Insider Access: Sourcing the talent to deliver the telco of the future
Telecom companies are undergoing a major transformation, redefining their role and embracing cultural changes.
By hiring talent from outside the industry, they’re gaining fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to improve services and customer experiences.
This panel will explore how leaders are reshaping their business structures, cultures and talent strategies.
Speakers
- Tina Donaldson, VP strategy – netnumber (Moderator)
- Chandy Ghosh, COO & GM of emergency services – SINCH
- Tricia Harvester, director of network planning and cloud infrastructure – Oracle
- Elya McCleave, founder & CEO – Innovorg
- Warren Reyburn, COO – White Label Communications
Early investments: Building for tomorrow
As the telecom industry moves forward, it’s clear that early investments in technology and infrastructure are critical for future success.
Oracle’s director of network planning and cloud infrastructure, Tricia Harvester emphasises the importance of preparing for new technology like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and GPUs.
“You’ve got to move quickly, build it right, and deliver on your promises,” Harvester said.
Existing infrastructure has aged out and latency is becoming a growing concern. Our early investments are about ensuring that we build the right infrastructure from the start,” she stated.
Innovorg founder and CEO, Elya McCleave, continued: “Companies are investing in skills intelligence platforms, catalogues that align with current and future services. This helps prepare staff to transition between departments and meet growing business demands.”
Meanwhile, Warren Rayburn highlighted another important aspect: talent retention.
He explained: “The demographics of this industry are changing, it’s getting younger and more diverse. It’s imperative to maintain that talent, for our own success and for the industry at large.”
The importance of personalisation in talent development
A key theme that emerged during the panel was the need for personalised talent development.
McCleave added: “AI allows us to create learning paths tailored to each employee-whether you have 1,000 or 10,000 employees. Skills intelligence helps deliver the right content to close the right gaps.
However, for Harvester, the word “managerial maturity” came to mind when discussing talent development.
“Leaders need to be open to people trying different paths. Cross-training works if you’re willing to let a superstar try-and maybe fail-in another role.”
Ghosh added an additional layer to this conversation, particularly when discussing the generational shift. “Gen Z is going to be AI-native,” he noted. “It’s our responsibility to recruit the right talent-Gen Z and millennials-based on what the telco of the future requires.”
Balancing legacy and innovation via collaboration
The telecom industry is not without its challenges, particularly when it comes to balancing legacy systems with the need for innovation.
As a result, Donaldson posed an important question to the panel: “What are the most pressing challenges in balancing legacy operations with the need to innovate and adapt for the future?”
Ghost stated: “Technical debt has to be worn down. The way to do that is through microservices. Decouple every layer and bring in new technologies at the consumer-facing and infrastructure layers.”
Looking beyond AI, Ghosh highlighted other technologies that will have a profound impact on the future of telco, particularly in areas like 5G, streaming, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
“These are going to require enormous bandwidth,” he said. “New tech like smart alarms and IoT-connected sensors can help prevent critical issues, such as carbon monoxide poisoning or fires, and this is where telco can really make a difference.”
