During the opening keynote of Dreamforce 2019, VP of Trailhead Evangelism and Senior Director, Leah McGowen-Hare, said it’s the responsibility of the tech industry to ensure there is inclusion and opportunities for everyone. Leah’s speech really resonated with the team at Third Republic. Her thoughts mirror our own values and beliefs when it comes to the future of careers in tech – specifically within the Salesforce ecosystem.
“As a tech industry we’re constantly innovating and this is developing new professions,” she said. “And if the tech industry has the freedom to innovate, they also have the responsibility to create. Create pathways that are accessible by everyone.
“It’s going to take all of us to close the skills gap. It’s going to take all of us together to change the ratios in tech.”
Pathways to success
As we all know the Salesforce ecosystem is expanding at an incredibly fast rate, with predictions for 1.6 millions jobs expected to be added to the Americas by 2025. And with all these new jobs, there comes more career opportunities.
In order to keep up with demand for these professionals, we need to work on closing the, very real, skills gap that is present at the moment. As Leah explained to achieve this, it’s going to take all of us – from business owners to business admins and of course, specialist headhunters like ourselves.
We need to work with each other and our future pipeline of talent to close the gap and change the current ratios that we are seeing in the world of tech. We need to reach out and ensure that these pathways to success are open and accessible for everyone.
The ecosystem that changes lives
Co-CEO Keith Block took the stage to give a shout out to the strong Salesforce community that is growing every day. Block noted that everyone who is a part of the ecosystem is contributing to a thriving community that’s creating global job opportunities. “Thank you for inspiring and motivating us for over 20 years. What we’ve created together is incredible.
The audience were then introduced to Salesforce consultant, Sheldon Simmons. A man who transformed his life with Salesforce. Sheldon went from sleeping in his car to now, providing for his family. “When I got that first badge, I realised, I can do this. So I decided to go all in, and it’s paid off.”
Stories like Sheldon’s demonstrate how digital transformation is completely changing the way we live. Whether it’s people re-skilling in technology (at any age or stage in the lives), or a company transforming how they interact with customers, we are all adapting and finding new pathways to success.
Transformation is vital
Another thing that was mentioned in the keynote was the importance of the transformation of all businesses, no matter the industry. It’s important because we’re living in a world where digital and technology are, not only, changing the way we live but the ways we interact with one another. Many factors affect the way businesses operate
• The trust revolution: People have lost trust in almost all companies they do business with. Societies no longer trust companies with their personal data or that they are contributing to make this a better world.
• The intelligence revolution: Everything we use is smarter than ever before, driven by data and artificial intelligence. Smarter and faster experiences are something all customers have come to expect.
• The customer revolution: Customers are more connected by technology, empowered to buy from trusted companies, work for ethical companies, and to take action through their decisions.
Today’s companies need to adapt to accommodate all of these factors – this includes the recruitment industry. We must add value to our candidates and clients and be flexible based on their needs, or risk losing business and getting a bad name. It’s not easy to deliver on changing customer expectations – but Trailblazers are doing that every day.
If you’re looking for your next dream role in Salesforce, get in touch with one of our specialist consultants today.
