Shazamme Blog

National AI Plan could spell big year for tradespeople jobs

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:33:27 GMT

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By Simon Dux, taken from the following link: National AI Plan could spell big year for tradespeople jobs – W.Media

The federal government’s newly released National AI Plan , launched under the banner of “Empowering All Australians”, makes clear that building Australia’s AI future will require more than software and algorithms. It highlights the need to invest in digital and physical infrastructure, including data centres, and crucially, in the workforce to build and run them.

For the data-centre industry, this matters deeply. Mission Critical Recruitment data centre recruitment director Gareth Johnston told W.Media that the “talent pipeline” the government is calling for isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s critical to avoid a looming bottleneck.

Johnston points first to electricians as the trade that will see the sharpest rise in demand. As he puts it: “Electricians; due to the AI boom which will require massive power capacity. Electricians are needed to build, install and maintain the power systems, networks and all onsite electrical equipment.” Their role becomes even more central as hyperscale operators ramp up both grid connections and on-site generation to meet the intense demands of AI-driven loads.

He also notes rising demand for HVAC technicians and plumbers; not for the domestic kind of work, but specialised trades supporting large-scale cooling environments. As more operators push into high-density compute and liquid-assisted cooling to support AI inference and training clusters, data centres will increasingly rely on workers with expertise in pumps, heat exchangers, industrial pipe-fitting, and advanced cooling-loop maintenance.

Johnston emphasises that these trades will become “critical infrastructure roles” in their own right, fundamental to keeping facilities operating at safe thermal loads.

Skills shortage is real

Johnston suggests the skills shortage is already visible across construction, operations and engineering roles, even though AI-driven demand for data-centre capacity is only just beginning. “We are already seeing shortages across the board, and we are still at least a couple of years away from demand for these skillsets peaking,” he says. “I cannot foresee any possibility where the world gets even close to producing enough skilled workers to meet this demand.”

He argues that the sector risks building a pipeline of infrastructure with no matching pipeline of talent to operate it.

This gap has real operational consequences. Data-centre operators are already reporting difficulties sourcing experienced facilities technicians, design engineers, as well as service and commissioning managers – roles that require a blend of electrical, mechanical and digital competency. The pressure extends beyond recruitment and into retention. Johnston warns that without coordinated workforce development, the strain on existing workers could intensify.

He notes that overwork and understaffing risk could become embedded features of the industry, undermining both safety and long-term workforce sustainability.

Structural issue

The challenge, he argues, is not solely a hiring issue but a structural one. Australia currently lacks a clear vocational pathway tailored to data-centre work, despite the sector’s growing economic significance. Many of the required trades exist – electric, mechanical, plumbing – but the specialised versions of those trades (data-centre electricians, industrial cooling technicians, high-voltage specialists, and operators who understand both mechanical plant and digital infrastructure) are not being formally cultivated at scale.

Johnston believes that without training interventions targeted at data centre–specific competencies, the labour bottleneck could become one of the biggest constraints on national AI ambitions.

Future-proof jobs

At the same time, he sees a significant opportunity. The roles emerging in data centres are stable, long-term and geographically diverse, spanning urban hyperscale hubs, edge locations and regional construction sites. They offer clear progression pathways and access to a sector unlikely to slow in the coming decade. For young tradespeople, or workers looking to reskill, data centres represent what Johnston describes as “real, tangible, future-proof jobs” that support the country’s digital economy in a direct and essential way.

This is where the National AI Plan’s “Support and train Australians” pillar comes into sharp focus. The Plan explicitly commits to building an inclusive, upskilled workforce capable of supporting AI-enabled industries and infrastructure. It calls for the adaptation of national vocational education and training (VET) systems under the National Skills Agreement (NSA) to provide responsive, accessible training and qualifications.

Efforts under the Future Skills Organisation (FSO) will see the introduction of AI-relevant micro-credentials and upskilling programs, while Jobs and Skills Australia will supply labour-market insights to align training supply with demand. The Plan also aims to expand AI-ready training via TAFEs and other institutions, offering pathways through apprenticeships, micro-credentials, or higher education, all of which could be leveraged by the data-centre sector.

Industry partners

Johnston believes that for data-centre operators, this Plan should be viewed as an opportunity. Operators could partner with TAFEs, private training providers, and industry associations to build in-house training programs or sponsor apprenticeships with data-centre-specific competencies. Industry bodies might lobby for the inclusion of data-centre trades in national skills frameworks. Governments, meanwhile, should support these efforts by ensuring funding, apprenticeship grants and awareness campaigns reach technically oriented trades, not just IT roles.

He also argues for raising awareness of the data-centre sector among young people, workers transitioning between industries, or those uncertain about their next career step. The roles are often high-paying, portable across international markets, and foundational to the infrastructure of tomorrow. Johnston describes the data centre industry as “exciting, international … a career where you can grow quicker than almost any other industry on the planet right now.”

Advice for candidates

For those already working in data centres, especially early-career professionals with two to five years’ experience, he urges continuous learning, active industry engagement, and self-investment. Keep up to date with emerging technologies, attend industry forums or conferences, enrol in external training or micro-credential courses, and refine a broad skill set across electrical, mechanical, systems control and digital operations. In an environment of tight labour supply, he believes those who “go the extra mile” will find accelerated career progression.

For professionals outside the sector who want to transition in, Johnston recommends building evidence of commitment: complete a data-centre introduction course (many options are low-cost), attend industry events, volunteer for projects, and reach out proactively to employers with well-crafted applications that clearly explain why their existing skills are relevant. He says that those with experience in building management, facilities maintenance, power-plant equipment, or the design and construction of large technically complex buildings are particularly well-positioned to make the shift.

But Johnston also raises a note of caution; rapid growth can bring risk. In a tight labour market, younger professionals may be offered senior roles early, but with great responsibility comes the potential for mistakes. “If you are young and senior, you do put yourself in a position to be ‘shot down’ if you make mistakes,” he warns. Given the high-pressure, high-stakes nature of data-centre construction and operations, where errors can lead to outages, safety incidents, or expensive downtime, he encourages candidates to treat early senior offers with care.

Interview process

Candidates should ask detailed questions during interviews: about support structures, success metrics, training and mentoring, and role expectations. Check for signs of hesitation from hiring teams, high turnover, or a lack of clarity around responsibilities – all potential warning signs. He advises also consulting trusted contacts or mentors before taking a leap.

For employers and operators, Johnston says the responsibility is clear but manageable: invest in training, build in succession planning, foster open communication, provide mentoring or external support, and create a culture where asking for help is normal. He argues that firms should not view workforce development as optional or as a cost burden – but rather as a long-term investment in reliability, safety, and growth.

The timing of the National AI Plan therefore matters. It signals that Australia expects not just a surge in AI-driven demand, but a major expansion of the physical infrastructure required to support it – data centres, energy systems, cooling, and more. Perhaps more importantly, the Plan recognises that without a capable, well-trained, and inclusive workforce, those ambitions may stall.

If data-centre operators, educators, training institutions and policymakers align their efforts — leveraging the Plan’s funding, training frameworks and inclusivity objectives, Australia could see a new wave of highly skilled, well-paid, trade-based jobs emerge nationwide. Johnston believes these roles would underpin the backbone of the country’s AI economy, offering stable, long-term career pathways for young people, career changers, and workers across regional and urban Australia.

W.Media spoke to Gareth ahead of the Oceania Cloud & Data Center Awards 2025, Celebrating Innovation, Sustainability and Achievement., at the St Michael’s Golf Club, Little Bay, Sydney, New South Wales – 10 December 2025 . In honour of our late colleague and friend Nick Parfitt, we are dedicating the very special Individual Contribution and Achievement award to him. Nick was immensely proud to have played a key role in launching our Oceania Cloud & Datacenter Awards. His vision, passion, and commitment laid the foundation for what this event has become. Mission Critical Recruitment is the proud sponsor of this inaugural, special award category.

How to Cultivate the Next Generation of Data Centre Specialists

missioncritical@weareprominence.com (Mission Critical) — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 10:49:10 GMT

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If you work in the data centre construction industry, it’s likely you’re well aware of the ageing workforce in areas like engineering.

As is the case for many other technical industries, there is an urgent need to develop and recruit younger workers to fill the future vacancies that will be created by older workers retiring.

Data centre businesses have more scope to develop and upskill their workforces, as our recent remuneration report highlighted. We asked survey participants if they feel they have real opportunities for career advancement within their current organisation and the results were split — 42% said yes and 40% said no.

Fortunately, there are actions employers can take to develop future talent, retain valuable current employees, and attract more talent to data centre jobs — with targeted training.

In this article, we’ll highlight practical tips for effective learning and development programs within your business and how to adjust them to suit your company’s needs.

Customised Training Programs

Employee training is customisable in several ways, such as tailoring programs for each role type. Another effective way is to adapt training for each age demographic, or generation.

By tailoring training programs for specific age ranges, you can account for the generational differences in upbringing, values, technological acumen, and learning styles.

To help you consider what might suit your workforce, here are some cross-generational training differences:

Generational Values

Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)

Many Boomers appreciate recognition for their dedication and accomplishments, but have reached a stage where they’re looking for a balance between continuing to contribute professionally, while also enjoying personal pursuits. As such, they might be more interested in training that allows them to mentor and coach the next generation of leaders.

Generation X (Born 1965-1980)

This generation tends to be pragmatic, so appreciate training that directly relates to their job and offers immediate applicability. Many Gen Xers also value clear pathways to leadership roles, seeking out continuous learning opportunities to stay competitive and relevant.

Millennials (Born 1981-1996)

Millennials often seek roles where they can make a difference, valuing companies with a clear mission and positive societal impact. They see career progression as a series of varied experiences and appreciate employers that offer diverse roles, projects and learning opportunities.

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)

This generation values workplaces that emphasise diversity, equality, and inclusion. As digital natives, they expect roles that seamlessly integrate technology, and they're attracted to companies at the forefront of tech innovation.

Strategies for Training Each Generation

Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)

Boomers can benefit from training that supports them to coach others, such as honing their interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and mentoring capabilities.

Generation X (Born 1965-1980)

As more Gen X workers move into leadership roles, consider training focused on management, strategic thinking and organisational skills.

Millennials (Born 1981-1996)

Millennial workers value continuous professional development, so aim to offer certifications, badges or tangible credentials.

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)

Gen Z is the generation of gaming and bite-sized content, so modules that deliver content concisely and/or in an interactive format are likely the most effective. As the most tech-immersed generation, they might require additional support to hone their interpersonal and critical thinking skills.

Ensure Training Is Accessible and Relevant

As we’ve hopefully demonstrated, customisation can help employers get more out of their training efforts. Customisation begins with seeking individual employee feedback about career goals and progression and developing a pathway with milestones within it. This ensures training remains relevant, thus valued, to each employee.

According to a US-based Data Centre experience survey , one of the biggest training obstacles is time. They found that 76% of respondents hadn’t completed or renewed any certificates in the past year because their work demands didn’t permit time out of the office.

While it seems the data centre construction industry workload is never-ending, training must take precedence, as it’s vital for succession planning.

To make training fit within existing workloads, consider offering a variety of training options (see the next point for additional possibilities), ensuring some have built-in flexibility. For example, on-demand webinars and modular courses staff can complete at their pace, or condensed workshops that minimise time away from other responsibilities.

Vary Your Training Offerings

Training takes on many forms and goes far beyond a standard course, seminar or workshop. Here are some examples you can use:

Staff-to-staff learning

Host regular knowledge sharing events where team members speak about recent projects, challenges faced, or new technologies or methodologies they've encountered. It’s a great way to support a culture of continuous learning.

Rotational learning

Consider rotational assignments where emerging leaders spend time in different parts of the business. This will help them gain a comprehensive understanding of your whole company – an essential for future leadership roles.

Mentoring

Mentorship is one of the best training investments you can make, as coaching is a powerful and highly successful developmental tool to support leadership growth. Pair less experienced staff with seasoned professionals. This allows for hands-on learning and knowledge transfer, and accelerates the development of budding talent.

Encourage leadership at all levels

A great way to promote professional progression is to give employees ownership. You could ensure they have autonomy over smaller projects, increasing responsibilities as they succeed. Or you could give them a chance to contribute to discussions at higher management levels, whether it’s giving feedback about processes or suggestions for improvement.

Specific Culture Training

Company culture plays a pivotal role in long-term staff tenure. You can ensure ongoing stewardship of your cultural values with specific training for emerging leaders. It equips them for future decision making that aligns with your company's core values.

Summary

By implementing a combination of these strategies, you can proactively develop and nurture a new pool of employees to lead your company into the future, even while you’re facing the dual challenge of a retiring workforce and talent shortages.

If you would like further assistance with supporting your current employees with their professional development, or in sourcing new talent for your open data centre jobs (be it Electrical Engineers or Critical Facilities Managers), please connect with one of our Mission Critical recruitment experts. We’d love to help.

Know an Electrical Trade? Why a Data Centre Job Could Be Your Perfect Match

missioncritical@weareprominence.com (Mission Critical) — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 08:51:16 GMT

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There’s a bit of a misconception that data centres sit squarely within the tech industry. While that may be true of the services they provide, it’s certainly not when it comes to building and maintaining these behemoths. That’s a job for the construction industry.

As data centres run 24/7, they heavily rely on skilled electricians to manage and maintain the electrical infrastructure and systems that power their continuous operation.

For anyone with experience in the electrical trade, this article explains what data centre jobs involve and the exciting career benefits they provide.

What Do Data Centres Do?

Data centres are critical infrastructure in the modern digital age. They’re responsible for hosting and managing the vast amounts of data and services that power our online world. Mobile apps, office clouds, digital banking, social networking sites and streaming platforms wouldn’t exist without them.

Each data centre is a specialised facility purpose-built to house and manage a large collection of computer servers, networking equipment and other components essential for large-scale computing. This includes processing, storing and delivering data and applications.

No data centres can be constructed or maintained without qualified electricians. They’re needed to design, install and maintain the highly complex electrical systems housed within each centre.

What Roles Are Available for Electricians in Data Centres?

There are plenty of data centre jobs available for those with electrical trade qualifications and experience. Here are three main ones:

1. Data Centre Electrical Engineer : During a data centre’s construction, these engineers play a crucial role in the design and planning phase. They create and implement the electrical systems, including power distribution, backup generators and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to ensure continuous power to the equipment. They also make sure the electrical infrastructure meets safety and regulatory standards.

2. Data Centre Electrician : These professionals install, maintain and repair the electrical systems within data centres. This includes working on power distribution systems, backup generators, UPS, electrical circuits and the vast air conditioning systems that cool the servers.

3. Electrical Technician : Electrical technicians help install and maintain electrical components and systems within data centres. They troubleshoot electrical issues and perform preventive maintenance tasks alongside qualified electricians.

As data centre electrical systems are quite complex, there are further specialised electrical data centre jobs such as Power Systems Engineers, UPS Technicians, Generator Technicians, Control Systems Electricians, Electrical Safety Specialists, Energy Efficiency Experts, and Electrical Project Managers.

These roles highlight the important part skilled electricians and other electrical professionals play in the construction and operation of data centres, especially when it comes to the reliability, safety and efficiency of the electrical systems within them.

Salary and Working Conditions

In our inaugural Data Centre Remuneration Report , we surveyed almost 350 Australian data centre professionals across all management levels. When it comes to data centre engineer job salaries, we found the following averages:

Design Electrical Engineer

· Average base salary - $112,000

· Average total package - $129,000

· 90% receiving additional bonus or commission

Senior Design Electrical Engineer

· Average base salary - $134,000

· Average total package - $153,000

· 67% receiving additional bonus or commission

Principal or Associate Electrical Engineer

· Average base salary - $176,000

· Average total package - $202,000

· 70% receiving additional bonus or commission

Aside from the great pay, there are even more excellent reasons to consider working in the data centre industry. One is the exceptional job security, with the APAC data centre industry reporting a 300% growth in capacity over the past five years. The APAC data centre construction market is to expected reach a value of $24.17 billion USD by 2028, up from $15.17 billion in 2022. This has created an immense amount of demand for workers in the sector, placing candidates in the driver’s seat.

Another appealing perk of working in an electrician or data centre engineer job is the fantastic working conditions. Of those surveyed in our remuneration report:

· 66% feel valued for their work

· 73% find their role fulfilling

· 95% would recommend the data centre industry to others

Lifestyle factors are also a big drawcard for data centre employees. Unlike construction sites, which tend to be rough and dirty working environments (especially in the warmer months), a data centre job can have you working in a dust-free and cool environment all year round. If that sounds appealing, a data centre job could be your perfect match!

Qualifications and Experience Required for Data Centres

To work in an electrical role in a data centre, you must be a fully qualified electrician or electrical engineer. In addition, any direct experience working in a data centre or with USPs is a huge tick when applying for data centre jobs, such as data centre electrical engineers.

If you don’t have these qualifications yet, it’s a good idea to gain foundational knowledge of how data centres operate and the electrical systems they use. If you love learning new things on the job, as a qualified electrician you’ll also have many opportunities to undertake further training at work.

One of the best ways to get into the industry is to engage with a recruitment specialist who knows the data centre industry inside-out, like us here at Mission Critical. We can offer you advice about how to enter the sector with an electrical trade background and help you with the all-important interview prep.

Ready for a career shift? Please let us know how we can support your move into the highly rewarding world of the data centre industry, whether it’s just advice or to see what open data centre jobs we currently have.

Construction Salaries: Are You Paying Enough?

missioncritical@weareprominence.com (Mission Critical) — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 07:51:04 GMT

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.

Australian Data Centre Skills Discussion – Part 1

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 04:16:56 GMT

Part 1: Sponsorship

In the wake of Australia’s borders opening back up in mid-2022, Mission Critical Recruitment are currently observing the largest influx of overseas talent that we’ve seen, particularly in Engineering and Construction.

Read on to learn more about the importance of sponsorship opportunities for untapped talent in the market right now.

Experienced Candidates Ready to Work

The influx of overseas talent we’re seeing are young, skilled workers who are experienced at working on some of the biggest data centre projects and operations in the World. They are experienced at working to the highest international standards, often driven by the same hyperscalers who are dominating the demand in the Australian market

Primarily these candidates are coming over initially on Working Holiday Visa’s but are seeking permanent positions as they look to transition their lives and take advantage of the many wonderful lifestyle opportunities that Australia has to offer.

Cutting Through Red Tape

Traditionally in this country, we have seen high levels of reticence when it comes to offering sponsored Visa’s to candidates. This is primarily because there is some red tape involved, there is risk involved and of course it is a little more lengthy a process than taking someone who doesn’t require that Visa.

However, with the difficulty in finding suitably skilled staff, there is now a largely untapped pool of uniquely experienced talent that has opened up to the market. Talent that requires minimal training and that can hit the ground running, and some of whom who are available at short notice.

Contact Mission Critical Today

Of course, we at MCR, are not immigration experts, but we are able to put you in touch with immigration consultants who can walk you through the relatively straightforward process of getting set up as a business sponsor for TSS Visa’s. You can get in touch with us today for an introduction.

Conversely, if you are already set up as a business sponsor, and are open to considering candidates requiring sponsorship, you can contact us now to discuss your requirements and let us help you to find the best candidates from there.

Top Data Centre Training Courses and Certifications

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 04:27:41 GMT

One of the most commonly asked questions we get from our candidates at Mission Critical Recruitment is, “What data centre training courses can I take to enhance my CV?”

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The course that you get the most benefit from will depend on your motivations, ambitions and aspirations.

Top Data Centre Training Providers

There are many professional training courses available to you, whether you’re already working in a data centre, or you’re trying to make a move into the industry.

This list is intended to be for information purposes only and we don’t endorse any of these providers, although we do promote the value of ongoing training.

The list is also not exhaustive. If you know of other useful data centre-specific courses, you’re welcome to contact us about them and we can consider adding them to this list.

Let’s get started!

Schneider Electric University

Schneider Electric University provides a comprehensive free online learning tool for studying at your own pace.

You can choose from a selection of modules, including introductory courses for technical or non-technical students who want to immerse themselves in the industry. Upon completion of each module, you’ll receive a certificate that can be added to

your CV.

BICSI

BICSI is a global, not-for-profit organisation providing an array of training opportunities for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) professionals.

From a data centre angle, its DCDC® qualification is globally recognised and to complement this, BICSI holds regular events and information-sharing sessions around the world.

Uptime Institute

A global advisory for operational standards, the Uptime Institute leads the way in establishing benchmarks for data centre performance.

Through its education platform, the Uptime Institute offers a range of certifications for anyone involved in the design, build and operation of data centres.

CNet Training

Although this company has recently been bought by the Uptime Institute, CNet Training , for the time being, retains its brand name.

Widely considered to be the largest data centre training provider in the world, CNet Training offers a wide variety of courses that are globally recognised, even offering a Master’s Degree in Data Centre Management.

DCD>Academy

Formerly DCPro, DCD>Academy boasts an impressive list of instructors who span the globe.

With a mixture of classroom and online learning, DCD>Academy is firmly established in the data centre training marketplace and offers an evolving range of courses.

EPI

Established in 1987, we believe that EPI is the oldest data centre training provider currently operating.

EPI delivers training in 14+ languages and has trademarked its certifications. The courses from this provider cover the full lifecycle of the data centre functions.

International Data Center Authority (IDCA)

IDCA is an American company offering a variety of well-respected training courses for data centre professionals.

A key USP for this company is the American aspect. In a world where you can log in and learn from anywhere, choosing this training provider will ensure you virtually rub shoulders with students in arguably the most advanced data centre markets in the world.

Your Career as a Data Centre Professional

As you can see, there’s a fantastic range of different training course providers that you can get certified with.

If you’re ready to embark upon your career as a data centre professional, or you’re already working in this varied industry and looking for your next job, we’re here to connect you with the right employer.

E-Recruitment - What It Is and How to Implement It

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 04:42:51 GMT

There’s no doubt data centre business is booming across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Recent figures show the APAC data centre industry grew by 24% in 2021, exceeding that of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It now accounts for almost 30% of the world’s IT load capacity.

With this tremendous amount of growth, demand has naturally soared for talent to fill an abundance of data centre jobs. But the current skills shortage is severely hampering further progression. In fact, 45% of APAC data centre managers name it as their top challenge.

In an environment where competition for talent is fierce, you need to find ways of getting a leg up. One way is to look how you can expedite your hiring process to secure talent quickly, and a savvy option is to use a recruitment agency that utilises e-recruitment tools. Let’s look at these tools in greater detail, along with the pros and cons of using them in data centre recruitment.

What Is E-Recruitment?

As the name suggests, e-recruitment centres on electronic (or online) recruitment techniques. It encompasses the use of cloud-based recruitment software and internet resources to find talent.

While you can outlay the costs yourself for your business, you can also access them if you choose to partner with a data centre recruitment agency ( like us! ) who use them as part of their package.

What follows is an outline of the most popular e-recruitment tools.

Job Boards

In Australia, job boards are the most popular e-recruitment tool with over one in two employers using them to find candidates in 2021. They’re just as popular with candidates - 54% of Australian job seekers used them to find their next role. Results are fairly similar across other APAC nations.

While job boards certainly seem to be the right place to locate talent, posting across multiple platforms can be time-consuming. However, Recruiters who use a good ATS software program can exponentially speed things up by automating this process. Which is a nice segue to the next e-recruitment tool...

AI & ATS Software

Most sectors, including the data centre recruitment industry, have been using Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software to speed up the applicant and CV reviewing process.

ATS programs work by automatically scanning candidate CVs and analysing the information, with particular focus on their skills, experience and education. The program uses the data to then create a candidate profile, which is plugged into a searchable database. Recruiters then use this to find the most relevant candidates, searching by keywords and phrases associated with the open role. As you can imagine, it saves an inordinate amount of manual processing time.

As with all things technological, ATS has rapidly advanced in recent years with the best systems now using artificial intelligence to further optimise not just the hiring process, but the candidate experience.

Video Interviews and Online Testing

The pandemic forced Recruiters’ hands when it came to the use of video interviewing. The practice has stuck, mainly because it speeds up the time to hire (something 75% of jobseekers feel is very or somewhat important.)

For positions that require competency testing and/or personality testing, there’s also been an increase in Recruiters preferring to use online platforms.

E-Recruitment Tools – The Pros

By automating so much of the time-consuming recruitment tasks, it’s clear e-recruitment tools give you the benefit of speed, allowing you to reach the most important stage of your search that much quicker – candidate interviews .

But another key benefit of these tools is the ability to enhance your candidate experience. A recent global survey of over 3500 jobseekers found seven out of ten considered dropping out, or did drop out of, their last hiring experience. The main reasons included that the process was taking too long (39%); it was too complicated (37%); and it had too many touch points (27%).

You can alleviate these issues with the candidate experience in utilising e-recruitment tools, such as ATS software, as each applicant remains updated about their progress in the recruitment process, and the platforms are usually very user-friendly.

Another advantage is the cost saving, particularly when you factor in how much time it takes for your HR personnel to engage in traditional recruitment methods.

E-Recruitment Tools – The Cons

One of the biggest criticisms of ATS software relates to their AI capabilities. While useful in many ways, current AI technology doesn’t consider cultural fit or human characteristics, such as personality and emotional intelligence.

One way to address these disadvantages is by using a specialist data centre recruitment agency. While the team here at Mission Critical use the latest e-recruitment software, the amount our clients pay for it makes up small portion of our overall fee.

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. In using our professional services to source data centre talent, you benefit from the best of both worlds – AI and that essential human touch. Let us know if we can help.

Candidate Attraction to the Industry

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 05:13:51 GMT

It comes as no surprise that almost 45% of those in the Asia Pacific data centre construction industry say the biggest impact on the sector in the next three years is the specialist skills shortage. Our recent Data Centre recruitment survey reveals that the most in-demand Data Centre jobs include Building Services and Commissioning Engineers, Facilities and Operations Managers, and Mechanical Consulting Engineers.

In this climate, attracting the right candidates is paramount to business success. To do this you need a well-considered and highly tailored talent acquisition strategy. It’s especially vital in a highly competitive and niche industry like data centre construction.

What follows is an outline of key candidate attraction strategies to help you address the current shortage.

Take Advantage of E-Recruitment Techniques

More often than not, candidates drop out of the recruitment process because it’s either excessively lengthy or they don’t receive timely communication, feedback or sometimes any response at all. This is certainly not something you can afford in a tight-talent market.

You will be richly rewarded by focusing on your candidate recruitment experience. While it ensures candidates remain in the pipeline, it also has the power to give your employer brand a boost. As the data construction industry here in Australia is relatively small, it is common for applicants talk about their recruitment experiences, both good and bad.

Consider using a variety of e-recruitment techniques to enhance your recruitment process. One example is AI chatbots that can engage with jobseekers 24/7 to answer questions about the position, schedule interviews and even keep them updated about their progress through the hiring cycle.

Feature Your Employer Brand

Studies and statistics abound about how a positive employer brand can help you secure talent. Whether it’s at the start of the process by encouraging them to apply and remain in the recruitment pool, during the offer phase by getting them to say ‘yes’, or most importantly, ensuring they stay once hired, you need your brand to be showcased.

According to Uptime’s 2022 Data Centre Industry survey , 42% of managers say their employees have been hired away by competitors, a figure that’s more than doubled since 2018. Invest some time auditing and refining your employer brand, particularly how accurately it highlights your company’s values, mission and culture. This will ensure people know what makes you different to your competitors.

One of the most powerful ways to illustrate your employer brand is utilise your existing employee talent. Showcase their stories and experiences across multiple channels and home in on showing what it’s really like to work with you. They can then learn what success means, how people can progress, what professional development opportunities you offer and so on.

Aim to be front and centre at industry events. Think about sponsoring an event or coming up with a novel way to celebrate International Data Centre Day .

Tailor Your Campaign to What Current Talent Really Want

Having a clear understanding of the current talent market, especially in relation to their needs and desires can help you to tailor your candidate attraction strategy accordingly.

While individual employees will want different things in a role, there are some commonalities across the board. Feel free to contact our Data Centre recruitment specialist for specifics about our industry.

According to LinkedIn’s Talent Market Australia Report 2021 , the fastest-growing talent priorities are:

Access to ongoing training (up by 16.7%)
Working with inspirational talent (up by 12.8%)
Excellent pay and benefits (up by 11.4%)
Inclusive workplaces (up by 9.4%)

Overall, the top five priorities spots are:

Good work-life balance
Excellent compensation and benefits
Colleagues and culture
Open and effective management
Job security

Take a moment to evaluate your offerings in this area. You may even like to ask your current staff - anonymously or otherwise - how they feel you’re faring, as well as what’s important to them. If you can address these desires, you may just see a bonus of an increase in employee retention too.

Expand Your Talent Pool

When recruiting talent, times are tight, widening your candidate search is a savvy move. Here are a few suggestions:

Review your minimum hiring requirements

Are your hiring conditions too narrow? Perhaps you can think about hiring for potential over experience, offering an internship/traineeship, or on-the-job training to help those without the right experience or qualifications get up to speed. It’s also important to look for those that have that all-important skill of critical thinking.

Focus on transferable skills

There are plenty of specialties that have a natural alignment to data centre construction work. Consider applicants in related industries such as life sciences, quality assurance, business management, manufacturing and other construction sectors.

Look to the educators

It’s an unfortunate fact that the data centre industry is largely overlooked as an option at tertiary level. Forming partnerships with educators is a smart way to attract upcoming talent. You could do guest lectures about the industry, attend career days, and/or sponsor university events.

Up your inclusivity

Recent Uptime Institute statistics show a lack of data centre gender diversity. Around 20% of data centres don’t have any female employees. Only 4% of those surveyed say approximately half their data centre staff are women. What can you do to tweak your employer brand and benefit offerings to attract more women?

Summary

If you’re scratching your head on this point, you may like to touch base with one of our Data Centre recruitment experts for advice.

We’d be happy to offer support in this area, or in any of the other candidate strategies we’ve mentioned, be it utilising e-recruitment techniques, tweaking your employer brand, understanding what data centre candidates really want, or widening your talent pool.

Retention Strategies: Leveraging the Counteroffer

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 05:20:11 GMT

Every now and then, a star employee will surprise you with news that they have another job offer on the table ... and that they’re going to take it. How do you respond?

If your employee is a model worker with critical skills and experience, replacing them can cost you quite a bit of time and money. To bypass these hassles, you could convince the employee to stay for a higher salary and additional benefits – which is otherwise known as a counteroffer. Hiring people for data centre jobs is a competitive undertaking at the best of times, so a counteroffer can be a useful tool in a company’s employee retention strategy.

Counteroffers do have downsides, however. When a Hiring Manager attempts a counteroffer, they’re negotiating from a position of weakness. With the employee now motivated to leave for greener pastures, an employer has more work to do in persuading them to change their mind.

Making a counteroffer won’t guarantee an employee will stay – especially if they are making it clear they are glad to be out the door! Research by Seek indicates just 20% of employees accept a counteroffer, so each counteroffer needs a ‘wow factor’.

To get the best result, there are several issues to work out before you start negotiating.

Be Prepared to Act Quickly

When an employee alerts you about their impending resignation, the clock has well and truly started ticking. If you take too long to respond, the employee can easily take that as their cue to leave.

Be ready to offer a pay rise as a minimum. If the employee is a rising star who has acquired new skills in the role, does their current salary reflect what the market is paying for a similar role? As research from ELMO Software shows, an increased salary or wage is the most enticing element of a counteroffer for employees in Australia, so pay is best treated as the starting point.

On the other hand, responding too quickly is also risky. Making a counteroffer based on a salary increase alone, without finding out why the employee wants to resign, could simply prolong their inevitable resignation for a few months. Tell the employee you’re willing to make a counteroffer but would like to explore their reasons for quitting first.

Delve into the Employee’s Reasons for Leaving

An employee’s decision to resign usually stems from dissatisfaction with more than one aspect of their job. If you are determined not to lose this employee, it’s incumbent on you as a Hiring Manager to discover why they want to quit.

Are they unhappy with their salary? Is there a problem with their team? Do they sense a lack of career progression? Do they need more flexible working arrangements? How is your organisation falling short in meeting expectations? Most importantly, how can you address these issues for them?

Understanding their reasons for leaving will help you craft a personalised counteroffer and demonstrate you are willing to hear out employees.

Make a Counteroffer Tailored to the Employee

If you have asked the right questions of the employee, you can address their needs by including new perks and benefits instead of simply matching the competitor’s salary offer. Benefits might include flexible working arrangements, such as flexible start and end times, shorter working weeks or additional annual leave.

An employee might want to work more hours from home. Is commuting an issue for the employee, causing them to search for data centre jobs that are closer to home? Conversely, they might be missing social interaction and want more time in the office! Career progression is another issue that fuels resignations. Are you able to offer the employee a real pathway to promotion? Providing additional training and a career development plan can help them overcome concerns about not growing professionally.

Consider any interpersonal issues within the team that might be pushing the employee to look elsewhere. Is the employee struggling to get along with a particular team member, Manager, or client? If it is possible to help resolve these issues, make a commitment to the employee about the actions you will take.

Summary

A sudden resignation may not be a frequent occurrence, but it does have the potential to blindside Hiring Managers. Making a sensible counteroffer can help you retain critical talent and show you’re committed to keeping your best people.

Ensure that you’re negotiating more than just a salary, so you can make the counteroffer as irresistible as possible.

Talking to a data centre recruitment specialist can help you make informed decisions about hiring and salary based on current market trends. If you’re searching for the best talent to work in data centre jobs across Australia and the Asia Pacific, we can connect you with qualified candidates who are ready to take on their next role. Contact our team today to kickstart your hiring.

Mission Critical Recruitment Key Skillsets for 2023

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 05:28:27 GMT

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.

Salary Negotiation Tips for Your Next Job Offer

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 05:36:59 GMT

Receiving a job offer is an affirming experience but negotiating your starting salary can make many professionals uncomfortable. You may be worried the employer will find your request unreasonable – or even walk away. But if you avoid negotiating your salary upfront, you will be missing an opportunity to earn more money in the long run.

Talent shortages are acute right now in the Data Centre space. In fact, the number of staff needed to fill Data Centre jobs in Australia, the Asia Pacific and around the world will grow from two million to 2.3 million by 2025, according to research from Uptime Institute Intelligence .

Negotiating your starting salary is a matter of being well-prepared beforehand and understanding the employer’s point of view. Here are the most effective ways to get ready for the conversation.

Know Your Number

When working out how to negotiate your salary, it’s best to avoid winging it and making up a number on the spot. Be clear on the range of pay you’re willing to accept, including your absolute minimum and the figure that you will be most happy with. Keep this information to yourself but be ready to counteroffer if the proposed package falls short of your baseline salary figure.

Recognise What the Market is Paying

As part of your negotiation preparation, do research on the salary trends for the same role to create an informed benchmark. Searching Google for average salaries in your geographic location is a good starting point, along with using websites like PayScale. Factor in points such as seniority and any specialist skills required in the job description.

Justify Your Counteroffer

Negotiating your salary in a new job can be a delicate process. You don’t want to undersell yourself, but you will need to back up your counteroffer with relevant data. Consider all the attributes that make you an ideal candidate for the role – your qualifications, experience and specialised skills.

Perhaps you have led teams through major projects or have gained valuable experience working overseas. Identify your unique selling points and explain to the Hiring Manager how he or she will benefit from hiring you.

Be Confident

Confidence is the core ingredient to a successful salary negotiation. After all, if you don’t back yourself, nobody else will!

Think about the Hiring Manager’s point of view. If they notice you are unsure of yourself or ambivalent, they may be inclined to take you less seriously. Projecting confidence (without being arrogant) will help Managers see you are capable of doing the job well.

Before you initiate a negotiation, practise your talking points. Run a mock negotiation with a friend and get them to throw in a curveball question or two. This can help you build up your confidence and think quickly on your feet.

Don’t Overlook Perks and Benefits

Money is a great motivator – but is it your only need? When you’re planning how to negotiate salary, consider the other factors that will make you happy working for that company. Can the organisation provide flexible working arrangements, car and phone allowance, generous vacation and parental leave, or access to wellbeing programs, for example?

For many people, a lack of career progression is enough to rub the shine off a job offer – research by Seek shows this is one of the top five reasons people leave jobs. Will the company support your professional development, such as reimbursement for training? This type of investment can add up over time and perhaps lead to greater advantages in the long run.

When Not to Negotiate

If you have already accepted the job offer, attempting to renegotiate pay may risk turning the offer sour for the employer. Being clear about your criteria before you sign on the dotted line will help you avoid unnecessary back-and-forth.

If an employer has put forward a salary that ticks all the boxes and is not a lowball offer, there is no need to make a counteroffer. Accept the offer and thank the manager graciously. Tell them you look forward to making a positive impact on their business.

Be aware of the employer’s constraints and budget as well. If they have already presented their best proposal, they may no longer be willing to negotiate when you are asking for more.

Summary

With so many professionals reluctant to negotiate a higher starting salary, knowing when and how to make a counteroffer can pay real dividends. Doing your homework, building up your confidence and understanding the employer’s position can lead to a successful negotiation.

Working with a Data Centre recruitment specialist will give you a solid footing from which to get the best salary possible. Recruiters know the job market intimately and have insight into what a broad range of employers are currently paying, so they can help you build your case for a successful counteroffer.

At Mission Critical, we link talented people to the best design, build and operate jobs in Data Centres across Australia and the Asia Pacific. Learn more about your salary by participating in our latest salary survey! Get in touch with our knowledgeable team today to access our specialist advice and land your next Data Centre role.

6 Essential Interview Tips for Employers

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 05:58:00 GMT

Looking to secure quality data centre professionals across Australia or the greater Asia Pacific region? You’re not alone: this is a sector experiencing a serious shortage of skilled workers.

In such an environment it's imperative you capture (and keep) the attention of a very limited supply of available talent. This is where your interviewing prowess needs to be consistent; the candidate experience is one of the most important ways that you can attract top job seekers.

If you have limited experience interviewing candidates for data centre jobs or need a little refresher, here you'll find a collection of best practice interview tips for employers from our Data Centre recruitment specialists.

Do Your Prep Work

When it comes to data centre interview tips, begin with some on-point preparation. Familiarise yourself with all aspects of the open role by re-reading the position description and highlighting the most important skills, qualifications and attributes. If the position is a little out of your wheelhouse, you might like to seek further clarification from a role expert within the company. Better yet, consider asking them to join your interview panel.

Move on to reviewing each candidate's CV and professional networking profiles. You can also note down anything that jumped out at you during the CV review that you'd like to discuss in more detail. For instance, perhaps an engineering project manager overhauled their company's processes for establishing relationships from pre-sales through to equipment commissioning.

Showcase What You Can Do

In a candidate-short market, your interviews also provide a great opportunity to sell your company and showcase what you have to offer. Ensure you have several talking points ready to go that demonstrate the merits of the open role, your company and the working culture.

From here, you can map out the structure of the interview and plan the length of it, too. So often, Hiring Managers forget (or don't think about) the aspect of selling the role or the company to a candidate. While you’re busy interviewing, just remember that candidates are interviewing you and your company, too!

Plan Your Interview Questions

Now it's time to curate your interview questions. To avoid bias, you must come up with a standard set that you ask every candidate. This will also help when it comes time to evaluate answers.

Open-ended questions draw out responses that accurately reflect thought processes and personality. Aim to include a good mix of situational, behavioural and role-specific, but don't be afraid to go ‘off-script’ as you don’t want to miss an opportunity to ask follow-up questions in response to something interesting the interviewee says.

Here are some example questions for a Facilities Manager, but many are applicable for other data centre professionals as well, whether it's an Engineer, Technician or Program Manager:

Behavioural Questions

What is the biggest challenge you faced in your current or last role and how did you overcome it?
What do you enjoy most about being a Facilities Manager?
How do you stay organised?

Role-Specific Questions

What steps do you take when shutdown work needs to be done in a live environment?
How have you dealt with a need to reduce operational costs?
What measures have you taken to reduce potential hazards within the data centre?

Situational Questions

Share a time you found it difficult to coordinate a maintenance project - what did you do?
Let's say you observed one of your contractors using inadequate protective equipment. How would you address this?
Can you think of ways to conserve energy within your centre?

Prepare to Answer Questions

As previously mentioned, top data centre talent will be interviewing you and your company, too. Preparing yourself to talk about what you love about working in your role and for the company is crucial.

For you, the questions they ask can be just as revealing as their answers to yours (if not more so) when it comes to their role wants and wishes. Some of the questions you may face answering include:

What would you consider a successful first three and six months?
What opportunities are there for my professional growth and progression?
What are the company’s top priorities for the future?
What is the biggest challenge you’re facing as a company right now, and how will this role help with it?
How would you describe the company's culture?
What processes do you have in place to support employees working from home, especially to help maintain communication and collaboration?

Structure the Interview

With the research phase over, move on to structuring your candidate interview. This helps alleviate candidates’ nerves, as they’ll know what to expect, and will also keep you focused to ensure you address everything you want to during the interview.

An example might be a very brief introduction of each person on the interviewing panel, then a quick description of the company, the role and why you need to fill it. You can then mention you'll turn to the interview questions and end with any questions they may have.

Work On Your Active Listening Skills

Active listening is about giving the interviewee your undivided attention and engaging with them in the moment. If done well, it puts the candidate at ease, so they speak freely, giving you an honest glimpse into their experience, personality, core beliefs and values, and better allowing you to judge if they’re the right fit.

An additional active listening benefit is that it helps ensure you've heard and understood answers correctly by using clarifying techniques. This is essential post-interview when comparing one great candidate against another.

A good active listening environment is a quiet one, so consider the space you'll use. Is there potential for staff to interrupt? Do you have comfortable chairs? Is the lighting right (i.e. no flickering bulbs or blinding sunlight)? Is it overly hot or cold? If interviewing virtually, similar considerations apply about lighting and quiet with the addition of switching off all computer notifications. Set your tech up early and do a test call and have a contingency in place in case of a tech failure.

As for active listening techniques, here are some suggestions:

Maintain natural eye contact
Use positive body language (nodding, slightly leaning in etc.) and avoid negative body language (crossed arms, fidgeting etc.)
Employ the 80/20 rule by letting the candidate speak for 80% of the time, you the remaining 20%
Activate your listening time – when the candidate is talking, listen and absorb. Try to stop your mind from wandering to what you want to say next

Help Candidates Relax

In an interview situation, candidates assess you just as much as you assess them. It's in your best interest to make sure your recruitment experience stands out above others, especially in the current climate of data centre skills shortages when candidates may have more than one job offer on the table.

Try not to keep candidates waiting for an excessive period. If you're running late, arrange for a staff member to let them know. If you can see the candidate is visibly nervous, you can say something along the lines of ‘We understand you might be nervous, but it’s natural. Feel free to take a steadying breath and we’ll get to it.’

Then set about establishing rapport with some small talk about their journey, (was there traffic, have they been to this part of town before?). As they speak about something relatively low stakes, their nerves should abate, so you can then move on to the real questions.

Consider Using Specialist Support

We're sure you'll agree that interviewing candidates is a highly valuable, but somewhat time-consuming process. If time is not on your side or you feel you'd like a little interview support, using a data centre recruitment specialist is a great option.

Here at Mission Critical, we have many years of experience sourcing and interviewing candidates to help our clients find their ideal fit. Our clients appreciate our best-practice processes ensuring a smooth and timely recruitment experience, allowing them to snag top talent before they have a chance to say yes to another offer. We can also help with giving candidates feedback and negotiating offer terms.

If this sounds like a service you'd like to use, please get in touch with one of our data centre Recruitment Specialists.

Strategies to Improve Your Work/Life Balance

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 06:32:03 GMT

Anyone who works in the data centre industry knows it’s unlike any other when it comes to its fast pace and constant change. With the current skill shortages meaning that many organisations are short-staffed, it’s easy for data centre professionals to feel pressure to work harder, faster and longer. And although the experience you’ll gain quickly can be beneficial for your career, it’s not always the most positive thing for balancing your job with your home life.

Too many hours in the work category can have dire consequences for your mental and physical health. If stress persists for too long, burnout can rear its ugly head. This is a state of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion where even the simplest tasks require an extraordinary effort.

According to the OECD Better Life Index , 13% of Australian employees work excessively long hours, devoting only 14.4 hours each day on average to personal care and leisure (and that’s including sleeping and eating!). The figures are similar in other Asia-Pacific countries such as Japan and New Zealand.

Given these stats, it's no surprise that work/life balance tops the list of priorities in a job for Australian and New Zealand employees, with most Asia-Pacific nations placing it in their top three, according to LinkedIn's Talent Drivers Survey 2021 .

With a grasp of the ramifications of a poor work/life balance, let's turn to some strategies you can use to help get your mix exactly right.

Aim for Overall Balance

Getting your balance between work and home right is not about honing a perfect schedule. It's about creating a realistic one that works for your circumstances. It's impossible to ensure every day enjoys the same equilibrium between your personal and professional life.

A better option is to aim for overall balance (say, over a week or fortnight), where you have time to meet your work obligations but also have the energy to enjoy downtime with family, friends and yes, even yourself! How that looks for you will be different to your colleagues.

Consider Your Priorities

Take some time to think about what's important to you in both your personal and professional life and make a note of how much time you spend on each one. Is what you currently do enough – or would you like more?

A clearer picture of your priorities can help you to take proactive steps to schedule in time for all areas of your life. Blocking out time for these activities helps you stick to them, even if it means starting with scheduling family dinners and quality time, gym time or hobby time. The balance on both sides of life will come with time when you practice.

Focus on Your Health

Your health plays into every facet of your life. Without it, it's difficult to be a productive employee let alone a caring partner, parent or friend. While you've heard it all before, exercising, eating and sleeping properly remain key ingredients for a healthy, happy human.

Another way to prioritise your health is to ensure that you are communicating with everyone. If things are overwhelming at work, talk to your boss about finding a better balance throughout your day to take the pressure off. Ensuring that you are communicating at home is also important for your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Practise Good Time Management

Working in the data centre field, you already know the importance of productivity and building good project management skills. When you are structuring your working day, putting these skills to good use is important.

Consider when you’re the most productive and schedule your important tasks at that time. Use apps, calendars and additional software programs to help you automate tasks and keep you on track. Excellent time management will help you to keep your day going the right way so you can finish on time.

Another fantastic tip is to seek out some courses and training sessions to help you with time management. You could ask your employer to see whether they have something in place, but there are usually online courses and external training providers that can help, too.

Set Boundaries

A data centre runs 24/7 but that doesn’t mean you need to be. While there are some employees who will be required to be on call and there are some roles that require night shift work, this should all be communicated to you when you are offered the role. Your employer will be keen to work with you to find the best solution for balance and support you while you work shifts – especially as it’s in their interest to ensure you are a happy employee!

Communication is key here and you must talk to your management team if you are in any way overwhelmed. If you have a recruiter, speak to them if the job you took is more demanding than you expected. They want you to succeed!

Let staff and colleagues know that you've blocked off certain times in your day and/or evening for family and personal time, including your breaks at work. Taking your breaks is vital to your continued health. Neglecting your breaks prevents you from being productive!

Enjoy Your Job

The most successful people share something in common – they love what they do. While every role has its stressors, if you enjoy what you're doing it feels less like work and the stress seems to melt away.

Do you love your job? If the answer is 'no' or 'not sure', consider why. Is it the role? Is it the company culture? Is it your colleagues or management? The good news is that each of these things can be overcome and communication with your management team and your recruiter can help.

Summary

Improving your work/life balance is vital in any workplace, but in fast-paced environments such as data centres, this balance is crucial to your success. If you’re not enjoying your current job or you feel completely neglectful of your personal life, consider contacting one of our data centre recruitment specialists.

When it comes to data centre jobs, we work with a range of both large and niche companies that offer an ever-evolving rotation of interesting opportunities. Please let us know if we can help you make a positive change in any aspect of your data centre career by contacting our team today .

‘The cloud doesn’t live in the ‘clouds’, but it could live in "The Land of The Long White Cloud’ Aotearoa, New Zealand’

Fri, 14 May 2021 06:40:44 GMT

Written by Paul Haley

Over the last few years, I have been questioned by many people in varying industries around what the future holds for the Data Centre market in New Zealand, having seen the rapid growth around the world and little to none locally to the same scale, I always held high hopes that it would flourish but we always needed the catalyst. Having been in the Data Centre industry for 14 years, having an economics degree, electrical qualification and being a Kiwi, with the recent spotlight being shone on the New Zealand Data Centre industry I thought I would put some content together to supply a different perspective from a local’s point of view which may potentially help flourish a country that has so much potential. Maybe we are finally at the tipping point.

My main answer to what the future held was that connectivity to the world was limited to one subsea cable with no redundancy, the southern cross cable built in 2000, which heavily restricted development and higher data transfer costs. With the increase in connectivity over the last five years with the addition of the Tasman Global Access cable in 2017 and Hawaiki Cable in July 2018 this gave that resilience and capacity availability that we did not have and desperately needed. The future looks even brighter though with the Southern Cross NEXT cable forecast completion in 2022 and discussions of potentially 3 other subsea cables the Transoceanic Cable from Chile to New Zealand and the 2 Datagrid new cables to connect their proposed new 100Mw facility in the South Island. This being true New Zealand would be opened further to have the capabilities to support diverse routes and larger speeds, capacity, and resilience.

Once the connectivity issue was resolved, I think the second biggest problem was that Data Centre’s were never seen as a huge draw card for the country, a limited population and heavily removed from any other substantial population, there was no one that understood the country (a lot of people couldn’t even find it on a map) and have never put time into researching the possibilities and capabilities. To date the main players have been local companies supplying the local market. We always found in the earlier days of working in the industry in New Zealand for EDS that we were a rounding figure for them, we supplied a great service, but it was never going to make an international corporate its targets and sinking extensive capital would not get the returns. This aside with the growth of the industry and the increased requirements for data, cloud storage and the need to house certain information onshore the market seems more viable.

Hyperscale economies of scale is to be a saving grace for the ever-burdened colocation market with increasing uptime requirements and increasing costs. The hyperscale model has given the flexibility for companies to not have to outlay expensive IT equipment, plant and even outlay an entire Data Centre. As we are well aware these can become hindering to a core business with no true data centre background, with no one understanding of the power hungry OPEX and CAPEX intensive beast they become over time which can just be an outsourced service that just works seamlessly and lives in a place called the ‘cloud’. Now in the international market with sites being built by the likes of Airtrunk in APAC from 3 x 100Mw+ sites in Australia to 300Mw in Japan and Digital reality trust announcing a 200Mw Sydney campus and Equinix building its 5th site in Singapore. APAC has a population of around 4.2 billion people and according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield, the overall Asia Pacific co-location data centre market size will be worth US$28 billion in 2024, overtaking regions such as North America to become the largest worldwide. There are new ventures in the Data Centre industry developing at rapid pace with what looks to be financial investors lining up to get into the market for a piece of the largest growing market and a solid return from good length contracts with large international companies, what more could they ask for to diversify a portfolio and stabilise return as in most cases you are investing in not just a technology/data storage facility you are getting real estate, where we see the ‘McDonalds’ model holding true.

The New Zealand Market Drastically changed on the 6th May 20 with an announcement from Microsoft to establish its first data centre region in New Zealand, there was a resurface of more questions than answers. Then 21st May 20 CDC announced its arrival with 2 Auckland facilities of around 20mw and then New Zealand had its first step into the hyperscale market. This news also sent excitement not just in New Zealand but also internationally and put New Zealand in the forefront of a lot of people’s minds whilst Covid continued challenging the world. It also opened-up the new question ‘what are the future possibilities’ and who else is investigating the options. That question was soon to be answered with the announcement that Datagrid are investigating to build a 100Mw Data Centre in Southland and install 2 new subsea cables to support more diversity within the country and to the facility.

To Compare the difference with the 2 new hyperscale companies CDC and Datagrid being at 2 ends of the country this does show that there are options with building a hyperscale facility in New Zealand, with some thinking outside the box. With conditions in the South Island being compared to that of Iceland due to it being the leading Data Centre country in the world, has shown that Auckland may not be the only place to support what is required for a hyperscale facility. The recent articles have been pointing more so towards the South Island due to the climate and favourable conditions for data centres but not the population as New Zealand’s population is heavily centred in the North island 76% and Auckland 33%(of entire NZ pop.) it still has great opportunities which currently has that existing connectivity. The weather conditions in Auckland are favourable and one would expect to see an 70-80% annual free cooling with a PUE in the 1.2-1.3 range, I agree it’s not the 1.1 and 100% of the year but it is good and dependent on how adventurous you could be with temperatures this could be pushed further.

Data centres use about 3% of global electricity production and we have seen a driver for renewable energy to be utilised and to be carbon neutral from the big tech companies. Their focus is on full renewable energy with Google going the next step of full renewable with time matching of the generation required, a lofty target but doable. In 2019 MBIE Electricity in New Zealand stated ‘New Zealand has the third highest rate of renewable energy as a portion of primary supply in the OECD (after Norway and Iceland). 40% of our primary energy supply comes from renewable sources’ which does make NZ very favourable.

The current New Zealand Data centre landscape is not structured like other countries technology hubs which promote areas to be used for technology growth and development with the best connectivity and electricity availability already supplied, which does lead into challenges in all of those areas, Auckland being the major city of New Zealand would have the larger and higher concentration of Data centres and little City planning has gone into the accommodating data centres in general due to lack of understanding the potential opportunity we have.

Covid-19, this has also shown how changeable conditions can be and how drastic of a swing it can take and maybe that little island in the middle of nowhere actually may serve as a valuable resource for a country supplying political stability, reasonably priced land, renewable energy, favourable environmental conditions, New Zealand to consistently rank at the top of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) number 1 with Denmark and generally a great place to live.

Growth

Data becoming one of the most valuable resources in the world, requirements to house data onshore and companies wanting to hold information for longer periods of time does leave an ever-increasing demand without factoring what the future holds for new technology.

Talking to people in the industry it is still a very unknown quantifiable amount with the likes of 5G and the capabilities that can be realised once we have the speeds and a consistent network to utilise across a country, IOT, films and TV HD 8k, gaming, Autonomous Vehicles, mobile phone capabilities and camera quality, Video conferencing, matching this with edge computing for lower latency, more local caching and the desire to always have more capacity and speed will drive the market. As Covid struck and the surge in video conferencing platforms like Zoom use of the firm's software jumped 30-fold in April 2020 seeing a peak of 300 million daily participants and as lock downs started change in capacity use across networks saw peak times drastically change that have never been seen before.

New Zealand being a large draw card now for film and TV production facilities with the help of Sir Peter Jackson It has become a mecca more so since Covid has struck with movies like Avatar, Mulan, Bebop Cowboy and the Lord of the Rings series has shown an influx in activity. This translates to Disney+, Netflix and Amazon all having a production presence in country. This exploding rivalry for competing content and the race to producing content in NZ has what is estimated as a $3.5billion dollar industry currently. If we can extend this market with a full end to end production in country, we could see a further increase in the local capacity demands as the rendering requirements compound exponentially with technology advancements. There is now cloud rendering giving flexibility to how and where this can be done but it takes large amounts of processing power and the further push into higher definition will see the requirements compound. We have seen a 400% increase in screen resolution every 4 to 5 years with changes from 720 - 1080 – 4K and now 8k.

Skills

As the worlds Data Centre market grows at an astonishing rate the global industry skill shortage with trying to secure people with the skillsets to manage a normal size let alone the hyperscale facilities is becoming more and more challenging and is an extremely hot topic. With New Zealand being no exception to this I personally think it will be even more challenging to support a rapidly growing industry with the skilled resources from the local talent pool with such a limited number of Data centres in country and the existing workforce very small especially in a true 24/7 operation, Auckland let alone a Hyperscale facility in the deep south of the South Island will come with large challenges. That is just operational teams, first the facilities would need to be built and DC construction is a rarity in New Zealand so ensuring a solid operational lead was in place during construction would be essential. Companies will need to adjust their employment strategies and ensure quality training frameworks are in place to deliver that high standard that is required to meet the customers’ expectations.

These are exciting times for the industry globally but for New Zealand an amazing opportunity to spread our wings and get the government to support and promote the country as the place to be and move us into the forefront of the digital era.

If you are interested to discuss further insights on the growing New Zealand data centre market, please contact the author for more information

Top 5 reasons why you should be working in the data centre industry

Wed, 05 May 2021 06:47:22 GMT

Written by Gareth Johnston

Top 5 reasons why you should be working in the data centre industry

International Opportunities

There’s no getting away from it, the data centre industry is truly global. Over the years, I’ve met and placed countless number of professionals who not only have had exciting jobs working on some of the biggest data centre projects out there, but they have been lucky enough to do it across multiple borders, experiencing multiple cultures, languages and standards of operation.

Skills Shortage

If you happen to be skilled and experienced in an industry that has big gaps in the talent pool, then your value is quite exponentially greater than it may be in another sector. The data centre market is one of those industries suffering with massive skills shortages, and forecasts suggest that by 2025 an extra 300,000+ further jobs will be created, globally, in data centres. By building your expertise in the industry, you are future proofing your career and quite possibly boosting your earning potential quite significantly at the same time.

Changing the World

If you work in the data centre sector in any capacity, then you are part of what is, quite probably, the most important industry on the planet today. If you consider that every driving factor for the global economy leads back to a data centre somewhere, then you’ll understand what I mean. Examples may include day to day use of your smart phone; continued cloud adoption by data hungry businesses; the Internet of Things; driverless cars; and Artificial Intelligence. All of these, and much more, are key drivers of the industry.

Quite simply put - data centres power our present and future World. This is exciting stuff!

Continuous Innovation

Whichever angle you look at it from, data centres are highly technical environments; and there is no doubt that the technology being used in the industry is evolving at an incredible rate. As data centres have become increasingly "hyperscale" in recent years, we have witnessed frankly eye watering levels of increasing power demands. As such data centre businesses are being forced to innovate in order to stay green, maximise efficiency and minimise costs. Not to mention that these facilities are being built at unprecedented levels of SPEED in order to keep up with demand, which again, drives innovative practices during construction and project work.

This industry isn’t for the faint hearted, but it is brilliant for professionals who want to be consistently challenged and for those who understand that even if you are the very best at what you do, you still know less now than you are going to know in 12 months’ time.

The People

The data centre industry is a social one and is full of genuinely great people! If you like to make new friends, share ideas and build new networks of likeminded individuals, then this is the place for you. Whether it be regionally, nationally or internationally – you will have the opportunity to work on (and get emotionally invested in) challenging and rewarding projects with peers at all levels. As mentioned already, this is a truly global industry, so you may just start building friendships with people in all corners of the Earth.

If you are in the APAC region and interested in exploring new opportunities within the data centre industry, please contact the author or you can register your details here to keep updated with our latest positions.

Can New Zealand become the new Hub for Data Centres?

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 06:58:23 GMT

Written by Barry Lewington

When the market speaks about the countries that lead the Data Centre market, we hear the US, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, and Germany, but New Zealand would not be in the Premier Division of Data Centre countries, currently ranked 22nd in the world, but could all of this be about to change?

If we look at New Zealand’s in-country commercial business requirements for Data Centre space, it is not significant, and the current Data Centre Service Providers just about meet the country’s current needs. It’s true the population (4.8 million) are not the biggest users of the Internet ranked 19th in APAC. Within the country there are registered 73 Colocation Data Centres (source - Cloudscene).

So how can this group of some 600 islands that make up New Zealand located in the Pacific Ocean renowned for its national rugby team (The All Blacks), indigenous Maori culture and its picturesque landscape, become a major Data Centre hub?

The Data Centre marketplace is a complex beast! Not every Data Centre is suitable for every customer, in fact customers have varied requirements that have tested Data Centres to the extreme, and in many cases have found the Data Centre facility lacking the capability to meet the needs. The mainstream Data Centre Service Providers seek the traditional Corporate/Government clients to host their Enterprise IT infrastructure in their colocation facilities, and this has been a good business for many of the successful Data Centre Service Providers for the past 30 years.

Today though the model is going through a change. Enter stage right the Hyperscalers (typically Cloud Service Providers such as Microsoft, AWS etc.), all looking to take up big footprints in new facilities providing a rich revenue stream for the Data Centre Service Providers. The Corporate market for Data Centre space has for many years been steady, but the footprints have been reducing in size as Corporates also start the move of their IT services to the Hyperscaler platforms.

There is though, a new growing market that has not been served well by this mainstream supply, the ‘High Processing’ marketplace. Today there exists clients whose business requirements require high processing/high performance computing (HPC) systems, clients such as:

- research companies

- oil, gas and mineral mining

- cryptocurrency mining

- new product modelling and testing

- artificial intelligence and machine learning systems

- media and entertainment

- financial services

With the imminent growth of 5G applications, the need to process incoming data from, for example, autonomous cars will grow exponentially. Automobile manufacturers are dramatically going through a major refurbishment of their models as they try to keep up with the competition for the release of energy efficient and environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles, so the traditional market is due for change.

As complex as the Data Centre services market is, so is the Data Centre build market!

A standard Data Centre is built using a common framework with the typical outcome a standard Tier III (UTI) compliant facility. This model has not changed dramatically for the past 30 years but for the odd tweak here and there as technology has improved.

Data Centres need access to key external utilities to make them work and remain competitive:

1. Access to the reliable delivery of electrical power, and lots of it. Today’s Data Centres typically start at 10MW and many new ones are being built with capacity to support 100MW and more. A Requirement is the need to be close to at least one electrical sub-station, if not expect to pay US$1 mill per kilometre for power cables to be installed.

2. Access to the Telecommunications Fibre Network Highway (preferably diverse connectivity), so that customers can have a broad selection of Telecommunications Service Providers.

3. Safe secure location, away from flood plains, air routes, railway lines and high-risk facilities (gas/petrochemical facilities)

4. Good road access to allow customers and the support staff to access the facility, and not too far away from a major city/town.

Even with ticks in all the boxes for all the must haves, there are many wins to be made from a second checklist, that will differentiate the Data Centre facility from its competition.

- Environmental – the external environment can have a big impact on how cooling within the Data Centre will be implemented. A typical Data Centre runs with an internal Data Hall environmental temperature that aligns with the ASHRAE guidelines being an envelope of between 18C to 25C and a maximum threshold of 32C, although most Data Centres today aim for a cold aisle envelope of 25C and 28C, very different from the cold computer rooms of 30 years ago. With operating temperatures of between 25C and 28C there is a greater opportunity to utilise ‘Free Cool Air’ when the external air is sub 25C, using the cool air externally and bringing it directly into the Data Hall rather than mechanically cooling air which has a by-product of using valuable power. There is a downside that humidity within the hall must be constrained between 20% and 80% and this needs to be managed when bringing in external air.

- Access to Water – If mechanical cooling is required then access to water (lots) may also be required (depending on the cooling method used).

- Power – as mentioned above the need for access to a large power source. The cost of power varies considerably by location and access to cheap power can greatly reduce the cost of services to the customer. New Zealand has had great success in developing a renewable energy strategy with 80% now sourced from renewable sources (20% from geothermal sources). If we compare this with a new entrant in the Data Centre market, Iceland (located in the northern hemisphere between Norway and Greenland) whose power is also sourced from renewable sources (70% from hydroelectric power and 30% from geothermal), there is a familiar picture forming.

Iceland has a population of just 333,000, but has become a growing Data Centre market, with 99% of its customer coming from offshore.

So why is Iceland becoming a growing Data Centre market?

Two key reasons, access to an environment where the external temperature doesn’t reach 20oC during the summer, so provides constant access to ‘Free Cool Air’ reducing the need for mechanical cooling systems (reduced build and run costs), and secondly access to very cheap renewable energy.

So, could this be repeated in New Zealand?

Temperatures in the South Island rarely reach a high of 20C in the summer, well below the minimum temperatures required in the Data Halls of 25C, providing the opportunity for 12 months of ‘Free Cool Air’. Add to this access to cheap renewable power services and the New Zealand model mimics that of Iceland. Add to this:

- Ease of doing business – ranked 1st globally

- Political Freedom – ranked 1 (highest ranking)

- Global Peace Index – ranked 4th globally

With a growing market for high-capacity processing hosting facilities that are efficient (expect a PUE (Power Usage Efficiency) rating of sub 1.1) and access to reliable low cost power, access through high bandwidth fibre telecommunications and market that is easy to do business in and you have a good balanced environment.

Taking all the above into consideration, expect New Zealand to grasp this opportunity to grow its Data Centre footprint to a new demanding global marketplace over the coming years.

For more information on this article and the growing New Zealand Data Centre market contact the author.

Happy New Year from MCR!

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 07:02:25 GMT

2020. Wow. What can we say about last year that hasn’t already been said? Truth be told, not much, so we will keep our end of year wrap up pretty brief!

In a year that provided so much uncertainty and despair for so many, we here at Mission Critical Recruitment have come to realise just how lucky we are, for many reasons. But concentrating from a business perspective, we have no doubt that we are in the right industry at the right time. We are more grateful than ever to all of our clients, candidates and friends who have helped us to grow in 2020, and we look forward to working with you over the next 12 months.

As the World comes to increasingly rely on the data centre industry, we thought we would share some of our 2021 goals which, if achieved, we hope will be a win win for not only us, but for our clients:

Growth in numbers. We are looking to hire more recruiters, with the plan to double from 3 staff to 6 by the end of 2021. This will allow us to maintain and improve our service delivery levels.
Geographical expansion. As the industry becomes increasingly international, data centre companies are expanding in to new areas such as Japan, Indonesia and Korea, for example. There are, and will be, major challenges for data centre businesses who are looking to build local workforces in those countries. Although these are relatively new territories for us also, we are actively expanding our knowledge of these markets and we aim to become a trusted recruitment partner not just in our traditional hubs of Australia, NZ, Singapore and Hong Kong but truly across the Asia and Pacific region.
Wider spread of role types. MCR have traditionally covered the engineering, construction and FM space. Our plan is that 2021 will see us covering an increasing number of roles in the commercial, sales and executive space.

In short, we'd like to continue to offer a valuable service to the data centre industry! With that in mind, if Mission Critical Recruitment may be able to assist you or your business in 2021, please do get in touch with us at any time by writing to us at: gareth@mcr.agency

And finally, to sign off, given the precarious situation the World finds itself in, more than ever this year we would like to take this opportunity to pass on our most sincere best wishes for the 12 months ahead (both on a professional and personal level) to everyone reading.

Time to start a new life? Japan is a great career move for a data centre professional...

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 07:08:30 GMT

As the World increasingly relies on data like never before, data centre businesses are continuing to expand their operations in terms of both scale and geography. The Asia Pacific territory is now the fastest growing region in the World in this sector, where, for years, the traditional hubs for international businesses have always been Singapore and Hong Kong. However, the biggest trend of the last 1-2 years is that data centre operators and cloud providers are seeking out new markets, and they're seeking them out in a big way.

There are several new hot spots, and none seemingly more hot than Japan. With 1.5% of the World's population, and 6% of global GDP, there is an obvious attraction for some of the World's largest companies to set up and grow their operations. However, the market is not without it's challenges. We're going to focus on the challenge of finding the right skillsets with a particular focus on the language barrier.

Language, Language, Language

Recent studies suggest that only 8% of Japanese natives speak fluent English, which causes an obvious disconnect for English speaking companies entering the market. Combine that with the general skillset shortage of data centre professionals, and there becomes a very obvious and serious risk of things going wrong due to miscommunications. Interpreters are often engaged to fill the gaps but too often this is not the best solution as technical language does not always translate well.

Career Prospects

A career in the data centre industry in Japan could prove a smart move for a number of reasons. Some of which include:

1. Becoming internationally exposed to one of the most culturally stimulating environments on the planet

2. In a low skilled environment, as a subject matter expert in data centres, then it may be likely that you will have a chance to move in to leadership roles in a quicker timeframe than you may elsewhere

3. Japan is home to some of the largest planned data centre projects in the World. With the exclusion of China and America, you will struggle to find countries with as much new capacity planned over the next 5 years. Projects up to the size of an eyewatering 350MW are getting underway and 2021 will see more announcements of new projects and new entrants to the market.

OK, sign me up, I want to move!

As with any "permanent" cross border relocation, there is a process to go through in addition to the usual interview process. Fortunately, the Japanese government are actively taking steps to loosen immigration requirements and, as long as you have a willing sponsor (ie an employer who want to hire you) then it's not too difficult to get yourself the relevant working Visa. However, it must be recognised that your ability to effectively do business / deliver projects / run operations in Japan will be seriously enhanced if you are keen to integrate in to the wonderfully unique Japanese culture, which of course includes speaking the language. If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be take, or sign up to, a Japanese language course prior to even making a job application. The more you can learn, the better - but any basic level of ability to speak the language and base upon which to build, will not only better your career prospects, but will make integrating in to local society that little bit easier.

Australia’s first recruitment company dedicated to the data centre industry

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 07:15:16 GMT

Australia finally has its first ever recruitment company dedicated to the data centre industry.

Launching on March 12th 2018, Mission Critical Recruitment (MCR) aims not only to be a linchpin of the industry in Australia, but also across the wider Asia Pacific region. Gareth Johnston, MCR’s founder and Director of Data Centre Recruitment, brings a wealth of experience having initially started working on data centre positions in 2009, whilst based in the UK. 9 years later, having dedicated his career to working in this sector, Gareth feels that the time is right to give the industry the focus that it deserves. He said:

“The data centre industry continues to grow at breakneck speed, and being able to source and find suitably qualified data centre professionals continues to be a key challenge for most organisations. Our goal is that MCR, with our vast knowledge of the national and international marketplace, becomes a key partner to many of those companies as they continue to thrive.”

GARETH JOHNSTON – DIRECTOR, MISSION CRITICAL RECRUITMENT

Mission Critical Recruitment is based in Sydney and will offer expertise across the entire design, build, operate lifecycle of the data centre. For more information, you can contact MCR directly on info@mcr.agency or +61 (0) 435 484 571.

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