Take Care Of The Digital Talent Within Your Business
Without doubt, one of the biggest changes in businesses globally over the last decade, bigger still than the effects of the economic downturn, relates to IT.
Without doubt, one of the biggest changes in businesses globally over the last decade, bigger still than the effects of the economic downturn, relates to IT. The revolution in computer hardware and architecture that began in the 1980s has now been superseded by the beginnings of a software revolution, the likes of which we have never experienced before.
The onset of the digital era is resulting in massive changes to the way in which organisations operate and generate revenue. As a consequence one of the challenges corporations are currently facing is finding the right people to put in charge of the digital helm. The convergence of social media, mobile technology, cloud computing and big data is effectively requiring a total rethink of corporate strategic plans.
As the vital role of digital talent grows in recognition, it is interesting to see that the likes of Google Ventures is embedding design teams in portfolio companies for five-day "design sprints", to help startups gain greater clarity and direction in terms of their digital experience delivery.
Are we indeed looking at a future where those with a combination of digital and design degrees are future boardroom candidates?
Certainly those at board level need to have a strong understanding of the importance of good design being driven by a strong idea as well as the technical process required, not to mention a clear awareness of the moving target which technology has become.
From an organisation’s perspective, emphasis should be on creating a good working culture in which new digital talent is supported. This means setting clear expectations about performance by all parties involved and ensuring that teams work much more collaboratively from the outset and share the common goal of the business and user.
Clarity is key. Organisations should also look to grow their own digital staff internally, ensuring their talents are valued and they are given all the training required to continue developing.
One of the downsides of the current digital talent shortage is that it has led to some body-shopping on projects, a culture which needs to be curbed. The high competition can at times neglect talent in favour of cost-cutting which adds unnecessary pressure and can drain creativity.
We will know we are making advances when we start seeing regular digital design appointments at board level, particularly in the retail and finance services sector. We have seen a couple of examples of this already, however once this kind of appointment becomes more mainstream we will know a positive shift is occurring.
We once used to say there is nothing new under the sun. Now we can safely say that while there may only be a few genuinely innovative ideas out there, the opportunities for new developments have never been as exciting.
What we need are more businesses that have the ability and confidence to execute on an innovative idea. For this we need to value all digital talent incubation in a dynamic way.