Abstract:

The shortage of digital skills in the current marketplace is unprecedented. It is estimated that over 4.4 million IT jobs will be created around Big Data by 2015; however, only a third of these new jobs will be filled [1]. Even Millenials are a matter of concern. In a survey comprising over 800 middle to upper management executives from over 50 industries, nearly one in five Millenials in the modern workplace are perceived to be lacking in analytical skills [2].

The reasons driving this skills shortage are not hard to identify. The usage of mobile, social and analytical tools is permeating the length and breadth of every function across the organization. Unlike the past, the impact of these digital technologies and tools is felt not just in the IT department. This means that the magnitude of training and re-skilling that is required is enormous. Moreover, each new technology cycle has brought forth new requirements and these cycles are increasingly getting shorter. Employees must now refresh their skills more frequently if they wish to stay relevant in this rapidly changing digital environment.

Organizations are beginning to recognize the magnitude of the problem. This skills shortage is creating a ‘war for talent’, where companies have to compete for the best talent with new categories of players. Unlike in the past, the hunt for the best talent is no more limited to localized skills in certain departments. In this case, the talent war is manifest across the entire organization. The important questions are: Do organizations include digital skills as a key component in their workforce plans? Are HR departments equipped and skilled to bring innovative solutions to bridge the digital skills gap? How are Digital Leaders (or 'Digiratis') developing digital skills?

The research included in the paper is a combination of multiple surveys that have been conducted by Capgemini Consulting at varying points in time as well as select interviews of academics and business professionals. We first conducted an in-depth research with the MIT Center of Digital Business interviewing more than 150 senior executives from large enterprises from across the globe. The Phase 2 of the research with MIT focused on benchmarking digital practices around the globe. As a part of this effort, survey responses were gathered from 469 executives in 391 large companies around the world.

To conduct further deep-dive analysis of specific issues, Capgemini Consulting carried out a Digital Maturity Assessment Survey in 2012 and 2013, seeking opinion from over 130 executives from companies spread across the globe. The results of all these surveys identified relevant digital skills as one of the major concern areas for companies trying to realize benefits from digital transformation. To understand the precise pain areas in developing digital skills, we conducted a Digital Skills Survey in 2013. As a part of this research, we surveyed HR decision makers with the aim of understanding the efforts and approaches companies are employing to overcome the acute shortage in digital skills.

References:
[1] Gartner, “Gartner Says Big Data Creates Big Jobs: 4.4 Million IT Jobs Globally to Support Big Data By 2015”, October 2012
[2] Global HR Business, “Millennials Have Least Analytical Acumen, Gen Xers the Highest in Today’s Workforce, New Survey Suggests”, August 2013

Keywords:

Digital Transformation, Digital Skills, Human Resources, skills development.