One of the more obvious consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic is the acceleration of digital and data-enabled platforms and services. Data and digital transformation initiatives have turned into business imperatives, leaving companies to urgently rethink their skills requirements as business models change at light speed.
More than 58% of workforces report skills transformations since the onset of the pandemic (Gartner, 2020)
Although the future is more uncertain than ever, it’s a strong bet that emphasis will be placed on recruiting and reskilling as companies adapt under a new reality. Innovation is irrelevant if we are not skilled enough to use it. Yet, in an environment where technology is constantly evolving and aligning to more organisational functions, it’s uncertain what future skills requirements might be. This makes identifying and finding the right talent a challenging prospect.
Finding Future Proof Talent
Applying a dual focus for finding candidates with the potential for soft skills (such as adaptability, creative thinking and problem solving), and knowledge for hard skills, can help organisations find the right people that can successfully adapt and grow with them. As we’ve seen in the response to Covid, we are agile as a global community. This agility has been people-led and technology-supported. Whether it’s because we possess the soft skills and leadership needed to navigate a historic crisis, or because we have the insight needed to drive success, it all starts with us. Assembling the right team of technology, data and process people who can adapt and work together effectively – with a strong leader who can instigate change – may be the single most important step a company can take.
The Importance of Leadership
A distinguishing feature in the war for talent is often leadership. In the context of digital transformation, you cannot expect big changes unless you start by selecting and developing your leaders with the right focus. It has never been clearer that leadership (both good and bad) impacts every single aspect of an organisation, with experts claiming that as much as 70% of the variability in group or unit performance being attributable to individual leaders. The mindset, values, integrity, and above all, competence of senior leaders will stand out as one of the main differentiators of successful digital transformation.
Research shows that most companies are flying ‘data blind’ with regards to the skills they need for transformation and the supply, demand, availability, and location of those skills. 53% of respondents to a recent TalentNeuron survey said that the inability to identify needed skills was main impediment to workforce transformation and 31% percent reported that they have no way to identify market leading skills.
Partnering with a specialist agency will help your organisation overcome these issues in finding critical digital transformation talent. At Bodhi, we highlight the benefit of working exclusively with a partner you trust to deliver the results you need. Our solutions will provide you with an expert resource to access a wider and more diverse talent pool, qualify prospects thoroughly and accurately, provide a VIP candidate experience and streamline your hiring process.
Why not get in touch to see how Bodhi could help you identify and find the right people for your organisation.