In today's fast-paced digital world, organisations continually strive to outshine their competitors through digital transformation, which has now been accelerated even further with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

The saying, " The only constant is change,” certainly applies to our ever-evolving future. Armed with the right skills, the right people are crucial for successfully navigating any transformation. 

According, to our recent State of AI report, organisations rated their AI skills at 4.5 out 10 and their AI training scored even lower at 3.17 out of 10. 

In this article, we delve into the pivotal role of talent in digital transformation, the need for conducting a skill gap analysis, the significance of upskilling programs, and the wisdom of retaining intellectual property (IP) from existing staff through upskilling and co-delivering with experienced partners. 

When selecting the right partner for your digital transformation, assessing what they can offer from a Talent Advisory perspective is important.

1. Understanding the Skill Gap

As Thomas Jefferson stated, "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." To successfully transform any business or platform, the first step is to assess the skills of your current workforce and collaborate with experienced partners who can provide outside perspectives to identify the gaps necessary for success.

Operating without clearly understanding your team's competencies can lead to misguided efforts. A skill gap analysis is the cornerstone, offering a roadmap for your organisation's growth and evolution.

2. Retaining Your People and Their Unique IP

Sometimes, there are fears that change may result in large-scale redundancies, as many employees may feel they do not possess the skills needed for the future organisation. 

It is important to address those fears upfront through regular and transparent communication. Share with your people that you will invest in their career growth and upskill them to manage the new environment effectively post-transformation. 

One of the most critical reasons to upskill your current workforce is to preserve intellectual property. Your tenured people possess priceless, often undocumented, insights into your company's processes, culture, and objectives. 

Losing this wealth of expertise can be detrimental to your digital transformation outcomes long term. By upskilling these employees, you retain their invaluable institutional knowledge and provide them with a platform to actively contribute to your digital transformation initiatives.

3. Upskilling Programs Must Be Hands-on

Learning by doing is the most effective way to develop existing knowledge and skills. While theory lays the solid groundwork, hands-on and practical experience are the key building blocks that solidify understanding.

By working with an experienced partner, you can pair your existing staff with highly skilled consultants. By co-delivering with a Partner, the trainees can apply their learnings to real work, which the experienced consultant can review to ensure ongoing quality. 

Of course, before co-delivery can commence there does need to be some type of learning bootcamp or initial education sessions, however from there this initial learning should be reinforced by actual work.

4. Inspire Learning Through Gamification & Recognition

Make it competitive by adding leaderboards associated with various learning objectives and certifications to supercharge your learning. People thrive on recognition, it is important to praise people’s progression to make them feel fulfilled in their work. 

A survey by Zippia in Feb 2023 shows that 90% of employees claim that gamification made them more productive at work. When employees feel that their learning is valued, it fosters a culture of continuous growth, making them feel appreciated rather than marginalised for not having all the answers.

5. Talent Advisory - The Missing Piece

Typical consultancies aim to create a dependency between their clients and them, as they profit from multi-year engagements where the client is reliant on them to succeed. 

Alternatively, a more progressive consulting partner, like V2, will focus on empowering their clients and teaching them how to fish rather than merely supplying them with fish. Continuously investing in talent is important to ensure your company is "match fit" to take on the ever-evolving technology landscape. 

Choosing a partner that will focus on upskilling your talent will reap you far greater benefits in the longer term, as your people are your greatest asset.

As Simon Sinek states “100% of customers are people. 100% of employees are people. If you don't understand people, you don't understand business.”

In Summary

The secret to a successful digital transformation lies in the people who power the process and arm them with the skills to manage it into the future. In the ever-changing world of digital, the constant force of change is driving organisations to stay ahead of their competition. 

However, if skill gaps are identified early on and robust upskilling programs are integrated into the plan, the key to navigating this transformation effectively is the individuals within the organisation. To inspire continuous learning, don’t underestimate the power of gamification and recognition when motivating your people. 

If you’d like to continue this conversation, reach out to me on LinkedIn.