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4 Technical & Transformational skillsets in high demand

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Businesses digital transformation requirements have accelerated with the additional demand on technology due to current circumstances. Technical and Transformational skillsets are highly sought-after now more than ever. With any change you will need people who can play various critical roles and keep your business operational, relevant and accessible. Digital transformation is about more than the technology needed to create the transformation: In fact, the technology typically takes a back seat to the other capabilities needed to make your digital transformation a success.

So, with regard to building your team, you may need to think outside the box, moving beyond the typical IT talent pool and skillsets. Building out a team of people who can flex their technical muscles when needed but can also pivot to call upon their non-technical expertise will help your organization meet the growing digital demands of IT and the business.

As a business or hiring manager focus on the areas that enable people and processes to accelerate your company’s strategy. Lead in areas such as enterprise service management, IT branding and communications, technology business management, digital adoption, and change management – all of which require skills beyond the purely technical. Likewise, other areas of your team could expand into roles including, digital solutions consultants, delivery managers, and process improvement/automation specialists.

 

4 skillsets that are in high demand

So what should you be looking for, besides the requisite (and important) technical skill sets? Consider the kinds of people listed below – and don’t be afraid to bring people onto your team who don’t have a traditional IT career path. Folks who have not spent their whole career in IT can add some unique perspectives and take the team in directions not previously considered.

Consider how potential team members could play these roles in your organization:

1. Connectors

It goes without saying that the IT team of the 21st century must be able to work with its partners across the business. But looking for connectors means finding those people who not only are good with people but also can make connections across the organization.

Connectors know people as well as the work that is happening across the organization.

They are tuned in to what is happening, not only in IT but also in other areas of the business. They know people as well as the work that is happening across the organization. They know if an initiative in IT for the finance team is related to an initiative in another area of IT supporting the sales team – and they know the people to talk to in order to make the connections.

2. Challengers

Challengers are the people who help us ensure we are doing our best work. They think critically about the path forward and are not afraid to challenge the status quo. This is different from someone who always questions things and puts up roadblocks: Challengers think strategically about the path forward and ask the “what if” and “why not” questions that are critical to any transformation.

3. Agilists

While traditional agile methodologies are important in transformation activities, an Agilist in this context is someone who can adapt to changes and unexpected turns. By definition, transformation is “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance” – so successful digital transformation efforts must include people who can recognize the need to change direction and quickly pivot to the new plan. They model how to effectively respond to change and will help others adapt as well.

4. Navigators

If we need to change course, navigators ensure we adjust our GPS settings to account for the re-routing across all aspects of the initiative.

Digital transformation by its very nature can be a bit chaotic and can veer into the tendency to chase the next “bright shiny object.” Navigators define the route and help keep the ship headed in the right direction; they remind us where we are trying to go and the path we agreed to take. And if we need to change course, they help us ensure we adjust our GPS settings to account for the re-routing across all aspects of the initiative.

As the IT landscape continues to evolve, how we support and partner with the business will continue to evolve as well. Focusing on both technical and transformational skillsets in your business will set the stage for success today and in the future. For more information on how to hire digital experts for your business or find a job that will challenge you, please get in touch.

What Is Digital Transformation, And Why It’s Important For Your Business?

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What is Digital Transformation? 

Digital transformation marks a radical rethinking of how an organisation uses technology, people and processes to fundamentally change business performance. The result is an elemental change as to how a business should operate and how they can continue to deliver value to customers. As well as that it can also be described as a shift in how organisations think, and can lead to letting go of traditional well-known business practices and introducing new streamlined, efficient, adaptable and accessible practices.  There are a variety of other definitions for Digital Transformation of course. Agile Elephant highlights the ways businesses will need to rearrange current practices, different ways of thinking, leadership, and why there is a need to incite innovation and improve all forms of customer and employee experience. 

COVID19 has also disrupted the working environment and presented new challenges for employers. Digital Transformation however has helped overcome these obstacles and bring new processes that will improve on outdated ones leading to more efficiency in businesses. Remote working is also a huge change instigated by the outbreak, but it has the potential with the right investment of technology to help businesses become more agile and provide employees with other flexible options.

 

Why is Digital Transformation Important?      

Undertaking Digital Transformation for a business is necessary to survive and thrive in a constantly changing digital landscape.  Businesses are taking this on board and are making it one of their top their priorities, it is no longer a suggestion for the future or one to sit on the back-burner. It is predicted that global spending on the practices for Digital Transformation will be $1.97 Trillion, that is according to the IDC. They also predict that digital transformation investment will steadily build with a compound growth rate of 16.7% between 2017 and 2022.       

Further predictions also mean that by the end 2020, digital strategy will and should delegate a capital budget of at least 10% of your business. This indicates the need to develop, and digital transformation as a vital investment. When it comes to digital investment, companies are planning to increase their investments by up to 75% during the period of the next 12-18 months. There is also a huge focus on data visualisation and machine learning.  

The vital move for businesses now is speed, as companies all seem to be at different places in the digital transformation process. IT Leaders must work fast to prove that digital transformation will lead to increased efficiency for the whole company. 

 

Digital Transformation Frameworks    

The level of Digital Transformation required will vary within each organisation. However there are some recurring themes within current frameworks and case studies. These are frameworks that all businesses should research further as they begin the process of transformation. Factors that are often mentioned include but are not limited to:

  • Strategic Objectives
  • Operational Excellence
  • Operations Architecture
  • Business Case Development
  • Solution Selection

Making Digital Transformation a Reality: Connecting CEO Vision ...

Successful organisations operate with a clear business direction, using a vision, roadmap and framework that define the way forward. Without these crucial strategic instruments, businesses would focus only on solving today’s problems and fail to create continuous value. But does your organisation have a clear digital strategy? The answer, most likely, is “no.” This has created an untenable situation for many companies, considering that IT is increasingly interwoven into the very fabric of most businesses, markets and societies.  

New digital solutions offer an opportunity to improve how organisations compete and create a foundation for outperforming rivals near and far. A white paper from Cognizant introduces a framework that organisations can use to develop a digital vision and build new business models based on digital opportunities. They have provided examples of organisations that have disrupted their industries by rethinking their approach to doing business, and recommended various approaches to jump-starting your organisation’s digital journey. 

 

Leading a Business Transformation  

In order for a business to continue to deliver exceptional customer experience and exceed expectations, CIO’s are now working alongside key executives and making new beneficial decisions. These are changes that include re-skilling employees, starting up innovation labs and beginning experimentation’s with new technologies. 

When embarking on implementing digital solutions within your business the key question to ask should be; what are the intended business results you want to attain and what experience do you want your customers to have? From here it begins with these outcomes, the business models you are pursuing and basically working backwards from that point.  It is imperative to understand your customer journey map and lifecycle.

Source Picture: Campaign Monitor 

Customer Journey Mapping Will Improve Your Company's Bottom Line ...

3 Top tips  to help Transform your business:

Have a set list of objectives: Define a clear strategy and plan. Find out what you want your business, employees and customers to experience. Where are the pain points or bottles necks with your business and how can you introduce technology to solve these problems. 

Welcome an adaptive design approach: Adaption is a huge part now of the digital transformation process with focused KPIs now outdated. Being adaptive in design will allow for CIOs to make changes quickly. Successful transformations are a result of being adaptive. Business leaders who reported success were those who were likely to look at monthly changes to their overall strategy. 

Adopt agile execution. Encourage risk taking, enabling even lower-level employees to make decisions, fail fast and learn.  

 

Key Digital Transformation Roles  

While emerging tech and revamped processes are crucial, it is also important that you have the right staff staff in place to lead your business through the transition.  

Software engineers, cloud computing specialists and product managers remain key roles for companies seeking to roll out new products and services. DevOps leaders galvanize software development by merging development with operations, enabling companies to continuously iterate software to speed delivery.

Also, in high demand are data scientists and architects as companies want to extract trends and insights from a vast array of data. Digital transformation also lean increasingly on machine learning and artificial intelligence.

IT departments are also in need of a variety of expert roles when executing a digital transformation plan for a business. These roles include UX designers, digital trainers, writers, business analysts and workplace technology managers. For further insight into knowing who your key players are check out: 4 critical roles for digital transformation

 

What next…

Digital transformation has revolutionised and changed operations in all the key areas of businesses. Traditional business practices will become outdated and will need to be replaced with new efficient practices that will improve ways of thinking and experiences. This kind of transformation is important as businesses that do not adapt to this new transformation could be putting themselves at a disadvantage.  

If you would like to find out more information on digital transformation and how it could impact your business or career, please get in touch with one of our digital experts. 

 

Why is January the Best Time to Find a Job?

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January 2020 – Is the Best Time to Find a Job

During the Christmas period it can be a struggle to search for a new job, but once that’s over it is a brand-new year, and some say it is the perfect opportunity to find a new career. January has been classed as the hunting season when it comes to finding a new job. So, if you are one of those people that has ‘find a new job’ on their New year’s resolution list then listed below are some reasons why January is the perfect month to job hunt and what you can do to prepare yourself.

Why is it the best month?

Employers are looking for new employees

In the New Year employers are feeling motivational and are eager to see what talent they can employ. They have a clearer mindset at this time of the year as they are less likely to be tied down to deadlines and projects. As January is the month for job hunting, there is a lot more competition for employers to choose from. Having a greater talent pool will enable employers to choose carefully resulting in a greater chance of your CV needing to impress them.

New budgets

The first few months of the year are normally the best times to apply for new jobs. Many job deadlines close at the end of January, so it allows for candidates plenty of time to apply within the New Year. Employers are also given a new budget at the start of every year, so this gives candidates a better chance at finding a new job and being hired. The salary is the main factor a candidate will look at when applying for a new job, so linking this with a company’s new budgets may mean the company will have more money to give to candidates.

What you can do to prepare yourself

Update your CV

When applying for new job in January it is essential that you keep your CV updated to keep track of your most recent skills and progression. Your CV is the first thing an employer will look at and it is your chance to stand out from the crowd, therefore making it a crucial factor when you are trying to start a new career. The key areas of your CV that you will need to keep updated are:

  • Your skills (technical and soft)
  • Employment history
  • Work experience
  • Qualifications

Once you have updated your CV it is important for you to understand exactly what job you are looking for. Applying for jobs you are marginally interested in will not benefit you in the future as this will impact your engagement, performance and success. Instead of applying for any job, try and find roles that you are passionate about and perhaps create a list that aligns with your personality, skills and interests. From this you are able to understand what companies you want to apply for and why.

You can also register with a recruitment agency that specialise in your area of interest and skills. Having a professional confidant in the industry can help you find jobs that may not be advertised on generic job boards.

 

Practice interview answers

For some it may have been a while since you have been interviewed and therefore it will be beneficial to practice some generic interview questions. If you have been invited for an interview, do not wait until the night before to go through potential interview questions, you should start preparing as soon as you can. The majority of employers will always start with questions about yourself such as ‘Tell me about yourself’ or ‘What do you do in your spare time’. Following this they may ask you some competency questions which are based on your previous experience and certain situations you may have found yourself in. Competency based interview questions are a good way of an employer finding out how you would handle certain situations if they were ever to arise, and this can say a lot about you. It is also a good idea to know what you are looking for from the jobs you have applied for. This way if you are asked during the interview process, you can answer in a matter of seconds.

Some companies will have a long interview process which can last a few months, whereas other companies may invite you in for an interview within the next week. Therefore, you should always be prepared and have an interview outfit ready, so you feel well equipped for when the day comes. You can check out other interview hint and tips here: https://www.digiskills.agency/interview-hints-tips/

 

Update your social presence

Although your CV and cover letter will be the first documents an employer will look at, it is also beneficial to keep your social channels up to date. Recruiters may look at your LinkedIn for example to see if your experience matches up with your experience on your CV. More employers are using LinkedIn and may want to view your profile before calling you. You should ensure that you have a professional photo on your profile, your work experience is up to date and you have the relevant skills listed as this can be a decider for some employers.

 

Good luck! We wish you the best in achieving your career goals this year, and hope you’ll be in touch with us if you’re looking for a change so we can help.

Top 11 Skills Wanted By Employers in 2020

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The 11 Most Important Job Skills Every Company Will Be Looking For In 2020

As the world evolves to embrace the 4th industrial revolution, our workplaces are changing. Just as other industrial revolutions transformed the skillset and experience required from the workforce, we can expect the same from this revolution. Only five years from now, 35 percent of the skills seen as essential today will change according to the World Economic Forum. While we’re not able to predict the future, yet, here are the eleven most important job skills every company will be looking for in 2020.

1.  Data Literacy

Data has become every organisation’s most important asset—the “fuel” of the 4thindustrial revolution. Companies that don’t use that fuel to drive their success will inevitably fall behind. So, to make data valuable, organisations must employ individuals who have data literacy and the skills to turn the data into business value.

2.  Critical Thinking

There’s no shortage of information and data, but individuals with the ability to discern what information is trustworthy among the abundant mix of misinformation such as fakes news, deep fakes, propaganda, and more will be critical to an organisation’s success. Critical thinking doesn’t imply being negative; it’s about being able to objectively evaluate information and how it should be used or even if it should be trusted by an organisation. Employees who are open-minded, yet able to judge the quality of information inundating us will be valued.

3.  Tech Savviness

Technical skills will be required by employees doing just about every job since digital tools will be commonplace as the 4th industrial revolution impacts every industry. Artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, blockchain, and more will become a part of every worker’s everyday experience, whether the workplace is a factory or law firm. So, not only do people need to be comfortable around these tools, they will need to develop skills to work with them. Awareness of these technologies and relevant technical skills will be required for every job from a hairstylist to an accountant and everything in between.

4.  Adaptability and Flexibility

As quickly as the world is changing, the half-life of skills is constantly reducing. Therefore, people need to commit to learning new skills throughout their careers and know they must be adaptable to change. Important to this is understanding that what worked yesterday isn’t necessarily the best strategy for tomorrow, so openness to unlearning skills is also important. Additionally, people must be cognitively flexible to new ideas and ways of doing things.

5.  Creativity

Regardless of how many machines work beside us, humans are still better at creativity. It’s essential that creative humans are employed by companies to invent, imagine something new and dream up a better tomorrow. Tomorrow’s workplaces will demand new ways of thinking, and human creativity is critical to moving forward.

6.  Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Another area where humans have the edge on machines is with emotional intelligence—our ability to be aware of, control, and express our emotions and the emotions of others. This ability will be important as long as there are humans in the workforce since it impacts every interaction we have with one another.

7.  Cultural Intelligence and Diversity

Organisations are increasingly diverse, and effective employees must be able to respect differences and work with people of a different race, religion, age, gender, or sexual orientation. Also, businesses are increasingly operating across international boundaries, which means it is important that employees are sensitive to other cultures, languages, political, and religious beliefs. Employees with strong cultural intelligence and who can adapt to others who might perceive the world differently are also key in developing more inclusive products and services for an organisation.

8.  Leadership Skills

Leadership skills will be paramount for not only those at the top of a traditional corporate hierarchy but increasingly for those individuals throughout the company who are expected to lead in the 4th industrial revolution. Enabled by the support of machines, there will be more individuals who are in decision-making positions, whether leading project teams or departments. Understanding how to bring out the best in and inspire every individual within a diverse and distributed workforce requires strong leadership skills.

9.  Judgement and Complex Decision Making

Machines might be able to analyse data at a speed, and depth humans are incapable of, but many decisions regarding what to do with the information provided by machines must be still made by humans. Humans with the ability to take input from the data while considering how decisions can impact the broader community, including effects on human sensibilities such as morale, are important members of the team. So, even if the data support one decision, a human needs to step in to think about how a decision could impact other areas of the business, including its people.

10. Collaboration

When companies are looking to hire humans in the 4th industrial revolution, skills that are uniquely human such as collaboration and strong interpersonal skills will be emphasized. They will want employees on their team who can interact well with others and help drive the company forward collectively.

11.  In addition to the skills listed above that every company will be looking for in the 4th industrial revolution, there are several self-management skills that will make people more successful in the future, including self-motivation, prioritisation/time management, stress management and the ability to embrace and celebrate change. Those people who have a growth mindset, are adept at experimenting and learning from mistakes, as well as have a sense of curiosity will be highly coveted in the 4th industrial revolution.

Learn how to implement and execute these top 11 skills in preparation for your next interview. 

 

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. Bernard Marr

£2.8 million pound development will create around 2700 Shropshire Jobs

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The Marches LEP has awarded three contracts worth £2.81m to develop Advanced Manufacturing Hubs in the region which will create nearly 2,700 Shropshire Jobs.

Around 2,700 Shropshire Jobs will be generated as part of the private sector-led LEP’s plans for tackling the skills gap, the project will see regional training centres, in Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury and Hereford, set up to support employers in areas where there is limited access to workforce training.

The Shrewsbury Colleges Group has been awarded £425,166 to develop a ‘hub and spoke’ model of training provision, supporting 183 businesses and more than 450 apprenticeships.

Herefordshire and Ludlow College, with Herefordshire & Worcestershire Training Association has secured £464,763 to develop the third centre, creating 260 apprenticeships and supporting 225 businesses.

As well as apprenticeships, all three hubs will deliver more than 1,960 additional qualifications over the next five years.

Graham Wynn, Chairman of the Marches LEP, said: “We have a need across the Marches to ensure there are enough of the right people with the right skills to meet the demand of our employers. It is vitally important that they remain invested here, and continue to grow their business here.

“But this can only happen with additional capital investment. We developed this project to support the manufacturing sector to develop its skills base, equipping them to maximise future opportunities.”

Chris Greenough, commercial director of Salop Design said: “The key issue facing our sector is there is simply not enough people with the right skills, to do the jobs we need them to do in order to grow manufacturing businesses, the sector and ultimately the UK economy.

“The Marches LEP has developed a project which will see industry take the lead in training its own workforce. Our employer-led consortium is delighted to have secured this contract and look forward to delivering apprenticeship placements, training opportunities and supporting hundreds of businesses. Our aim is clear, 2020 learners by 2020.”

Ian Peake, Principal & Chief Executive of Herefordshire & Ludlow College, said:

“This significant LEP and College co-investment to develop Advanced Manufacturing Hubs in the Marches will have a transformative impact on education and skills development in engineering, strengthening the college’s capacity to meet the requirements of cutting edge industries.”

Lyn Surgeon, Principal of Shrewsbury College, added: “The project has cemented the relationship between Shrewsbury College, Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, Staffordshire University, Caterpillar and Festo, which will be collectively known as the Shropshire Advanced Manufacturing Skills Hub.

“It allows us to significantly extend our investment in state of the art equipment to suitably train the engineers of tomorrow and puts the college in the position of being able to offer a range of full time and part time courses from basic introductory levels through to degrees, apprenticeships from intermediate through to higher levels and bespoke training to meet individual company needs.”

The training centres are due to open in 2017. Funding for the project was awarded to the LEP via its initial Growth Deal for skills capital projects.

Upon completion of an apprenticeship, there are many opportunities around the county which are suited to newly trained professionals looking at taking the next leap in their careers. Check out our latest Shropshire Jobs on our vacancy page by clicking here!

 

– MarchesLEP

 

How to choose the right Recruitment Agency

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Discover in this article how to choose the right Recruitment Agency most suitable to your Business needs.

Whether you are a candidate seeking a new role or a client looking to hire, identifying a good recruitment agency is the first vital step in making this often tedious process a pleasant and fruitful experience.

Applying for a job is hard work, time consuming and extremely competitive. Despite having an outstanding CV, hiring managers may never get to see it even if you have the right qualifications and experience. In order to maximize their chances, candidates are turning to a recruitment agency to help them in their search for their dream job.

So, how should you go about identifying a recruiter who is right for you? A quick Google search will bring up a myriad of results, and a scan of positions available may be one way of choosing who to entrust your CV to, however, this isn’t necessarily the best approach. When you research agencies, many of them will have things in common – but you need to find the one that will best serve you in your search for a new job.

The first thing to consider whether you are a client or candidate is the agency’s approach. Do they really care about you? A good agency will be keen to speak to you, find out about you and your motivations behind looking for a new job as well as quizzing you about your career goals. The same principle goes for clients who are looking to place a role with a recruitment consultant. Recruiters should be inquisitive about your organisation, the sort of culture you have there and the type of person that would fit in, as well as the usual job description.

An ability to sell is essential in a recruiter. They are your representatives in front of your potential new employer and as such, when they find you a great role, you want them to pitch you as the perfect candidate, with the right skills and personality for the role on offer.

Furthermore, you need to conduct your job search with an enthusiastic recruitment agency. Job-hunting is not an easy process, so working with someone who is positive and who motivates you when the going gets tough will make life better all round.

A recruitment agency that has genuine experience in the sector you are interested in is vital. They must understand the jobs they are recruiting for and the needs of the client entrusting them with finding the perfect candidate. There is nothing worse than being put up for a job by a recruiter who doesn’t understand the industry they are recruiting into.

A good agency should be able to help you tailor your CV so that it stands out and meets the employer’s needs, as well as offering you tips for interviews. They should be able to get you in front of great companies, respect the confidentiality of your CV and only send your details to companies with your permission.

So in short, you are looking for a recruitment agency that is enthusiastic and highly motivated to help you develop your career.

They should take the time to understand your experience and requirements, and offer you advice and support throughout the process – helping you secure your next brilliant role.

If you’re a Business Owner or Hiring Manager, ensure you select a recruitment agency that displays genuine interest in your Business and how it operates. A detailed understanding of your Business will enable a recruitment agency to fine tune their image of your desired candidate.

Finding the right talent is extremely important for growing and established Businesses. Recruitment Agencies are a highly effective way for Businesses to obtain high quality talent that is matched to Business needs, values and culture.

Graffiti Recruitment offer IT Recruitment Solutions for Businesses seeking talented candidates in the areas of operations, support and development.

Get in touch with us on 0330 22 33 047 or E-mail us at hello@graffitirecruitment.co.uk to discover how we can help you!

 

– Sarah Bloomfield

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