By Gary Hinde, Toronto Technology Recruiter
The digital talent gap continues to grow. Companies around the world are finding it increasingly difficult to find qualified candidates with digital skills, and it is significantly impacting their ability to do business.
Research by Capgemini and LinkedIn identified a number of key findings:
- 54% of companies that participated in the research project agree the digital talent gap is impacting their ability to change and compete.
- People with experience in soft digital skills are most in demand.
- 29% of employees believe their skill set is redundant now. 38% believe their skill set will be redundant within 5 years.
Soft Skills Talent Gap Bigger Than Hard Skills Gap
The research found that the talent gap for soft digital skills is greater. Companies lack qualified individuals.
- 59% of companies face a gap in soft digital skills
- 51% of companies face a gap in hard digital skills
Demand for hard skills is outpacing supply or the number of employees within an organization with the required hard digital skills.
Some of the hard skills with the biggest gaps include:
- Cloud computing
- Cybersecurity
- Analytics
- Web development
- Big data
- Mobile app development
Investment in Digital Skill Training Is an Issue
While many organizations cite there is a digital talent gap, many have ineffective training programs to remedy the issue. The report found:
- 45% of employees say training programs are not helping them develop new digital skills
- 42% of employees say training is useless
- In 52% of organizations, training budgets have remained the same or decreased
This has caused many employees to look elsewhere to improve their skills. 43% of employees said they are willing to move to another company if digital skills usage or training is stagnant.
How Can Organizations Narrow the Digital Talent Gap?
The report suggests there are three key areas of focus:
- Attracting digital talent: Companies need to diversify their approach to recruiting and align leadership on a talent strategy.
- Developing digital talent: Companies need to have a clear career development path and create an environment that rewards learning and skill development.
- Retaining digital talent: Companies need to give digital talent the opportunity to implement change and create a flexible and collaborative work environment.
More Blogs About Digital Recruiting
Learn more about how to recruit, attract, and retain the digital talent in your organization by reading:
Has Digital Recruiting Put the Power in the Hands of the Talent?
Top 11 Tips for Digital Staff Retention
The BIGGEST Problem Facing Employers – Recruiting!
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