Kate DeLoach, who has spent over 25 years leading sales teams at AT&T, set the tone for the discussion by emphasising that while technology comes and goes, it’s people who drive innovation and solve problems.
“The people who make the technology, they drive the innovation and they solve the problems,” she said. “That is the truth the past 25 years, and even with generative AI, that’s true for the future as well.”
Carrie Charles, CEO of Broadstaff, echoed DeLoach’s view but warned that the industry is facing a talent crisis.
“There are parts of digital infrastructure where workers are desperate for jobs and other parts where companies are desperate for people,” she said. The solution, she argued, is not just hiring but also retaining and engaging employees.
According to Charles, among the key skills gaps in digital infrastructure include cybersecurity and fibre splicers, especially in more rural operators, adding: “it’s only going to get worse”.
To address the skill gap, the Broadstaff CEO suggested turning to adjacent industries as a potential solution, recruiting workers from sectors like wireless, solar, and wind energy where transferable skills can bridge the gap – rather than poaching from rivals.
“The bottom line is, it’s investing the time and the energy and making it a priority in your business,” Charles said. “It’s not going to happen by putting an ad on Indeed and waiting for people to respond.
“The most successful businesses in this industry are pulling people from other industries and building their talent from within.”
Another solution highlighted by DeLoach was reskilling and upskilling existing employees, an approach she suggested AT&T has embraced through rotational assignments and mentorship programs.
DeLoach described how AT&T nurtures early-career talent by offering exposure to different parts of the business, allowing employees to develop expertise and leadership skills over time.
Satisfaction and retention
Jennifer Ragsdale, chief administrative officer at Uniti, highlighted the direct link between workforce engagement and customer satisfaction.
She detailed how Uniti measures employee impact, using data to understand how factors like installation timelines affect customer happiness. According to Ragsdale, even employees who don’t interact with customers directly play a crucial role in shaping the company’s success.
“Even if employees don’t interact with customers directly, their work has a ripple effect,” she said. “A payroll error, for example, means a frontline worker is distracted, not focused on delivering great service. When we help our employees succeed, we’re ultimately improving the customer experience.”
The concept of satisfaction extends beyond keeping customers happy but also staff, with retention emerging as a key talking point.
Charles pointed out that employees often leave managers, not companies, and urged organisations to invest in mid-level leadership training, particularly to improve accountability and engagement with younger generations entering the workforce.
The panel also touched on the challenges surrounding return-to-office (RTO) mandates.
DeLoach acknowledged the tension between employees who are required to return and those who continue working remotely, noting that hybrid work structures can create new barriers to engagement.
She encouraged companies to foster an inclusive culture by ensuring that remote and in-office employees feel equally valued.
Charles told the audience that companies with RTO mandates may well lose some staff because of them, but those implementing them should look at why – whether it’s purely because they’re “old school” or having to make use of office space.
She said anyone looking at RTO mandates should instead look into why they’re doing it and effectively communicate those reasons to employees.
Ragsdale emphasised that organisations need a clear purpose behind their RTO policies. “If you’re bringing employees back to the office for collaboration, then make sure collaboration is happening,” she said. “If people are just sitting in the office on Teams calls all day, they’re going to question the real reason behind the mandate.”
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