Skip to Main Content

BytesAndBanter

    BytesAndBanter

    Activity

    • Communications Terri Oropeza (Admin) posted an article
      Bytes and Banter Episode 9: Does Generative AI mean the end of IT Support?
      Does Generative AI mean the end of IT Support? see more

      Bytes and Banter Episode 9: The State of Tech Support with Principal Analyst Daniel Thomas

      So often there are hypothetical or theoretical research papers and resources. Theory and hypothetical are absolutely things we should look at, especially as technology continues to evolve. However, when you can hear from leaders doing the work in your field, it has a different level of meaning.

      In this episode of  Bytes and Banter, we sit down with Daniel Thomas, Principal Analyst with HDI Informa Tech to dive into the real state of tech support. What are the professionals leading tech support teams saying about where the industry is headed?

      HDI State of Tech Support provides the insight of nearly 200 professionals in Tech Support who experience the pain points, are exploring the latest trends and lead tech support teams every day. The report offers 98 pages of insight that for tech leaders giving a broad view of what is happening in the tech support world. 

      Key findings? Hybrid work is here to stay and 41% of organizations plan to deploy generative AI in the next 12 months. The skills that organizations hold in high esteem for tech roles may be a surprise to some. While technical aptitude is important, organizations are placing more value on the ability to learn, communication skills and self-motivation for their support analysts. Leaders must have integrity, have strong ability to lead teams towards a common purpose and speak business language.

      One theme that continues to gain momentum is experience matters - a lot!. There continues to be a greater focus on experience management and this trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
      Regardless of the industry, leaders in technology must continue to look at how we can stay ahead of trends, retain talent and meet the growing demands of their organization. The State of Tech Support can lend value to that exact end. 

      Tune in to Bytes and Banter on  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe and stay updated with our latest episodes, where we delve into diverse topics and hear wonderful stories.

      HDI Local Chapters – brings the #TechnicalSupport professionals together to connect, share, and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators.

       
       October 18, 2024
      Share
        |   Permalink
    • Communications Terri Oropeza (Admin) posted an article
      Bytes and Banter Episode 8: Job Your Career Toolkit: Job Search Strategies with Doug Bell from Robert Half
      Practical Tips for Success: Upskilling, Networking, and Working with Recruiters see more

      Bytes and Banter Episode 8: Job Your Career Toolkit: Job Search Strategies with Doug Bell from Robert Half

      Practical Tips for Success: Upskilling, Networking, and Working with Recruiters

      Doug Bell has been a lead recruiter for 8+ years. He’s worked with recruiting for technology roles in Infrastructure and Operation teams. Finding top talent for roles ranging from analyst & engineers to managers & directors, and anything in between. In this episode of Bytes and Banter he shares what he’s learned and seen recently in the job market. 

      Are you asking yourself any of the following questions?

      • How do I level up my resume?
      • How do I grow my professional network?
      • Do I have to face a job search alone?

      Based on a 1000 worker survey like the “Big Stay” movement where 35% of workers are looking for a new job in the second half of 2024 down from 49% in July 2023.

      77% of those workers are happy in their role.

      85% of them report a good work-life balance.

      For those who are looking to “Pivot” and job search. He shares practical tips on how you can enhance your resume, LinkedIn, and other professional network accounts. As employers still have a high demand on skilled talent, it’s important to continue to build your network. As organizations make adjustments to meet some of the competitive salaries, flexible work locations/schedules, and continue to build positive work cultures & dynamic teams.

      Finally, he removes some myths about working with a recruiter and why people should look at this “Free Money” investment. Recruiters can be a supportive companion when performing a job search.  They will help share best practices, provide mock interviews, salary guide information, and be your cheerleader throughout your journey.

      Continue to apply these tips to keep your professional networks growing and current as well as know there are supportive organizations out there who can help you.

      Tune in to Bytes and Banter on  Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe and stay updated with our latest episodes, where we delve into diverse topics and hear wonderful stories.

      HDI Local Chapters – brings the #TechnicalSupport professionals together to connect, share, and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators.

      #thinkhd #HDILocali #BytesAndBanter #itsupport #pivot #freemoney #bigstay

       October 06, 2024
      Share
        |   Permalink
    • Communications Terri Oropeza (Admin) posted an article
      Bytes & Banter: Trust is the Catalyst: From Marine to Mentor: Building Resilience with Tony North
      Leadership in the tech world is like flying a plane with ever-changing controls. see more

      Bytes & Banter Episode 6: Trust is the Catalyst: From Marine to Mentor: Building Resilience with Tony North

      Leadership is tricky. It involves both strategy and tactics. How you communicate is critical, and the goals you set have to make sense and drive the business forward. All of these things must happen amidst consistent change. It’s much as if you’re flying a plane where the mechanics of the steering system are constantly changing every few hundred miles, all while there is turbulence ahead but you’re not sure exactly when you arrive or which direction the wind will be pushing you while you attempt to climb attitude.

      In this episode of Bytes and Banter, our guest Tony North shares wisdom from over twenty years of experience leading in the technology landscape. Tony talks about dreaming big, being adaptable and creating a culture that embraces learning together and risk.

      “The first is building a trust environment and second is learning together. I want to build a team where actually; we care about each other. Where when my folks take a risk I encourage that. When you take a risk you don’t want to be hammered for trying to do the right thing for the customer, what we try to do is encourage people to take risk.”

      In the support industry where technology is evolving faster than a newborn baby, there are some things that do not change. Tony doesn’t just hit the nail on the head – but smashes it with a “LOUDER FOR THOSE IN THE BACK!” sledgehammer here. Trust, learning together, taking risks, embracing failure, doing what’s right for the customer and encouraging your people to take chances.

      Trust is the catalyst for all the above. Trust leads to teams being willing to take risks. Sure, the risk taken may fail. It may also just happen to one that transforms the experience of our organization, employees or customers in ways we never thought possible. Risk leads to change that impacts lives in tangible ways.

      Leadership only thrives from a foundation of trust. When trust thrives, so goes the team. When teams thrive, the organization flourishes. When an organization thrives, its mission succeeds.

      Tune in to Bytes and Banter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe and stay updated with our latest episodes, where we delve into diverse topics and hear wonderful stories.

       

       

      HDI Local Chapters - brings the #TechnicalSupport professionals together to connect, share and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators. 

       

      #thinkhdi #hdilocal #bytesandbanter #bettertogether #itsupport

       
       August 02, 2024
      Share
        |   Permalink
    • Communications Terri Oropeza (Admin) posted an article
      Bytes & Banter: Embracing Change: Navigating the Technological Winds with Thomas Vick of Robert Half
      Overcoming Tech Debt: Building future-Forward Teams see more

       The idea that anything stays the same is an ideology that really doesn’t have any roots in reality. Technology has offered clear evidence of this for the past thirty years. In this episode of Bytes and Banter we sat down with Thomas Vick, Senior Regional Director at Robert Half to discuss this very reality.

      As winds of change come, so does the need to adjust the sails. If we don’t adjust the sails and the winds shift direction, we will land way off our desired destination. In the grand scheme of technology, the wind is constantly changing, and we are facing down Generative AI and ML like we’ve never seen before.

      For organizations this means we have to adjust the sail to ensure we arrive at our desired destination. This idea of embracing change continues to emerge (see the Bytes and Banter episodes with Patrycja Sobera and Kirk Weisler as proof!).   As Thomas dove into the Building Future Forward Tech Teams article released by Robert Half, it pointed to the way organizations really need to adjust their sails.

      When it comes to technology, like everything else we do, it starts with our people. Specifically the skills of our organization's people. The demand to change the sail with the direction of the wind (i.e integrate AI into everything we do, improve technology to better drive our business outcomes) really leads to the conclusion that we must ensure our organizations are cultivating a culture that develops these skills while also knowing when to bring these skills from the outside to help level up our capabilities (and impact to our people and customers!).

      While there is zero doubt technical debt can complicate the advancement of digital transformation, it doesn’t change the reality of what tomorrow looks like. Leaders of organizations, now more than ever, must get really strategic in how to advance the technology to ensure it continues to bring value to their employees and customers alike.

      "As AI and machine learning continue to advance at an unprecedented pace, the real differentiator for organizations will be their ability to cultivate a continuous cycle of learning and innovation. Investing in both the technology and the talent to stay ahead is no longer optional—it's imperative for future success."

      Tune in to Bytes and Banter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe and stay updated with our latest episodes, where we delve into diverse topics and hear wonderful stories.

      HDI Local Chapters - brings the #TechnicalSupport professionals together to connect, share and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators. 

       

       

       

       

       
    • Communications Terri Oropeza (Admin) posted an article
      Bytes & Banter: Kirk Weisler keeps inspiring - a few lessons we learned from talking with Kirk
      Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Choosing Hard see more

      Something most leaders experience throughout their careers is imposter syndrome. Yet it’s still surprising when someone well respected, admired and looked up to by much of the industry talks about their battle with it. In this weeks episode of Bytes & Banter we talked to Kirk Weisler about his journey and overcoming this common leadership struggle. The Kirk Weisler origin story is one that all leaders can really glean wisdom from. 

      As Kirk does what he does best, inspire through story, it will leave you with a resounding desire to choose hard things. The benefits of choosing to step outside of what’s comfortable can impact the trajectory of your life (it sure did for Kirk). It's also a reminder that as a leader, it’s our job to set the tone when the voices in our own head tell us “you don’t belong” or “you’re not qualified). It's a reminder to ourselves that showing up every day for those we lead should never be about us. In the moments that we may question if our leadership made a mistake hiring us, it’s important to remember that main thing... it’s not about us. We are in the place we find ourselves for a reason. Our job as leaders is to remember that it’s not about us but about those who are willing and gracious enough to give us the opportunity to impact them in some way.

      Tune in to Bytes and Banter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe and stay updated with our latest episodes, where we delve into diverse topics and hear wonderful stories.

      HDI Local Chapters - brings the #TechnicalSupport professionals together to connect, share and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators. 
    • Communications Terri Oropeza (Admin) posted an article
      Bytes & Banter: Woman in Tech: Patrycja Sobera's Rise from Iron Curtain to Global Executive
      “Standing still is no longer an option…” see more

      Being comfortable is something so many of us have gotten used to. We can order food from our smart phones while we get answers to basically anything we want through Chat GPT all from the comfort of our couch. How many of us go through life avoiding being uncomfortable? In this episode of Bytes and Banter we hear from a Digital Titan (literally…she won the ISG Digital Titan Award!) who challenges us to think differently about being comfortable.

      Specifically in tech, Patrycja Sobera is a female who shares her story of growth and the true benefit of being uncomfortable. This concept of being comfortable in the uncomfortable really seems to be a trend (Kirk Weisler actually really dove into this same idea in a previous episode!).

      Patryca’s vision and passion and story of growth is truly an inspiration to all tech leaders. She dives into her journey as a woman in tech – from growing up under communist Russia in Poland to Global Vice President leading an business unit of thousands. Her story is inspiring but also relevant to tech leaders who want to stop being comfortable. From the passion for evolution, saying yes to opportunities that present themselves, and how post pandemic the rules in tech have been turned upside down.

      Adapting to unprecedented technology change, XLAs, and being curious about everything. Patrycja truly challenges us to remember something critical for every leader to remember:

      “Standing still is no longer an option…”

      Tune in to Bytes and Banter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe and stay updated with our latest episodes, where we delve into diverse topics and hear wonderful stories.

      HDI Local Chapters - brings the TechnicalSupport professionals together to connect, share and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators.