Data center operations are growing more prolific with each passing year. As society becomes more digitally driven, one challenge looms large: staffing shortages. Digital transformation is accelerating across industries, causing the demand for skilled data center personnel to surge, vastly outpacing the supply of qualified candidates. With an estimated 2.3 million full-time roles needed by 2025, data centers are grappling with how to bridge this gap.
The strategic solution of using third-party services is an approach that can address the increasing talent scarcity while introducing a wealth of benefits for operators. Here’s why data centers are struggling and how managed services can help.
The challenge of in-house staffing
Data centers face a daunting challenge when recruiting and retaining skilled technicians. As a result, many are finding it harder to maintain a well-rounded, capable in-house team to manage their operations.
The primary issue lies in the limited talent pool available for skilled professionals. As digital transformation continues to sweep across industries, the demand for qualified personnel has skyrocketed, creating intense competition among operators. This fierce competition — coupled with the specialized skill set required for data center management — makes it increasingly difficult to find (and keep) the right talent.
Industry growth is another critical issue. With millions of full-time roles needed in the next few years, data centers are encountering more barriers to entry for new candidates. The industry’s stringent requirements — including certifications and expertise in cutting-edge technologies — can deter potential hires. As they do, staffing shortages persist.
Advantages of managed services for data center staffing
With staffing being a prevalent challenge, it’s important to consider alternatives to in-house hiring. Managed services offer numerous benefits to not only address staffing shortages but also enhance operational efficiency:
- Simplicity and ease: Instead of dealing with the complexities of recruitment and the ongoing maintenance of in-house teams, data center operators can rely on a dedicated managed service provider (MSP) to handle staffing needs.
- Operational scalability: Data centers can swiftly adjust staffing levels based on changing requirements, eliminating the need for permanent, fixed teams and their associated costs.
- Expert knowledge access: By partnering with an MSP, data centers gain access to a pool of experts with a diverse range of skills and experiences. This expertise is invaluable for tackling complex challenges, implementing best practices, and staying at the forefront of industry advancements.
- Cost efficiency: Through a third-party partner, organizations can reduce expenses associated with space, power, cooling, equipment, and labor. This cost optimization is achieved through economies of scale, as MSPs consolidate resources across multiple clients.
- Avoidance of large-scale investments: Significant upfront investments in personnel are not necessary with managed services. This approach is particularly beneficial for data center startups or conglomerates looking to expand.
Incorporating managed services into a data center staffing strategy is not a short-term solution but a transformative approach that can revolutionize operations by delivering increased efficiency and flexibility in a rapidly growing industry.
Specialized on-site staffing services
Data centers are crucial pieces of modern infrastructure and demand knowledgeable oversight and management. If you’re planning to work with an MSP, it’s essential to partner with experts capable of delivering top-level solutions. You want a trusted partner — not a contractor — to manage your mission-critical data center operations. The best partners become integral parts of a data center’s operational team and have expertise that extends to all aspects of data center management, including tasks like running cables, installing security systems, and ensuring the seamless operation of infrastructure components.
Your chosen partner should have a commitment to operational excellence and a track record of establishing client relationships that alleviate staffing gaps over the long term. This perspective aligns with the evolving needs of data centers, where staffing stability and consistency are vital for uninterrupted service and maintaining the highest standards of security and performance.
Don’t let staffing become a shortfall
Data center operators must recognize managed services as more than an effort to fill key roles. They offer the chance to partner with a provider capable of injecting operational efficiencies, expert knowledge, and innovative problem-solving into the environment. With a trusted partner like USNet, data centers can pivot from staffing challenges to opportunities for growth and enhanced service delivery at a time when both are paramount.
