” for software engineers, given the extent to which the industry is “more bound by process and regulation than the tech sector.”
“It's not like there aren't a lot of great people working in this space, but compared to the density you might find in Silicon Valley or other more tech-focused industries, it's been a challenge for the auto industry.”
Some automakers have “created software divisions intended to operate with quicker timetables and fewer legacy systems, more like a Silicon Valley software company.” Those efforts have had mixed results.
Other automakers have gotten their hands on top notch tech talent through acquisitions and partnerships.
Experts say the industry should avoid “bringing in hundreds or thousands of employees simply because they need software issues addressed,” and focus instead on "luring ‘top-notch talent’ that can think through complex problems, define technology standards and motivate the hundreds or thousands of software developers in their company to follow them."
Read more via Autonews
According to a new survey commissioned by IBM, about 60% of students, job seekers and workers aiming to change careers believe they “don’t have the right academic degrees for jobs in the STEM fields.” IBM surveyed respondents across 13 countries.
In addition to the 60% of respondents who think they don't have the right degrees or credentials, 60% worry that getting those degrees or credentials “will be too expensive to earn.”
40% of respondents said the “greatest barrier to gaining more skills is not knowing where to start.”
86% of respondents who “earned a digital credential said it helped them meet their career goals, and 75% said digital credentials are a good way to supplement more traditional forms of education.”
Read more via HR Dive, IBM
Indian IT company Softgrid Computers has developed an “unusual way to ensure its employees maintain a healthy work-life balance," namely, by “creating software to remind them when their shift is up and it is time to head home.”
Here's how it works: the software is equipped with a notification system that kicks in when an employee's shift is over, warning them that the system will shut down in 10 minutes and asking them to "please go home."
Will other companies follow suit? Experts are increasingly pointing out the fact that working excessive hours has adverse health effects, and leads to increased burnout.
Read more via Reuters
According to recent report by the American Staffing Association, US job seekers “overwhelmingly prefer an in-person meeting for interviews over a virtual meeting.”
However, the report also found that more candidates of color “felt the need to modify their appearance before taking part in job interviews.”
74% of Hispanic applicants said they felt the need to change their appearance for an interview, compared to just 65% of White applicants.
Black applicants were “more likely to report feeling they need to shave their facial hair, while Hispanic applicants were more likely to feel they needed to cover tattoos,” the report found.
Read more via HR Dive, American Staffing Association
“To attract the best talent and create more inclusive workplaces, employers need to send a clear message to candidates that they are hiring based on skills and not physical appearance or dress codes from another era."