As the Pandemic subsides, Connecticut businesses are struggling to find workers. Information technology personnel are especially scarce in the Nutmeg State. Fortunately, colocation services can help address these shortages.
Hard to Find and Retain Workers in Connecticut
A recent survey conducted by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association found 81% of employers in Connecticut said they are having difficulty finding and retaining workers. Employees with critical IT skills are particularly hard to come by. In fact, the Connecticut Department of Labor reported there were 1,100 fewer Information Industry Sector workers employed in our state in October 2021 than there were in October 2020.
There are several theories about why so many people have not come back to work since the Pandemic began. It was initially believed extended government benefits enabled some people to delay returning to work. Those benefits ended in September. The number who have not returned to work remains higher than expected so government income support does not fully explain current labor shortages.
The Benefits of Working From Home
Another theory is people got used to the benefits of working from home after working remotely for many months. Those who work at home can provide some level of care for children and other family members. Home workers also save the cost and time associated with commuting to and from work. In Connecticut where child care and senior care services are expensive and where commuting times of an hour or more are not unusual, the value of working from home is especially high. Those who work at home can also save money on meals and clothing and can run a load of laundry while working.
Finally, Connecticut has an older population than most other states. With a median age of 41.1 years, the state is tied with Delaware as the sixth oldest in the nation. Older employees are more likely to be able to retire and may have decided to do just that after working from home during COVID.
How Colocation Helps
Colocation makes it possible for companies to reallocate some IT infrastructure tasks. Skilled IT professionals at the colocation data center assist with IT system installation and configuration. They can set up automatic failover communications services to assure internet availability. Colocation providers also employ a variety of tools to continuously monitor power and environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Security is monitored 24/7/365 and data backup and restoral services may also be available. Remote hands services are typically also provided by colocation providers to check systems and recycle power when necessary.
By moving information technology systems to a colocation facility such as the CAPS data center in Shelton, companies can offload some of the work from their IT team. This makes it possible to get more work accomplished with fewer personnel and thus helps address Connecticut’s IT labor shortage.
In addition, by facilitating remote operations, colocation makes it possible for companies to staff their IT department off premise. This may be the difference between keeping or losing a key employee who would rather quit than give up the perks of working from home. It also will make it easier to hire additional IT professionals if the option of living outside of Connecticut is now a possibility.
