We’ve previously discussed the Salesforce talent gap in this blog, but I want to take a step back and identify the friction between potential employees and employers. We know that the Salesforce ecosystem is growing at an incredible rate, with over 9.3M jobs projected to be created in the ecosystem worldwide by the year 2026 according to a recent report by IDC. Add in the fact that employers in the education and nonprofit spaces are in perpetual competition with the salaries and benefits offered by for-profit companies, and it becomes clear that the demand for quality top-tier Salesforce talent is competitive, to say the least.
The amazing thing about Salesforce is that the platform is surrounded by innovation. We’re seeing new products, features, and functionality released on a consistent basis. To stay ahead of the curve, those working within the ecosystem are looking for employers who will nurture their desire for continued learning and help propel their careers forward.
Employers, on the other hand, are looking for proven success managing the platform. You’d be hard-pressed to find even an entry-level Salesforce position that doesn’t require at least 2 years of relevant experience. Free resources offered by Trailhead and other platforms are accelerating theoretical knowledge but do not provide the hands-on experience employers are looking for.
So, given these modern intricacies, how can employers best attract top-tier talent with the hands-on experience required for organizational success? And how can employers do so quickly in the face of rapidly increasing competition?
Talent as a Service (TaaS)
Talent for Good provides the nonprofit and education spaces with a Talent as a Service (TaaS) program ready to solve employers’ hiring challenges by providing vetted, trained, specialized Salesforce system administrators on a contract-to-hire basis. Similar to traditional contract-to-hire, Talent for Good will allow you to sustainably staff your Salesforce orgs with access to the right candidates, with the right knowledge base and experience, to fill staffing needs and complement existing staff.
Talent for Good takes incredibly bright apprentices with demonstrated technical aptitude, relevant work experience, and a desire to learn and puts them in an intensive, 3-month training program. During those three months, apprentices learn the platform, industry-specific products/use cases, consulting methodology, and consulting soft skills. At the conclusion of the program, apprentices are Salesforce certified and ready to be embedded in your organization.
The Value of Talent as a Service (TaaS)
Whether to nurture a new implementation or accelerate a new Salesforce project, Talent for Good customers are seeing the value of a TaaS staffing strategy, including:
- Concerted Recruitment Efforts: Our outreach brings in thousands of applications and invests our energy in hiring the absolute best of the best. Consider the number of resources, both in terms of time and money, poured into the typical hiring process. Our staff takes on the burden of posting, interviewing potential hires, and running background/reference checks.
- Proven Training and Talent Development: In addition to the intensive training Talent for Good cohort members undergo initially, Cloud for Good also provides ongoing training targeted towards technology, applications, and consulting. Every apprentice also has access to the vast network of subject matter experts at Cloud for Good, saving your team time on nurturing and answering questions.
- Business Continuity: Apprentices commit to 2 years with Cloud for Good upon joining Talent for Good. This retention period helps facilitate a strong bond between employer and apprentice so that the apprentice will join the client full time upon program completion. If for any reason there needs to be a change in apprentice, Cloud for Good will facilitate that need. This ‘stickiness’ helps eliminate the cost associated with turnover. The US Department of Labor suggests that the cost of a bad hire is up to 30% of that employee’s salary. That means if you pay your Salesforce admin $75,000 annually, it can cost you over $22,000 each time you need to replace them.
- Industry Knowledge: Cloud for Good trains our apprentices on nonprofit and higher education technology stacks and business. These are not just Salesforce system administrators, these are lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and admins with experience and skills relating to the direct needs of our clients.
- Ongoing Mentorship: Through access to Cloud for Good’s robust library of resources and templates, our team of Goodies as mentors and thought partners are here to help facilitate the success of Talent for Good apprentices as they go on to make an impact in the nonprofit and higher education spaces.
Talent for Good Talent as a Service helps customers get the most out of their technology by providing them with qualified talent ready to fill any full-time need. We ensure that the Talent for Good apprentice is adding value to our clients, and we support both the employer and the apprentice in building a lasting relationship throughout the apprenticeship and beyond.
If your organization is in need of Salesforce system administrators and is currently experiencing difficulty finding the right person, contact us today to learn more about Talent for Good.
