Massachusetts needs to do a better job of attracting talent with a strong mix of hard and soft skills — in other words, someone who can code, but is also culturally savvy, even bilingual — and can easily adapt in a team setting, according to The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's annual Innovation Index.
MTC CEO Pamela Goldberg says it’s a mix she looks for in candidates.
"I think that some of the skills about being able to be collaborative, to work in a team — I often talk about looking for people who’ve played sports," Goldberg said.
Some colleges, such as Massachusetts Bay Community College, have embraced the team approach. On the school’s Wellesley campus, students are working together to create an ecommerce site. They come from four different classes and bring different skill sets. Professor Susanne Steiger-Escobar says the intent is to mimic the startup environment.
"The students are just learning what it means to be a web developer, a web designer, a project manager or a digital imager, so the idea of having the four courses together is a way of having them learn what the different roles are," Steiger-Escobar said.
Computer programming major Mike Morante is collaborating with two students from graphic and web design.
"My background is more in developing, and the back end of things of what makes a website function," Morante said. "So working together with Talia and Veronika — you know, they’re on the creative end of things, and more involved with the graphic design and site design. It would be a good experience to learn more about that and get a more well-rounded feel of web development."
That’s the cross-disciplinary approach that Goldberg is talking about.
"I don’t think any one person should be tasked with finding the pathway to a solution," she said. "Collaborative solutions tend to be better than solo solutions. So that’s definitely a key, so I look for people who know how to be collaborative.
In addition to suggesting the state attract more well-rounded talent, the MTC study also issues a warning.
"Other states are learning our tricks, if you will, and they’re accelerating faster than we are so we have to figure out ways to keep our edge and that’s difficult," Goldberg said.
The index shows we’re still ahead in robotics, big data and biotech, but states like Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio are gaining speed in areas like manufacturing technology. John Barrett of Cook Associates, an executive recruiter, says Massachusetts is stuck on doing things a certain way.
"Investors are sometimes a little bit more reluctant to take a chance on a revolutionary idea," Barrett said. "I think it’s part of that Yankee heritage — there’s a little bit of a risk aversion, a little bit of a conservatism that is a little bit wary of new ideas somewhat."
Barrett also says Massachusetts’ non-compete laws hinder growth. It’s common practice for tech companies to have employees sign an agreement which prohibits them from immediately working for a competitor after leaving the company. He says the emphasis should be on fostering more not less communication among companies.
"Whether it’s events or meet-ups in town, just collaboration, communication — there’s a lot of built-up friction in this town that needs to broken down so that ideas and people and capital start flowing," Barrett said.
Other industry insiders in the area, like Siobhan Dullea of Communispace, are also concerned about not enough companies being committed to building the innovation economy.
"Unless we build that community, such as being involved in MassChallenge, tweet-ups and supporting and mentoring startups, unless companies in MA do that, we’re not going to foster innovation for getting the employees we want," Dullea said.
Finally, the new study suggests the state needs to find a way to keep start up companies here instead of leaving after a few years.
"So if you think about the household-name, large tech companies, they’re all Silicon Valley and West Coast companies," Goldberg said. "There are a number of companies that have been acquired by larger companies. And that’s a trend in Massachusetts that we’re looking to reverse."
Retaining quality talent is key to doing just that, according to the Innovation Index. Additional talent brings in capital and opportunities for growth. Growth that the MTC hopes to expand to the South Shore and other parts of the state.
But Goldberg says this can only happen if more businesses and colleges collaborate so students learn both hard and soft skills before entering the real world.