As enterprises strive to keep up with the current digital transformation, recruiting the best talent that makes this technology work is the biggest challenge for most companies. Technologies such as Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, big data and analytics, and the Internet of Things are increasingly becoming part of critical operations in organisations, but the workers capable of using them are scarce. According to Gartner, this shortage in digital talent will persist, and by 2020, up to 30% of tech positions around the world will be unfilled.
Due to the current shortfall in digital talent, finding skilled employees and retaining them will soon become a differentiator between a company and it’s competitors. However, finding a person with the right skills is not easy for Human Resource because evolving technologies have completely transformed workforce roles. Employers are now faced with the challenging task of redefining job roles, re-inventing recruitment practices, and providing continuous training to new and existing employees to ensure they keep up with evolving job functions.
How to discover top digital talent
Finding, recruiting, and retaining skilled digital talent might be a big challenge in a time when the demand for such talent is so highly in demand. Companies must, therefore, reinvent themselves and go beyond the conventional to attract top talent. Here are five tips that can help you unearth the best digital talent.
Make your hiring proposition appealing to the digital market
With the current demand for digital skills globally organisations that want to attract the best talent should ensure that they offer potential employees the most attractive value propositions possible. Competitive value propositions not only help you attract skilled workers but also help you retain them. Besides wages and bonuses, ensure you include career growth in your hiring proposition. Let your potential employees know how your organisation will help them in career progression.
Install tech-savvy recruiters
Just like we have mentioned before, companies need to rethink their recruitment practices if they hope to find the best digital talent. In 2017, a BCG publication revealed that more than 90% of employees with digital skill use online communities and tools to search for jobs, and it takes them an average of less than two weeks to find new jobs. Traditional recruitment methods are therefore not enough, and recruiters need to leverage online networking skills, social media platforms, the benefits of HR software, and digital knowledge to find this skilled resource. Recruiters and candidates should speak the same language. For example, let developers recruit developers.
Explore new talent pools
Look in unconventional places as unexplored channels could land you the best talent. Look at untapped graduate pool talents like career or technical institutes that train IT skill for job markets like software engineering. You can also consider the freelance workforce. Many surveys on the workforce have revealed that freelancers tend to be more engaged in their work, tech-savvy, better educated, and generally maintain their skills better than those in employment. If you are looking for the best digital talent, therefore, you should consider looking in this talent pool.
Use interactive events
Engaging and interacting with the digital market through events such as coding boot camps, hackathons, digital competitions, thought leadership, and social gatherings is one of the best ways to unearth the best tech talent. Besides identifying candidates with developed skills, you can use these events to scout for young talent that you can nurture for your company’s future needs.
Analyse internal roles to fill the skills gap
The talent you are looking for could also be found in your organisation. This is why human resource managers are advised to analyse employee skills and career growth from time to time to identify internal capabilities for key digital roles. Employees with such potential will often be fast-learners and innovators. Through training, these candidates can be groomed for digital positions to fill skill gaps within the organisation.
Lastly, hiring top talent is not enough for companies because as technology continues to evolve, there is an increased demand for new skills. It is therefore essential for organisations to make up-front investments in employee training and development for their acquired digital talent. Offering continuous training to employees helps them to develop the right skills for their changing job roles and enhances their productivity. It also results in increased satisfaction for both employers and employees, which plays a prominent role in talent retention.
