TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Can you understand and drive digital strategies? If not it’s time to learn how, because in our increasingly digital lives almost every job now has a digital element to it. That’s why digital skills have become a necessity for anyone looking for their next job, says recruiting experts Hays.
According to Hays, we all live in a digital world and whether we like it or not, most of us now work in digital jobs.
“The digital revolution has touched the lives of virtually every consumer and business around the globe,” says Jonathan Sampson, Regional Director of Hays in Japan. “As a result digital strategy – and along with it digital literacy – is growing in importance.
“From CEOs assessing the threat of cyber crime to marketers looking for the latest trending platforms, digital skills are now needed at all levels in most job functions.
“For example, rather than customer service representatives in call centres, today we see more live chat attendants who will interact with customers online and on social media. And rather than traditional sales forecasts that were based on the intuition of sales reps, today people are using big data to make more precise predictions.
“Even today’s senior manager needs digital expertise to be able to locate knowledge, assess how valid it is, and then work with others to determine what to do with it.”
In recognition of this new digital age, education systems need to adapt. For example, in Autumn 2015 the UK will become the first country in the world to make it compulsory for children to learn coding from the age of five through to 16. It’s a move that should be adopted in this country too, says Jonathan, if we are to produce the next generation of well-rounded professionals.
Tips for jobseekers
For jobseekers to take advantage of this new jobs growth, Hays says it is important to continuously update your digital skills. “Regardless of the profession or industry you work in, organisations want to recruit, retain and develop digital skills across their entire business.
“All jobs now have a digital element, whether that’s creating an app rather than a PowerPoint presentation for your next talk, generating leads on social media or producing digital content.
“Given the fast pace of technological advancement, employers look for candidates who are open to change and can adapt to a constantly evolving digital environment – whether that’s in their marketing, accountancy or logistics department. Digital changes are impacting all aspects of business and candidates today need to show they are digitally proficient, up-to-date with the latest technological advances related to their job function and industry, and possess the ability to lean into the changes of a digital world.”
Tips for employers
For employers, the focus is shifting from observing digital trends and looking at where the organisation falls short, to developing the talent it needs to make and lead new trends. This means recruiting people who can understand and drive digital strategies.
“The digital world has afforded us all the benefits of rapid technological advancements, making it possible for businesses to reach people instantly from across the globe,” says Jonathan. “For example, at Hays we can compare hundreds of thousands of résumés of candidates in multiple countries in an instant.
“But such advances can only be made with the skills to support them. The challenge for businesses is to find and continue to develop those skills so that they stay on top of emerging trends,” he said.
This issue is explored further in the latest Hays Journal, the recruiter’s bi-annual magazine on the world of HR and recruitment. To access the Hays Journal please visit: www.hays-journal.com
Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.
About Hays
Hays is the leading global specialist recruiting group. It is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Japan KK ("Hays") is the largest foreign recruitment company in Japan and operates across the private sector, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. Hays has been in Japan for more than a decade, and boasts a track record of success and growth.
Hays is the only foreign recruitment company in Japan to operate specialist business units composed of professionals with experience and expertise in the sectors they cover. Hays Japan’s thirteen specialisms span Accountancy & Finance, Banking, Finance Technology, Human Resources, Information Technology, Insurance, Legal, Life Sciences, Office Professionals, Property, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain and Hays Talent Solutions.
Hays is also the only foreign recruitment company in Japan to operate four local offices, serving the Kanto region from 2 offices in Tokyo, Yokohama, and Kansai from central Osaka.
Hays Japan is the local representative office for Hays plc, which is a global company. As at 30 June 2014 the Group employed 8,237 staff operating from 237 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2014, Hays placed around 57,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 212,000 people into temporary assignments. 24% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific.
Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA.
