Our client from an IT systems vendor kicked things off with a word of warning: “Could be a tricky position to fill.” After all, they were looking for a service manager with a great deal of practical experience, a passion for service architecture and design in the multi-cloud environment, and the requisite sales skills to establish a firm link between customers and the company from an early stage. At the same time, we were working on another commission for a client from a managed service provider who required a senior service manager to migrate their service delivery from a classic IT outsourcing model to a hybrid cloud model. The new hire was also expected to use their consulting prowess to show customers that it was worth foregoing certain services in order to ensure a higher level of platform-supported operating quality.
The requirements for both roles clearly deviated from classic job profiles in the field of service management. Thanks to the technical possibilities afforded by cloud computing and the ongoing industrialization of IT, a whole host of IT services that were previously handled at in-house computer centers can now be outsourced. These changes have triggered the need for enhanced skill sets and updated job profiles in order to meet the demands of complex multi IT provider structures.
“Whereas a particular group of roles including incident, problem, and change managers were in very high demand just a few short years ago, we are now increasingly witnessing the creation of new positions such as service architects, hybrid cloud consultants, and supplier managers,” notes Markus Wagener, who predominantly works with clients in IT outsourcing and cloud computing. “Whatever the level of technical ability, ITIL always serves as a key benchmark in this regard. When searching for executives and professionals, a sizable proportion of the candidates we now speak to are certified ITIL Experts.”
This trend towards diversification is set to continue: Having scheduled an initial release of ITIL 4 for early 2019, AXELOS is currently coordinating its development efforts with a substantial global team of architects, consultants, trainers, managers, and recruiters. “We anticipate that this will generate a further raft of new roles and responsibilities,” explains Martin Jall, who has successfully filled a great many vacancies for IT service management software companies and providers, as well as in the field of internal company IT. “But how exactly will this impact our job profiles and skill sets – and what kind of changes will result from ITIL 4?”
At PRIMEPEOPLE, we are already addressing these issues through regular discussions with expert bodies such as the itSMF (IT Service Management Forum) and our network of leading consulting organizations in the service management sector. “In this era of ever-changing requirements, simply copying existing vacancy notices is not going to get the job done,” says Jall. “Instead, we work together with the responsible staff at our various clients to ensure that the content of our job profiles matches these evolving roles. This helps us gain a realistic impression of current requirements in the multi-faceted world of service management. As a leading IT personnel consultancy and the interface between clients and candidates, it is imperative for us to keep up with the very latest developments.”
Within the scope of our career consulting services, we talk to candidates about how they can further their skills in the face of new and changing requirements.
Do you have any questions or proposals relating to the impact of ITIL 4 on job profiles and skill sets? Feel free to get in touch – we look forward to a fruitful exchange of ideas.
