As an MSP leader, your days are consumed by cybersecurity alerts, client escalations, technician utilization, AI adoption and finding new ways to grow recurring revenue. It’s easy to become consumed by day-to-day operations, but a much greater challenge quietly threatens the long-term success of your business: the growing shortage of skilled IT talent.
Finding experienced systems engineers, cybersecurity specialists, cloud architects and help desk professionals is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. At the same time, AI is reshaping many entry-level IT roles, changing how new professionals gain the hands-on experience that has traditionally served as the industry’s training ground.
Too many MSP executives view talent development as a passive human resources function, assuming that posting an opening on a job board will eventually produce the right candidate. In today’s market, that approach is a recipe for stagnation. If you want a resilient technical team that understands your clients’ businesses and consistently delivers exceptional service, you have to stop waiting for experienced engineers to appear and start developing talent from within. The future of your MSP depends on your willingness to step beyond the daily operational grind and dedicate meaningful time and resources to educating and encouraging the next generation of IT professionals.
Reflections on two decades of channel mentorship
I don’t say this lightly or from a purely theoretical standpoint. My perspective comes from more than twenty years of living and breathing the IT channel, working alongside managed service providers (MSPs), value-added resellers (VARs), integrators and software vendors. I started my career deep in the trenches as a traditional IT administrator, dealing with server crashes and network security vulnerabilities before eventually becoming a part-owner of an ISV and VAR business. Over those two decades, I watched the industry evolve through massive waves of disruption—from the rise of virtualization and cloud computing to today’s explosion of AI-powered automation.
Looking back, I can confidently say I didn’t achieve business success or technical fluency in a vacuum. I am the direct product of intentional, generous mentorship. Early in my career, seasoned professionals took the time to teach me not only the technical side of IT, but also how to communicate with customers, navigate difficult situations and build lasting relationships based on trust. Later, as I transitioned into technology publishing, I found a new generation of mentors who were just as willing to invest in my growth.
They didn’t mentor me because it improved their quarterly numbers. They did it because they cared about the long-term health of our industry. Today’s MSP leaders have the same opportunity – and responsibility – to help shape the professionals who will eventually lead the channel.
Make mentorship part of your culture
Investing in the next generation doesn’t require a large training budget or a formal corporate education program. It starts by making learning part of your organization’s culture.
If your newest technicians spend every day buried in a ticket queue with little exposure to customers, projects or experienced engineers, they’re far more likely to become disengaged – or leave for another opportunity. Instead, create an environment where education is woven into everyday operations.
Pair experienced engineers with junior technicians during customer onboarding projects, security assessments, infrastructure deployments and complex troubleshooting engagements. Invite newer employees to participate in QBRs, client strategy sessions and vCIO meetings so they begin to understand the business challenges behind the technology. Give them ownership of smaller projects while providing regular coaching and constructive feedback. Learning accelerates when responsibility is paired with mentorship.
When employees see that your organization is genuinely invested in their long-term growth – not simply today’s billable hours – they’re far more likely to stay, contribute and eventually become leaders within your business.
Mentorship also creates a competitive advantage. Clients notice when technicians communicate confidently, solve problems proactively and understand the business outcomes they’re trying to achieve. Those skills aren’t earned through certifications alone. They’re developed through coaching, experience and leaders willing to invest in the next generation.
Build a lasting legacy
Technology changes constantly. Today’s preferred security platform, RMM solution or cloud architecture will eventually be replaced by something better. The lasting legacy of an MSP isn’t the technology stack it deploys – it’s the people it develops.
By making a conscious decision to mentor the next generation of IT professionals, you accomplish far more than improving your own hiring pipeline. You strengthen your culture, improve customer service, increase employee retention and contribute to the long-term health of the managed services industry.
As AI continues to transform how IT services are delivered and competition for experienced talent intensifies, MSPs that intentionally develop future engineers, consultants and business leaders will be best positioned to grow. Investing in people isn’t simply good leadership – it’s one of the smartest long-term business strategies an MSP can make.
