You’re not alone – we’re all alert and slightly alarmed. Just take a look at the summary findings from The Australian Digital Skills and Salary Survey 2015, and our original article below.
Where digital skills fall short:
- 80% of managers describe staff as being weak in some or several areas of digital expertise; 70% believe a digital skills gap is taking a moderate or heavy toll on their business.
- Even though over two thirds of respondents say it’s critical that new employees are able to demonstrate digital expertise, only 12% conduct internal or external testing during recruiting.
- Only 9% think recent university graduates are equipped to undertake digital role requirements.
- A quarter (25%) of the 150 businesses surveyed find it difficult to source digital employees because they believe not enough talent is available.
- Respondents believe that 40% of senior managers in their organisations have ‘only a moderate understanding of the importance of digital skills’ while 20% had ‘little understanding’ at all.
- Over 30% of respondents have brought in digital staff from overseas and will do so again, despite higher costs associated with sponsorship and relocation. Another 26% will consider it.
- Over half (56%) of businesses surveyed anticipated hiring more digital specialists over the coming 12 months.
- Mobile devices took over PCs for the first time in 20141, but only 9% of organisations believe they are ahead of the competition in mobile/SMS marketing today.
- 98% of respondents feel it’s important to continually train their digital staff, yet over 60% rely on employee feedback and ‘observation’ to identify areas requiring development.
Since last month when we reported Digital Skills Fall Short the news media is all over it too.
We’ve linked the current commentary for your interest:
What are implications for us in the new digital economy, if “Australian businesses lag behind US and UK in competitive digital skills,” as International Business Times says? Locally, a skills crunch is a threat. It’s confirmed by a report in The Australian. And addressing that skills gap will be a challenge.
We’re not making it easy for ourselves either. CMO Magazine highlights a common conundrum: “Australian employers under-invest in skill development even as they struggle to find talent.”
The recruitment and training industries concur. According to training.com.au, “Australian businesses are struggling to match digital business needs with adequately skilled employees.”
Shortlist observes it’s “funding issues, not skills shortages”, which “stymie digital recruitment”, endorsing our prediction that the demand for digitally savvy executives will grow.
For a full copy of the report, please contact Slade Executive Recruitment on +613 9235 5100.
Anita is the Executive Director of Slade Group, and a member of the advisory board. In a career spanning roles working in government, not-for-profit, public company and the SME sector, Anita has a broad view of the landscape of Australians at work. Committed to making a difference in her professional and personal life, Anita is a Director of the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing & Ideas, previous Chair of Melbourne Girls Grammar School, and a Non Executive Director of online men’s lifestyle publisher Boss Hunting.
