We are very pleased to share this blog post written for us by Craig Freedberg, Associate Director, Robert Half Technology
With the fourth industrial revolution on the horizon, the modern workplace is in a state of flux, continuously evolving in response to new challenges and priorities.
However, it is not only the dynamics of the workplace that have changed; while businesses are becoming increasingly reliant on technology for both mundane and complex daily tasks, the way technology is revolutionising the workplace runs deeper than merely a different interface or IT platform.
Skills for a digital age
Digitalisation has had a profound impact on the roles and skills required to help businesses thrive – yet suitable candidates are increasingly hard to find. According to our research, over half of CEOs (53%) recognise this supply/demand imbalance, struggling to attract prospective employees equipped with the digital skills they need to help adapt to AI, digitalisation and automation.[1]
The emergence of Industry 4.0 has shone new light on this critical skills gap in the UK talent force. Recent research commissioned for the launch of the Robert Half 2020 Salary Guide found that the current UK skills gap is costing an average SME £145,000 in revenue in the next year, increasing to £318,000 in the next five years. Within the technology sector specialist roles such as DevOps, data visualisation, data management and analytics now highly sought after by employers. With almost four in 10 (38%) UK businesses believing that digitalisation is the biggest factor that will influence the future workplace,[2] this trend is only set to increase.
The pace of technological development hasn’t, however, simply highlighted existing skills gaps; it has also heightened demand for a different set of skills. With AI and automation taking over time-consuming tasks and freeing up the workforce for more strategic and innovative jobs, businesses are now increasingly looking for employees with the necessary soft skills to help lead both IT and other business departments into the digital future.
Consider soft skills
In this time of transition, soft skills such as emotional intelligence, communication and creativity will become increasingly invaluable. Indeed, our research shows that strategic planning (50%), problem-solving (40%) and interpersonal and communication skills (35%) are now considered crucial for success amongst business leaders.[3]
Gone are the days where CIOs focus purely on the technical skills to help them cope with the digital future. Businesses will be looking to plug their skills shortages by attracting candidates who can help them thrive by learning to couple the process and policy changes of digitisation with the need for human passion, creativity and innovation. Companies also risk not taking full advantage of the opportunities new technological advancements can offer if they fail to supplement this with candidates who can successfully see digital change through.
Securing the right tech talent
The ‘war for talent’ in technology has created an increasingly competitive recruitment landscape. As such, employers must do more than simply attract the right candidates: they must also persuade them to join their company over another and retain them in the long-term.
It is increasingly important that companies market themselves effectively by promoting their culture and distinguishing themselves from other organisations. It is also important that businesses provide a collaborative, flexible workplace that makes employees directly involved and invested in the success of their team.
While offering a competitive remuneration package remains important when it comes to securing candidates, employers must approach their employee proposition holistically: benefits, flexible working, training and development opportunities, as well as the opportunity to innovate are playing more of a role among technology candidates.
What comes next
If businesses are to thrive they must identify their existing skills gaps and align their recruitment and retention strategies accordingly. Investing in training and upskilling the existing workforce will be vital to ensuring that businesses have the right skills in place to allow them to remain competitive and achieve growth. Having the right training structures in place can counter many of the challenges posed by the soft skills shortage, helping both to attract skilled professionals and improve staff retention in an increasingly competitive job market.
When it comes to preparing for the digital revolution, finding the candidates with the skill sets that can help businesses navigate the rapidly changing work environment is vital. With a shortage in soft skills supply and growing demand and competition for top talent, businesses will need to ramp up and streamline their recruitment strategies in order to fill the gaps within their workforce.
[1] Robert Half 2020 Salary Guide
