Staffing Challenges in Critical Data Center Infrastructure Projects

Data centers are an increasingly important part of the technical ecosystem. The information running through these centers make it possible to access important documents and family photos from the devices in our pockets. Data centers are an important part doing business in the 21^st Century. 

And while these centers represent how we operate in the future, they still have some to the same challenges that have always plagued business; finding people to hire.  

The difference with data centers, however, is that the people needed to run these locations require skills that are in high demand across most business sectors. There are three general challenges to staffing data centers: 

• Talent shortage 

• Retention 

• Aging workforce 
  

  

Talent Shortage 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in computer and information technology will grow by 21 percent from 2021 to 2030. It’s difficult understand the need for tech workers when the industry has been going through high levels of layoffs in 2025. According to trueup.io, more than 170,000 people have been laid off in the past year. 

With so many layoffs in the tech industry over the past several years, it would seem that there would be an abundance of talent available for data centers. In some ways, this is true, but the reasons given by recruiters and data center operators is that while there are willing workers, the skills needed are in short supply. The advancements within technology have outpaced the training time needed for a qualified workforce. 

Retention 

Once you find a skilled, quality employee you want to hang onto them. Or so the thinking goes. 

However, some companies forget, or are unwilling, to assure their top talent stays put. While the easy answer might be to pay your employees more, the top answer, according to Indeed.com, is that workers need to feel valued and challenged. Other top reasons workers leave a company is confusion about whether a company cares about its employees, changes in responsibilities, work environments, and a positive work-life balance. 

Surveys have indicated that company culture is a large factor in staying on a job. 

Aging Workforce 

In general, the workforce in the tech industry skews younger with a conception that older workers are perceived to not understand the challenges of the changing tech landscape. Some older workers will leave the industry on their own, but others are forced out due to ageism. Studies have shown that those over age 40 represented about 56 percent of the tech industry workforce in 2014. That number had dropped to 52 percent in 2022. 

The perception that older workers are not welcomed in IT fields has led to older workers leaving the industry sooner. The results in valued skills and institutional knowledge walking out the door. It also leads to a dearth of mentors for younger workers. 

Solutions to Staffing Challenges 

For every challenge, there is a solution. This is true for data center staffing as much as anything else. To overcome some challenges, however, sometimes you have to cater your solutions to the problems. 

There are many ways to approach staffing issues, with the most important being worker compensation, there are some things data center owners can do to address staffing challenges: 

• Training 

• Innovative recruitment 

• Focus on retention 

• Outsourcing  
  

Training 

While specialization is important in some aspects of data center operations, a center owner would benefit in training employees in more than one field. Workers who are skilled at more than one trade are valuable to any organization. Not only do managers have a skilled employee who can complete more jobs, multi-skilled employees have a better understanding of the context of a workplace. 

Almost employee survey in any industry finds that one of the things employees value most is opportunities for training and certifications. 

Innovative Recruitment 

When the demand for quality workers is high, it follows that finding those people will be more difficult. Everyone is looking for highly skilled candidates, which can make it difficult for a company to stand out. 

Recruiters know the usual places to find talent, such as online job boards and professional organizations. The savvy recruiter, though, will look for innovative approaches, such as combining marketing with recruitment or taking a more aggressive “sales” approach to attracting candidates. 

Focus on Retention 

Once you recruit workers, you want on hang on to the good ones. Surveys suggest that compensation and benefits are important to people, but it is more effective if employees feel valued and challenged. 

Outsourcing 

Over the past decade, outsourcing has earned a bad reputation as an excuse for companies to fire local workers to get cheap ones from overseas. Many companies still see this as an effective way to reduce costs. 

For our purposes, though, outsourcing refers to the use of any third-party company handling a task for a company. For staffing data centers, this implies more of contracting a company to find the employees, or manage the center. 

There are many challenges in staffing data centers with quality candidates, and there are just as many solutions to overcoming those issues. With a vibrant recruitment department and a commitment to a positive corporate culture, companies can overcome challenges and find the right people. 

Critical Energy Infrastructure Services (CEIS) is a nation-wide leader in providing safety and quality assurance for the data center industry. Contact Corey Englebrake at 505-220-3022 or corey.englebrake@ceis.com for more information and start the process of making your project safer.