The age of digital transformation is here and attracting high-calibre talent is more crucial than ever.
According to studies, over the next five years, companies from all backgrounds will invest hundreds of millions of pounds transforming their business with new digital initiatives. Since the best talent in this area can accelerate the transformation process by 30%, organisations can’t afford to settle for second best.
Digital automation is a process that allows companies to work more efficiently, by ensuring that repetitive tasks are handled by artificial intelligence, while creative concerns are managed by human initiative. Today, most digital automation professionals evolve from marketers who need to discover a better way to support their clients and teams.
Unfortunately, Marketing Week shows that more than half of students never speak about marketing, or it’s sub-categories in school.
The Link between Automation and Marketing
Though digital automation experts don’t have to be marketers at heart, they do need an understanding of the buyer journey, consumer conversations, and how they can translate data with client satisfaction in mind. If it becomes more difficult to secure a diverse pipeline of marketing talent, it may be that the digital automation sector struggles too.
Now that only 3% of students between the age of 18 and 24 see marketing as a good career option, and the gender gap in engineering means it’s harder to find diversity in tech, organisations may struggle to find the automation talent they need.
To some level, the answer may be better education and inspiration in the academic world. If schools gave more focus to the possibilities of a marketing career infused by technology, people from all backgrounds might begin to discover the benefits of digital automation for themselves. After all, one of the biggest goals of automation is to drive business efficiency and improve customer experience. An employee capable of delivering those two outcomes will always be valuable.
However, there are things that businesses can do to improve their chances of attracting automation employees as they trickle into the market too.
Choosing the Right Channels for Recruitment
In an age where digital automation talent is difficult to find, companies will need to make sure that they’re searching in the right places.
Universities that support marketing classes and educational initiatives for students that want to learn about automation are a fantastic source of relevant graduates for the automation space. What’s more, as the digital space continues to grow, conferences and digital events may also offer a fantastic opportunity for recruitment teams.
One particularly effective option may be to offer apprenticeships that mould people with relevant talents into your automation experts. For instance, an apprenticeship that teaches engineering skills to a marketing employee, or vice versa can give you the custom talent you need, while keeping costs low.
Social media channels like LinkedIn continue to offer value for companies seeking talent from the younger generation, as many of today’s ambitious employees start their job search online. However, few solutions will be more effective than a specialist in digital recruitment like ROD. With a dedicated recruitment company by your side, you’ll be able to tap into the active, passive, and graduate candidates in your space.
Meaningful Work Matters, But Don’t Forget Salary
In all environments, today’s most competitive candidates are searching for the opportunity to work for a business that makes a difference. If you want to appeal to digital automation specialists as they emerge, and close your data skills gap, you’ll need an employer brand that exudes meaning.
Digital automation professionals can do incredible things for a company. They can build tools that provide teams with solutions that minimise repetitive and tedious tasks and assist their co-workers in finding more joy in the office. Automation specialists can also use their skills to delight your customers and give your organisation a better reputation. However, they’ll need to see the impact of their work is recognised. Make sure you:
- Explain the goals of your automation processes to employees from day one, and how you’ll measure success.
- Show your digital automation employees how their work will affect the growth of the business.
- Offer recognition and rewards for successful work – i.e., tickets to the latest automation conference, flexible working days or bonuses.
Remember, while meaningful work is key that doesn’t mean that salary doesn’t play a part either. As digital automation talent remains scarce, you’ll need to be willing to offer competitive remuneration to the right employee. A recruitment team like ROD can help you find the right package.
Future Talent Will Want Opportunities for Growth
Finally, one of the main reasons that today’s students aren’t invested in digital marketing careers is that they can’t see the opportunities that such a role would bring. To attract future talent, your organisation can’t be one of the groups that merely fail to talk about future growth and development.
Automation employees on the search for meaning will need to see what kind of future their path can bring them. This means that businesses need:
- Job descriptions that explain both the benefits and expectations of the role: for instance, you can highlight that your automation experts will have a chance to take on management positions in the future or grow their leadership skills.
- Interviewing and onboarding strategies that consider the individual career plans of the candidates you employ: Speak to your new employees and align your business goals with their professional goals.
- Endless opportunities for education: Since digital automation is still in its infant stages, your employee will need to keep learning as they go. Make sure that you offer plenty of opportunities for growth through mentorship, classes, training sessions and more.
About Resource On Demand
Resource On Demand is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Company, now also focusing on growth Cloud markets.
We assist innovative and disruptive organisations to grow their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill Cloud roles that span across Digital Marketing, Marketing Automation, Human Capital Management and the growing Salesforce.com suite of skills.
The team at Resource On Demand have access to an extensive database of key talent, registering over 8000 Cloud professionals each year.
To find out how we can support you call us on 01322 272 532