IT Talent Gap Is Fueling Tech Investment Decisions

IT talent acquisition challenges are now heavily influencing technology investment decisions, according to new research from Salesforce's MuleSoft.

The 2022 IT Leaders Pulse Report reveals that almost three quarters (73%) of senior IT leaders agree that acquiring IT talent has never been harder, and nearly all (98%) respondents say attracting IT talent influences their organization's technology investment choices.

The report also shows that today's IT leaders are using technology to create more people-centric experiences for their employees and customers. The majority (86%) of senior IT leaders now say the experience an organization provides its employees and customers is as important as its products and services, and four out of five respondents agree that improved customer-facing (86%) and employee (85%) technologies are critical for their organization to compete.

"Shifting economic headwinds are making technology even more fundamental to success across every part of the business, including sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT," said Matt McLarty, Global Field CTO, MuleSoft. "As IT leaders struggle to fill roles to support this additional demand, the traditional playbook is in question. Today's IT leaders must look instead to broader, company-wide process improvements, through automation, that foster innovation, enhance user experiences, and drive efficient growth."

IT Talent Acquisition Pressures Are Shaping Technology Investment Decisions

Almost nine out of ten (87%) senior IT leaders agree investing in people is hugely important. As a result, the majority of respondents plan to invest in improving IT employees' wellbeing (82%) and upskilling (78%), both of which are ahead of increasing IT headcount (68%), over the next 12 months. The report shows:

■ The "Great Resignation" has created skills gaps across IT: Nearly all (98%) of senior IT leaders say that the "Great Resignation" has created skills gaps in their organization's IT function, primarily within IT and solutions architecture (60%), and cloud and infrastructure management (45%).

■ Organizations are embracing automation and self-serve initiatives: Many senior IT leaders are turning to automation and self-serve initiatives to address the growing skills gap. Across industries, 58% of organizations are automating tasks and processes, and 53% are empowering non-technical employees with automation tools to meet their own needs.

Success Depends on Tech-Enabled Experiences

Organizations are realizing the importance of creating positive employee experiences to attract and retain talent after the Great Resignation. This type of exceptional experience is also expected for customer interactions.

■ Experiences become increasingly important: 86% of senior IT leaders agree that the experience an organization provides is as important as its products and services.

■ Customer experience is critical: 86% of senior IT leaders agree that improved customer-facing technology is critical for their organization to compete.


■ Employee experience is critical: 85% of senior IT leaders agree that improved employee technology is critical for their organization to compete.

■ IT leaders are being measured on user experience: More than half are now evaluated on employee productivity (52%), while many are also measured on cost reduction and optimization (50%), customer experience (48%), and employee experience (46%).

Process Improvements Foster Innovation and Efficiency

While creating experiences is crucial, a people-centric IT and business strategy needs efficient processes to succeed. More than half of IT leaders (54%) think that working processes between IT and business teams could be significantly improved. The report also showed:

■ Existing IT processes are a bottleneck: Nine out of ten (91%) senior IT leaders say that existing IT processes are hindering productivity. Process challenges are also reported to negatively impact innovation (91%), technology adoption (92%), customer experience (92%), and employee experience (93%).

■ Process improvements are high on the agenda: Almost half (46%) of senior IT leaders say that making process improvements is a major priority for their organization over the next 12 months.

■ Fusion teams for process efficiency: A majority of respondents are looking to create fusion teams to improve processes and address process-oriented challenges. Fusion teams are multi-disciplinary teams that blend workers with technology, analytics, or domain expertise and who share responsibility for business and technology outcomes. More than two-thirds (69%) of organizations have created or are in the process of rolling out fusion teams, and 22% plan to do so within the next 12 months.

Notably, of organizations with fusion teams already in place, 63% of senior IT leaders say these teams have been very effective in helping the business meet its goals.

Automation and Low- And No-Code Tools Drive Efficiency and Enhance User Experiences

Empowerment and enablement through technology drives business growth, and organizations are using best-of-breed technologies to create new customer and employee experiences. While this strategy can increase agility, four out of five (81%) senior IT leaders agree that this approach means that their organization struggles with IT complexity. What's more:

■ Integration headaches remain: The majority of senior IT leaders believe data or system integration projects take too long (66%) and are too expensive (69%). At the same time, more than two-thirds (68%) recognize that a lack of data or system integration creates a disconnected customer experience. Consequently, nearly all (98%) senior IT leaders say that new investments are influenced by a tool's ability to integrate with existing technology.


■ Companies are embracing low- and no-code tools: Many senior IT leaders are turning to low- and no-code tools to enable business users to build and test new experiences. Almost all organizations (96%) currently use low- and no-code tools and 36% plan to increase their use over the next 12 months.

■ Automation maturity is growing, but there is room for improvement: Many organizations have implemented automation to enhance customer experiences and product quality. Two-thirds of organizations (67%) have either mostly or fully automated their IT operations, and many have introduced similar levels of automation across other business functions — including customer support (59%), finance (60%), marketing (58%), sales (56%), and HR (55%). However, fully automated processes remain quite low — with an average of 23% of organizations saying they've been able to achieve this across business functions.

"The current economic climate leaves IT leaders no choice – they have to do more with less. The tools are there to empower more users to become digital builders, and help their organizations grow while improving efficiency. By automating processes where feasible, leaders can realize value faster and accelerate innovation," McLarty concluded.

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IT Talent Gap Is Fueling Tech Investment Decisions

IT talent acquisition challenges are now heavily influencing technology investment decisions, according to new research from Salesforce's MuleSoft.

The 2022 IT Leaders Pulse Report reveals that almost three quarters (73%) of senior IT leaders agree that acquiring IT talent has never been harder, and nearly all (98%) respondents say attracting IT talent influences their organization's technology investment choices.

The report also shows that today's IT leaders are using technology to create more people-centric experiences for their employees and customers. The majority (86%) of senior IT leaders now say the experience an organization provides its employees and customers is as important as its products and services, and four out of five respondents agree that improved customer-facing (86%) and employee (85%) technologies are critical for their organization to compete.

"Shifting economic headwinds are making technology even more fundamental to success across every part of the business, including sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT," said Matt McLarty, Global Field CTO, MuleSoft. "As IT leaders struggle to fill roles to support this additional demand, the traditional playbook is in question. Today's IT leaders must look instead to broader, company-wide process improvements, through automation, that foster innovation, enhance user experiences, and drive efficient growth."

IT Talent Acquisition Pressures Are Shaping Technology Investment Decisions

Almost nine out of ten (87%) senior IT leaders agree investing in people is hugely important. As a result, the majority of respondents plan to invest in improving IT employees' wellbeing (82%) and upskilling (78%), both of which are ahead of increasing IT headcount (68%), over the next 12 months. The report shows:

■ The "Great Resignation" has created skills gaps across IT: Nearly all (98%) of senior IT leaders say that the "Great Resignation" has created skills gaps in their organization's IT function, primarily within IT and solutions architecture (60%), and cloud and infrastructure management (45%).

■ Organizations are embracing automation and self-serve initiatives: Many senior IT leaders are turning to automation and self-serve initiatives to address the growing skills gap. Across industries, 58% of organizations are automating tasks and processes, and 53% are empowering non-technical employees with automation tools to meet their own needs.

Success Depends on Tech-Enabled Experiences

Organizations are realizing the importance of creating positive employee experiences to attract and retain talent after the Great Resignation. This type of exceptional experience is also expected for customer interactions.

■ Experiences become increasingly important: 86% of senior IT leaders agree that the experience an organization provides is as important as its products and services.

■ Customer experience is critical: 86% of senior IT leaders agree that improved customer-facing technology is critical for their organization to compete.


■ Employee experience is critical: 85% of senior IT leaders agree that improved employee technology is critical for their organization to compete.

■ IT leaders are being measured on user experience: More than half are now evaluated on employee productivity (52%), while many are also measured on cost reduction and optimization (50%), customer experience (48%), and employee experience (46%).

Process Improvements Foster Innovation and Efficiency

While creating experiences is crucial, a people-centric IT and business strategy needs efficient processes to succeed. More than half of IT leaders (54%) think that working processes between IT and business teams could be significantly improved. The report also showed:

■ Existing IT processes are a bottleneck: Nine out of ten (91%) senior IT leaders say that existing IT processes are hindering productivity. Process challenges are also reported to negatively impact innovation (91%), technology adoption (92%), customer experience (92%), and employee experience (93%).

■ Process improvements are high on the agenda: Almost half (46%) of senior IT leaders say that making process improvements is a major priority for their organization over the next 12 months.

■ Fusion teams for process efficiency: A majority of respondents are looking to create fusion teams to improve processes and address process-oriented challenges. Fusion teams are multi-disciplinary teams that blend workers with technology, analytics, or domain expertise and who share responsibility for business and technology outcomes. More than two-thirds (69%) of organizations have created or are in the process of rolling out fusion teams, and 22% plan to do so within the next 12 months.

Notably, of organizations with fusion teams already in place, 63% of senior IT leaders say these teams have been very effective in helping the business meet its goals.

Automation and Low- And No-Code Tools Drive Efficiency and Enhance User Experiences

Empowerment and enablement through technology drives business growth, and organizations are using best-of-breed technologies to create new customer and employee experiences. While this strategy can increase agility, four out of five (81%) senior IT leaders agree that this approach means that their organization struggles with IT complexity. What's more:

■ Integration headaches remain: The majority of senior IT leaders believe data or system integration projects take too long (66%) and are too expensive (69%). At the same time, more than two-thirds (68%) recognize that a lack of data or system integration creates a disconnected customer experience. Consequently, nearly all (98%) senior IT leaders say that new investments are influenced by a tool's ability to integrate with existing technology.


■ Companies are embracing low- and no-code tools: Many senior IT leaders are turning to low- and no-code tools to enable business users to build and test new experiences. Almost all organizations (96%) currently use low- and no-code tools and 36% plan to increase their use over the next 12 months.

■ Automation maturity is growing, but there is room for improvement: Many organizations have implemented automation to enhance customer experiences and product quality. Two-thirds of organizations (67%) have either mostly or fully automated their IT operations, and many have introduced similar levels of automation across other business functions — including customer support (59%), finance (60%), marketing (58%), sales (56%), and HR (55%). However, fully automated processes remain quite low — with an average of 23% of organizations saying they've been able to achieve this across business functions.

"The current economic climate leaves IT leaders no choice – they have to do more with less. The tools are there to empower more users to become digital builders, and help their organizations grow while improving efficiency. By automating processes where feasible, leaders can realize value faster and accelerate innovation," McLarty concluded.

Related Links

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The Hidden Data Engineering Work Required to Make Enterprise AI Viable

If AI is the engine of a modern organization, then data engineering is the road system beneath it. You can build the most powerful engine in the world, but without paved roads, traffic signals, and bridges that can support its weight, it will stall. In many enterprises, the engine is ready. The roads are not ...

Why AI Is the Differentiator for Operationally Resilient Organizations

In the world of digital-first business, there is no tolerance for service outages. Businesses know that outages are the quickest way to lose money and customers. For smaller organizations, unplanned downtime could even force the business to close ... A new study from PagerDuty, The State of AI-First Operations, reveals that companies actively incorporating AI into operations now view operational resilience as a growth driver rather than a cost center. But how are they achieving it? ...

Escaping Pilot Purgatory: How AI Becomes an Operational Advantage

In live financial environments, capital markets software cannot pause for rebuilds. New capabilities are introduced as stacked technology layers to meet evolving demands while systems remain active, data keeps moving, and controls stay intact. AI is no exception, and its opportunities are significant: accelerated decision cycles, compressed manual workflows, and more effective operations across complex environments. The constraint isn't the models themselves, but the architectural environments they enter ...

Closing the Gap in Modern Tech and the Tools Meant to Monitor Them

Like most digital transformation shifts, organizations often prioritize productivity and leave security and observability to keep pace. This usually translates to both the mass implementation of new technology and fragmented monitoring and observability (M&O) tooling. In the era of AI and varied cloud architecture, a disparate observability function can be dangerous. IT teams will lack a complete picture of their IT environment, making it harder to diagnose issues while slowing down mean time to resolve (MTTR). In fact, according to recent data from the SolarWinds State of Monitoring & Observability Report, 77% of IT personnel said the lack of visibility across their on-prem and cloud architecture was an issue ...

MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Podcast - Episode 23: NetOps Labor Shortage

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Why FinOps Rewrote Its Mission and What It Signals for Technology Management

Technology management is evolving, and in turn, so is the scope of FinOps. The FinOps Foundation recently updated their mission statement from "advancing the people who manage the value of cloud" to "advancing the people who manage the value of technology." This seemingly small change solidifies a larger evolution: FinOps practitioners have organically expanded to be focused on more than just cloud cost optimization. Today, FinOps teams are largely — and quickly — expanding their job descriptions, evolving into a critical function for managing the full value of technology ...

Clearing the Path to AI: Why Vendor Consolidation Matters Now

Enterprises are under pressure to scale AI quickly. Yet despite considerable investment, adoption continues to stall. One of the most overlooked reasons is vendor sprawl ... In reality, no organization deliberately sets out to create sprawling vendor ecosystems. More often, complexity accumulates over time through well-intentioned initiatives, such as enterprise-wide digital transformation efforts, point solutions, or decentralized sourcing strategies ...

Cold Data, Hot Problem: Why AI Is Rewriting Enterprise Storage Strategy

Nearly every conversation about AI eventually circles back to compute. GPUs dominate the headlines while cloud platforms compete for workloads and model benchmarks drive investment decisions. But underneath that noise, a quieter infrastructure challenge is taking shape. The real bottleneck in enterprise AI is not processing power, it is the ability to store, manage and retrieve the relentless volumes of data that AI systems generate, consume and multiply ...

Observability at a Crossroads: AI, Economics, Complexity and the Enduring Power of Open Source

The 2026 Observability Survey from Grafana Labs paints a vivid picture of an industry maturing fast, where AI is welcomed with careful conditions, SaaS economics are reshaping spending decisions, complexity remains a defining challenge, and open standards continue to underpin it all ...

Explainability Is the New Battleground in AI-Powered Observability

The observability industry has an evolving relationship with AI. We're not skeptics, but it's clear that trust in AI must be earned ... In Grafana Labs' annual Observability Survey, 92% said they see real value in AI surfacing anomalies before they cause downtime. Another 91% endorsed AI for forecasting and root cause analysis. So while the demand is there, customers need it to be trustworthy, as the survey also found that the practitioners most enthusiastic about AI are also the most insistent on explainability ...