If you make hiring decisions in the high-tech industry, you need to have your finger on the pulse of technological advancement. It just so happens that ATR International has the privilege of working in this exciting sector every day. Technology helps businesses surge forward into new eras of possibility, and it primes the pump for further innovation. In short, it’s all about progress, a concept you understand fully as someone responsible for building capable tech teams.
High tech still needs workers to grow (contrary to what some headlines might suggest). It’s true that some of the largest high-tech companies have experienced reductions in workforce, but even these giants are ramping up contract work to keep pace. Combined with the developer shortages cited all over the country, it’s more important than ever to find a staffing partner who can get the talent you need when the time is right.
ATR wants nothing more than to make your job a little easier. That’s why we’ve prepared this high-tech industry trends report to help you understand the three hottest trends in high tech right now. We’ll also reveal the specific roles that can help put these innovations within reach at your organization.
Let’s take a look at three upcoming waves of the future—and the talent you’ll need to keep them rolling.
Applied AI
Who doesn’t want to make better, more informed decisions? Or have the seemingly magical power to fix things before they break? That’s the essence of applied AI, which looks to improve our ability to solve complex problems, automate activities, and see trends on the horizon before others do. It’s a wide-reaching technology with almost limitless applications, and the sector is poised to grow by $113.6 billion US by 2023.
Not long ago, AI was limited to controlled experiments, allowing programs to beat chess champions or cars to navigate obstacle courses. Since then, applied AI is harnessing the heuristic possibilities of machine learning, where the technology can interact with and shape every situation in the real world.
Nearly every sector ATR works with appears poised to benefit from applied AI, including aerospace, IT, finance, and many more. Regardless of industry, there are particular skills that are essential for your tech teams as they implement applied AI in a responsible and effective way.
For starters, you’ll want to find engineers that can use TensorFlow, an end-to-end machine learning platform that enables the implementation of best practices for data automation, model tracking, performance monitoring, and model retraining. It’s the gold standard for teaching your AI program to ethically do what it needs to do.
Familiarity with neural networks will also come at a premium. This science-fiction-tinged concept is a method of teaching computers to process data in a similar way to the human brain. As you can imagine, it’s a highly specialized practice that will require some of the field’s top talent. If done correctly, your applied AI systems will feel less like a machine and more like a trusted coworker who understands your needs.
Real-World Applications for Applied AI
JP Morgan Chase uses applied AI to make documentation smarter, identifying the most critical information from lengthy text sources to cut back on manual operations and improve workflow. Far less time is spent perusing complicated legal and technical documents, a wearying process that can lead to human error—and expensive consequences.
Alibaba, the world’s largest e-commerce platform, uses applied AI to predict what customers want, automatically generating descriptions for those products through natural language processing. The online behemoth is all but sentient at this point, and its profitability is incredible.
Top 3 Roles in Applied AI
- Big Data Analyst
- Projected 2023 Salary: $140,000
- UX Designer/Developer
- Projected 2023 Salary: $120,000
- Natural Language Processing Engineer
- Projected 2023 Salary: $190,000
Advanced Connectivity
We’re all familiar with the speed and power of 5G connectivity, so it should come as no surprise that 6G is right around the corner. Also included under the umbrella of advanced connectivity are wireless low-power networks, low-Earth-orbit satellites, and other technologies that aim to streamline every conceivable aspect of business and daily life. With a greater number of advanced devices requiring more data throughput, higher spectrum efficiency, a wider blanket of coverage, and other advancements, it looks like laying the foundation for a more connected world will be an employment boom for some time. Growth in this sector from networking equipment alone is expected to hit $65.8 billion by 2023.
Once again, this trend appears poised to affect most if not all the industries ATR works in. If you’re building a tech team in the healthcare industry, you’ll want to look for coders who can ensure connectivity between patients and the new IoT devices that will soon monitor—and in some cases diagnose—their chronic health conditions from home.
Organizations in all industries will benefit from technicians who get up to speed quickly on Wi-Fi 6, the next generation of wireless internet. Sometimes referred to as “industrial Wi-Fi,” this platform promises higher throughput, more controllable quality of service, and security that’s on par with cellular networks.
Real-World Applications for Advanced Connectivity
Thales is currently using low-Earth-orbit satellites to create a 5G non-terrestrial network meant to blanket the globe in wideband data access. This could solve myriad connectivity problems felt the world over, from substandard internet access in rural areas to tracking capabilities for criminal investigations that fall on remote terrain.
More famously, Elon Musk’s Starlink technology provides reliable internet access to embattled Ukrainian troops on the ground. The high-speed, low-latency service runs on the world’s largest constellation of highly advanced low-orbit satellites, providing needed bandwidth to keep in touch.
Top 3 Roles in Advanced Connectivity
- Network Architect
- Projected 2023 Salary: $150,000
- Network Security Manager
- Projected 2023 Salary: $175,000
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator
- Projected 2023 Salary: $90,000
Web3
We’ve all seen the disinterested monkey NFTs by now. While it may seem far-fetched at the moment, Web3’s promise of a decentralized internet is very real and on its way to our devices. The open standards and protocols inherent in Web3 are already paving the way for more secure digital-ownership rights and business models that, just yesterday, were inconceivable. Based on blockchain or other distributed ledger technologies, everything from personal identification to fair distribution of music royalties will benefit from a more robust, protected pipeline of information. It all comes down to taking control of the assets that matter most to us, digital or otherwise.
The capital being invested in the space—not to mention the engineering talent it’s attracting—can no longer be ignored. In fact, the sector is expected to grow by an almost unbelievable $6 trillion by 2023. One Web3-related skill that’s sure to start appearing on your radar is experience with Solidity, a programming language developed by the minds behind Ethereum, the world’s second-largest blockchain platform behind Bitcoin. Solidity enables developers to create, deploy, and audit smart contracts, which ensure that terms and conditions of almost any agreement imaginable are met and verified. As the internet (hopefully) becomes a more trustworthy and transparent place, these developers will be indispensable in blazing the trail that gets us there.
Additionally, while the Metaverse may not be a very appealing place yet, many futurists still maintain that virtual and augmented reality platforms will soon be everyday applications. A tech team looking to thrive in a Web3 world will be able to develop solutions on all of the latest AR/VR frameworks, including three.js, babylon.js, A-Frame, and others.
Real-World Applications for Web3
The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has already given many of its members the green light to use various blockchain technologies to empower overseas transactions, bringing safety and efficiency to a traditionally clunky transaction.
Numerous start-ups are working to take virtual team meetings beyond the usual video calls. Imagine strapping on a headset before your company’s next quarterly review and visiting a virtual office space that knows no limits in terms of design. By some estimations, that’s a possibility in the near future.
Top 3 Roles in Web3
- Blockchain Development Engineer
- Projected 2023 Salary: $180,000
- Full-Stack Engineer
- Projected 2023 Salary: $115,000
- Solidity Developer
- Projected 2023 Salary: $160,000
Your Hiring Future Starts Now
With our modern lives increasingly dependent on tech, the IT industry shows no signs of slowing. We hope this snapshot of the hottest tech trends (and the roles that make them possible) leaves you with a fresh perspective on how our world is growing more and more connected—and more complex.
Only 13% of employers are able to hire and keep the tech talent they need most, according to a recent survey by Bain. Now more than ever, it’s critical to team up with a staffing partner who keeps a steady watch on the horizon of tech and the talent that helps it thrive. To look away now would be to miss the next breakthrough development for your business!