Readers Write: Seven HIT Talent Trends to Watch in 2017

Seven HIT Talent Trends to Watch in 2017
By Frank Myeroff

Here are seven talent trends that are shaping the HIT workforce.

1. C-level title of chief robotics officer rises. Expect more than half of healthcare organizations to have a chief robotics officer (CRO) by 2025. Since healthcare is an industry where robotics and automation play a significant role, the CRO will have a similar status to that of the CIO today within the next few years. The CRO and their team will manage the new set of challenges that comes with Robotics and Intelligent Operational Systems (RIOS). They will translate how to use this technology and how it is linked to customer-facing activities, and ultimately, to organizational performance.
2. Talent raids to acquire HIT leaders. Top-tier HIT talent is a core factor in the success of any healthcare organization. Yet there is an insufficient talent pool from which to acquire IT leadership. This labor shortage is causing those on the front lines to talent poach from other healthcare organizations. Right now, the competition for highly qualified and experienced leaders is at an all-time high due to several factors including an underinvestment in leadership development and tighter operating margins that influence workforce strategies.
3. Videoconferencing for telehealth grows in popularity and jobs. While not exactly new, videoconferencing is gaining popularity in healthcare due to the advances in HIT infrastructure and communication as well as the need to serve the aging population and those residing in remote areas. Healthcare practitioners are increasingly adopting these interactive video applications to offer better access to healthcare as well as deliver improved patient care at reduced prices. Additionally, patients are finding benefits to using this real-time, two-way interaction since it enables healthcare providers to extend their reach of patient monitoring, consultation, and counseling. The most popular HIT professionals sought after in videoconferencing are implementation specialists and telehealth directors.
4. Burgeoning cybersecurity job market. Healthcare organizations of all sizes are in the hunt for skilled cybersecurity professionals. Just about every day there’s a story regarding a data breach incident within the healthcare industry. Many of these incidents could be attributed to unfilled cybersecurity jobs. Since the current demand is greater than the supply, a career in this sector can mean a six-figure salary, job security, and upward mobility. The cybersecurity industry as a whole is expected to grow from $75 billion in 2015 to $170 billion by 2020, according to Forbes.com. In addition, the demand for the cybersecurity workforce is expected to rise to 6 million by 2019 with a projected shortfall of 1.5 million.
5. Working remotely fully takes off. Working from anywhere and at any time will become a normal every day thing. By 2020, it is expected that 50 percent of workers in the US will be working either from home or another remote location. Having virtual employees is not only a way to get things done round the clock, without commuting, and with hard-to-find skill sets, but is also a way to meet the needs of employees who don’t live near the organization.
6. Boomerang employees more common. Boomerang employees are employees who leave an organization only to return back to that same employer sometime later. Rehiring these former workers are on the rise. With HIT talent at a premium, it only makes sense. HIT Managers know that hiring back someone they know is easier than recruiting new blood plus it saves money on training and development. In addition, there’s an immediate ROI.
7. 3D technology careers wide open. Everyone is talking about 3D printing these days. It is expected to be the top medical innovation in 2017 for the reason that it could change everything for transplants and prosthetics through customization. As the 3D industry continues to evolve in 2017, the job market is wide open. In fact, jobs are appearing faster than candidates can be recruited. Young HIT professionals, especially software developers, should see this market as having huge potential for beginning a new career.

Frank Myeroff is president of Direct Consulting Associates of Cleveland, OH.