COMMON POWERUp 2026

If you’re struggling to find skilled IBM i developers or administrators, maybe the problem isn’t the talent pool - it’s where and how you’re looking. This session challenges the common misconception that it’s difficult to attract new talent to the IBM i platform. Drawing from real-world success stories, we’ll explore how hiring for intrinsic qualities - curiosity, problem-solving ability, determination, and passion for learning - can allow you to grow exceptional IBM i professionals from people with no prior experience on the platform. You don’t need people who already know IBM i - you need smart, driven people, with great communications skills, who love learning and never give up. We’ll discuss how building the community you want to hire from starts long before a job posting goes live: through mentoring, engaging with user groups, and giving back to the broader IBM i community. We’ll also cover the importance of providing modern tools and meaningful projects to keep your IBM i developers engaged and inspired - while leading your organization toward building truly modern IBM i applications. You’ll learn strategies for promoting change within your company so IBM i isn’t thought of as a legacy platform, but a legendary one - where innovation, reliability, and modern thinking come together to power your business into the future.

Learning Objectives:

`- How to rethink hiring on IBM i by focusing on potential and mindset, not experience. - Practical strategies to cultivate a pipeline of passionate IBM i talent through community engagement. - Proven methods for mentoring and retaining developers who become enthusiastic advocates for the platform. - Actionable approaches to modernize your tools, workflows, and development practices on IBM i. - How to lead organizational change that transforms IBM i from legacy perception to legendary reality.