How to Hire Properly when Leading a Digital Transformation

You face many challenges with hiring and retaining top digital talent, as a major shortage creates a competitive environment for these workers. Can you provide ongoing opportunities to expand into new areas and dive deeper into their existing skill sets?Digital transformation is an extensive process, especially if you come from an industry where traditional practices rule the day. You're dealing with consumers who expect more out of the companies they do business with. They spend all day on user-friendly apps and integrated systems that make their life easier, and they bring those experiences to your doorstep.When you take a top-down look at the market, you see this scenario occurring time and time again across many industries. As more companies realize the benefits of digital transformation and technology becomes more accessible, you see this process speeding up. If you're in the middle of your changing digital ecosystems / talent but you want to achieve your end results faster, your organization needs to put the right hiring and talent management processes in place to attract and develop top performing digital strategists.

Digital Talent Shortage

The most brilliant digital strategists strive to stay on the cutting edge. They do their best to learn new skills, explore advanced technology, keep an eye on future trends, and increase their overall understanding of their core skill sets.You face many challenges with hiring and retaining top digital talent, as a major shortage creates a competitive environment for these workers. Can you provide ongoing opportunities to expand into new areas and dive deeper into their existing skill sets? Keep them with your company by helping them grow in their career path, rather than making them feel that they need to apply elsewhere to move forward.

Do You Have a Digital Marketing Skills Gap?

Do a marketing team skills assessment to determine which digital skills you need the most in your organization. You will most likely find that your staff has a broad range of competencies and capabilities. A one-size-fits-all approach ignores the unique makeup of your team and results in unsatisfactory outcomes. Tailor your training investment to the areas requiring the most support.Procure comprehensive digital skills assessment tools to gain deep insight into the areas your organization excels at and where it's failing. You can explore this data with historical trends, on an individual and team-based level. Once you know the high priority needs of your company, look for flexible resources that are well suited for your talent. Your employees have their own preferences for training material, so don't lean too heavily on the traditional group classroom setting. Some people are hands-on learners and want to try out each process to grasp it completely. Others work well in one-on-one training that goes in depth on each topic. If you aren't sure where to start with your digital skills training, look at industry standards and best practices as a starting point.

Avoid Digital Transformation Hurdles

The digital skills gap is a problem impacting 90 percent of companies, with 77 percent reporting these missing skills a major detriment to their business goals. You need to inform yourself thoroughly about what you're seeking before you start on the recruiting path, especially when digital strategists are in such high demand.

Effective Skills Development Programs

The most effective digital strategists know their current skill level and technical aptitude. They also recognize that there's always new technology coming around the corner. Their goals when going through this process include getting the most out of the digital tools required for business operations and learning the latest best practices.Continual employee upskilling is necessary for this fast-paced environment. Technology and processes constantly change, so you should never stop providing development opportunities for your staff. Digital transformation is not a one-and-done deployment that's handled over the weekend, so your company's learning practices must support a long-term approach.

Successful Digital Transformation Learning Programs

You see three characteristics common in digital transformation learning programs capable of going the distance and creating a strong foundation for future growth. Structured learning opportunities provide employees with excellent pacing and flow throughout their digital education. Each concept builds upon the last in a logical fashion.Access to new content and resources allows your talent to fuel their professional growth. By staying on top of the latest techniques, tools and digital strategies, you increase your company's agility and help retain talent for longer. On-the-job experience development is another necessary attribute for a successful training program. You tie in what they're learning with how it relates to their current and future job duties.Your company could be rolling out an innovative mobile experience, attempting to bring physical and online experiences together in a seamless omnichannel strategy, or figuring out where to start. No matter where you're at in your digital transformation journey, successful executives share one important thing in common -- highly skilled talent capable of deploying, maintaining and capitalizing on their digital capabilities.You have to go beyond pure technical skills when you're looking at digital strategists. They should also have a strong understanding of the business practices that drive digital experience-led companies. Seek out educational resources that are current, frequently updated and credible. By giving employees accessible learning to build their capabilities as needed on a real-time basis, both you and your customers win.