Mission Critical Recruitment Key Skillsets for 2023

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Mission Critical Recruitment Key Skillsets for 2023

Gareth Johnston • January 10, 2023

As 2023 arrives upon us, we expect to see another year of demand for skillsets within the data centre sector outstrip supply.

With aggressive levels of construction in Sydney and Melbourne continuing, and project work in less traditional cities starting to take off (eg. Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide), data centres remain a true beacon of opportunity for ambitious, career-focused individuals who want to work in a dynamic and innovative industry.

Although skills across the board are in demand, these are the 5 main skill sets that we expect to be recruiting heavily for in Australia this year.

Business Development Managers

Although good BDM’s will always be in demand across the board, we are seeing a particular requirement within the equipment supplier space.

With so many project opportunities out there, vendors and manufacturers are seeking the technically minded business developer who can bring some of those opportunities to their doorsteps, who can help to guide and deliver winning tenders and build those key relationships to propel their businesses to the next level.

If you are a Business Development Manager within the data centre space and you’d like to have a chat with us in confidence, please contact us here.

HVAC and Refrigeration Technicians

Of course, the data centre industry relies on a variety of cooling equipment, usually industrial-sized in nature. Due to the critical nature of that equipment, Technicians are required to operate and maintain – both from a Facilities Management and a hands-on Service Management perspective.

In addition, if you have any knowledge and experience in programming HVAC/Chiller control systems then this will be a bonus as equipment becomes increasingly automated.

In Australia in particular, HVAC & Refrigeration is a key skillset across the board, so the data centre industry does find itself in fierce competition for these people in other industries.

If you are an HVAC & R Technician, the data centre industry may be a preferable option for you is that it offers a clean environment with the highest levels of procedural and process management you could wish to find. Cooling technology is also quickly evolving as the importance of energy efficiency continues to increase.

If you would be interested in exploring new opportunities in this sector, please contact us here.

Building Services and Commissioning Engineers

During the construction of data centres, the implementation of building designs into an actual live facility that functions efficiently is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Skilled Building Services and Commissioning Engineers make sure that the designs are fit for purpose and that the data centre is built as intended, within all relevant timescales and cost parameters. Most importantly, they ensure that the finished building is suitably robust and that all backup systems work as they should.

As already noted, data centre construction activity is high, which in turn means that these Engineers are highly sought after at present.

If you have a strong knowledge of electrical, mechanical, and control systems or similar along with a high appreciation of how these systems all work together in an environment with high uptime requirements, then you may be well suited for this type of role. Of course, you must love being on site. If you’d like to chat with us in more depth, please contact us here.

Facilities and Operations Managers

With the number of data centres in Australia being historically low, it does mean that staff with the experience of managing this type of facility are in short supply. Even those that have been managing data centres for a few years may not necessarily have been exposed to the sheer scale of the new data centres which are coming online.

With that in mind, we expect to see the majority of new hires for FM’s this year either come from internal promotions or from outside of the industry. So, if you are an FM or Engineering Manager from an industry with high power requirements, and high uptime requirements, then data centres could be worthy of your consideration. Examples may include Oil & Gas, Petrochem, Healthcare, Aviation, Mining, Pharmaceutical, and Power Stations.

If you would like to chat with us about Facilities Management roles in the data centre industry, please contact us here.

Mechanical Consulting Engineers – Principal and Associate levels

Historically, we have always found it slightly harder to recruit Mechanical Design Engineers in the data centre sector than electrical. In 2023, this promises to be no different. In particular, we are seeing a dearth of experienced talent around with around 10-15 years level of experience, i.e. Principal and Associate Level Engineers.

As Engineers approach that level, the expectation of your skillset is that you are evolving from a strong detail design engineer to one who can lead projects, build and maintain long-lasting client relationships, present effectively and have a strong level of commercial acumen. If you feel that you are approaching that level then opportunitymay well arise for you in 2023.

From a transferable skillset perspective, if you have experience designing large, industrial-scale cooling systems for sensitive environments, the data centre industry could be worth exploring. Furthermore, if you have demonstrated an ability to innovate and enjoy working on fast-paced, innovative projects, then this may be even more reason for you to get in touch.

If you’d like to have a chat with us about this role type in 2023, please contact us here.

Summary

If you are looking for your next step or you are looking to hire candidates with the above skillsets, contacting the team here at Mission Critical is the best option.

We also have plenty of experience in interviewing candidates across Australia and the Asia Pacific and determining if they’re the right cultural fit for our client. Let us know if we can help.

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Are you paying your team enough? Money talks regardless of market conditions, and with the cost of living increasing, you can bet that salary is now the primary consideration for candidates and employees. As data centre recruitment in Australia is a niche and highly competitive market at the best of times, this is a question every employer must pay attention to. Several factors are placing upward pressure on construction salaries: the economic environment, record employment growth in the sector, and a strong pipeline for data centre projects that require specialist skill sets. Approximately 183,000 square kilometres of data centre construction is currently underway in Australia, according to CBRE data , with future growth linked to the rise of AI applications and gaming clouds. General inflation is also starting to bite. In 2023, the Avdiev Report forecasts salary increases between 1-5% slated for 70% of roles in the property sectors (including construction and project management), with pay rises of 6% and above for 30% of jobs. We’ll highlight the significant signs you’re not paying your team enough and what steps to take to avoid underpaying your employees. The Company Is Frequently Out Bid on Job Offers Does your organisation often find itself about to bring a candidate over the line with a shiny new job offer, only to find out at the eleventh hour that the candidate has chosen another role? Whether or not the candidate cites salary as the reason for turning down the offer, chances are that salary was the deciding factor. This proper preparation can help you avoid stumbling into this trap. Before recruitment starts, run a benchmarking exercise to compare the company’s salaries to the market average (or median), and what competitors are likely paying. If you need to argue for increasing salary budgets for critical roles, being armed with this data will help you make it. To access more in-depth salary trends that aren’t online, engaging an agency specialising in data centre recruitment in Australia will help. Recruiters are regularly privy to a range of relevant job descriptions, along with job offers and counteroffers, all of which are rich sources of market intelligence. Low Interest In Advertised Positions One of the common signs that you’re not paying your team enough appears at the front end of the recruitment process. While not all talent attraction challenges are linked to salary, pay does become critical wherever demand for specific skills or positions is high, and supply is limited. If your company would like more applicants for roles but isn’t finding them, consider whether your job ads have enough detail. Including the salary range in job ads can encourage more qualified people to apply while acting as an effective screening tool. Emphasising other perks, such as bonuses and non-salary benefits, is also essential for attracting good talent. Overall, it’s sensible to highlight the company’s generous remuneration and other great reasons to work there. Candidates will always compare positions based on competitive compensation and opportunities for growth. Staff Retention Is Poor Has the front door started to swing so much that it’s revolving? Poor retention can have more than one cause, but any uptick in resignations is a warning light that usually calls for evaluating current salaries. If employees are exiting the business within months of starting a new role or are being headhunted, these could be signs you’re not paying your team enough. Have your employees' roles and responsibilities evolved since their initial hiring? If their duties have expanded significantly without a corresponding salary increase, they are likelier to embrace a new role and score an instant pay rise. Word Is Getting Around If gossip about the company’s apparent stinginess is reaching the ears of management, that’s a vital clue that remuneration may be misaligned with the market. Rather than allowing negative talk to start driving away employees, getting in front of these concerns as quickly as possible is better. Listening to employee concerns and taking notes is a wise place to start addressing this issue. Employee satisfaction surveys and one-on-one conversations will help you gauge sentiment about salaries. These conversations can support pay reviews and help you take necessary steps to avoid losing valuable employees. Summary So, are you paying your team enough? While the answer can make managers uncomfortable, it’s always worth asking! Regularly reviewing pay and understanding trends influencing construction salaries will help you build loyal teams and spend less time on recruitment. For expert help with finding the right talent, salary advice and retention strategies, you may contact the friendly team at Mission Critical. As leading specialists in data centre recruitment in Australia, we can help you solve your talent problems and devise a pay strategy that ticks all the boxes. Check out our latest report here for in-depth salary trends relevant to data centre hiring.