What are digital skills?

Before you approach candidates with digital skills, it is worth familiarising yourself with what digital skills are. Many companies have a digital skills gap, which means that their employees do not have the skills required to complete tasks that use a computer or other digital devices.

Digital skills involve using digital devices for the purposes of accessing and managing data and other kinds of information. This might involve using messaging tools, applications or coding. Therefore, digital skills can be anything from programming a machine to perform a specific function, to simply using work management or office messaging apps.

It is also worth figuring out what kinds of digital skills are right for your company’s specific needs. A marketing company might rely on messaging apps in a slightly different way than a delivery company. 

You might decide that a training session rather than a new hire is useful, as your whole team will be able to work better if you all understand how to stream a video conference from your office or home. More complex digital skills like programming or web design usually require several years of specialist experience and training.

In this case, it could make sense to hire a candidate internally or externally to perform digital skills-related duties that require these kinds of qualifications. Below, we run through some key examples of digital skills. 

Data Analytics

Being able to read, manage and provide feedback on data is useful to companies who are looking to grow their business. What is more, data can help you find out what drives your team’s performance.

Some companies have access to large amounts of data already, like customer transaction data or survey data. However, they might not have employees with the knowledge to analyse data points to provide a picture of problem areas and solutions.

Data analysis can allow your teams – like your HR or marketing teams – to make educated and informed evidence-based decisions. When hiring for a data analyst, it is worth asking candidates whether they have the following skills:

• Statistics knowledge
• Data cleaning
• Predictive and/or prescriptive analytics skills
• Ability to present information clearly, for example through data visualisation
• Strong communication skills, like being able to present and explain reports
• Machine learning knowledge
• Some programming experience

That way, you can find well-rounded candidates who can help you process data efficiently. This is especially key in a world where companies are inundated with data and are looking to streamline their data processing strategies. 

Video and audio editing

As online media becomes increasingly video focussed, it can be good to have a team member who has video and audio editing skills. For some companies, creating video reels or soundbites is useful to catch the attention of their audiences.

Younger audiences, Gen Z in particular, are often drawn to using social media applications that primarily use video. They often take advantage of the video editing options that these allow them. You might also be looking at this skill to create educational or instructional resources for customers, for your website or for technical support. 

Video is popular because some users find it easier to quickly consume video content compared to text. Not only do some viewers find this presentation of information more engaging, but it might also be more accessible to people who have weaker reading comprehension skills. Some video or image content creators will also create what is known as ‘alt text’ to accompany the visual media so it is more accessible to visually impaired audiences.

Cloud computing

If you are working with a team that is going through a digital transformation, it is likely that they will be migrating files and systems onto cloud-based computer systems. This might come in the form of data storage that businesses would not have the capacity for otherwise.

It also means that this content is accessible to employees who are working remotely. They can access important documents without requesting for them via a file transfer or email. Using cloud computing is therefore a great way to streamline your employee workflows.

Although you might train your pre-existing employees in cloud computing, it is also a useful skill to look out for in an applicant’s CV when you are hiring. It means that they are more likely to get to grips with your company’s systems and data storage during the onboarding process.

Video conferencing

As companies move from working in the office to remotely (whether on a flexible or full-time basis), their employees often need a new set of tools to help them communicate well with the rest of the team. Miscommunication can also happen remotely if employees do not have the opportunity to check in with their managers on a face-to-face basis. That is where video conferencing can be helpful. 

You can use video conferencing tools to hold meetings between several employees at once. It is useful for employees to understand how to record a conversation. They might also benefit from understanding video conferencing etiquette, such as when to turn off a camera or microphone. Usually, video conferencing tools have a chat box so that team members can share files or send messages via text if they prefer. 

If you are looking to hire a remote worker, it is worth looking for someone who is confident and comfortable with conversing regularly using video conferencing tools. This is because this might be their only opportunity to check in with their team if they cannot meet them face to face in the office. You might even use video conferencing to conduct virtual interviews.

Digital marketing

Digital marketing combines a lot of different kinds of digital skills. These can include the following:

• Data analytics
• Email and social media targeted advertising
• Open-source intelligence tools (OSINTs)
• Keyword research and search engine optimisation (SEO)
• Web optimising for marketing strategy
• E-commerce know-how
• Content creation for social media and/or blog posts

These are just some valuable assets for digital marketing candidates. When hiring for a digital marketing candidate, it is worth specifying in your job description which digital skills you need and how you expect your hire to apply them. 

Your digital marketer will usually analyse data to find out more about your audience’s demographics, buying habits, interests and conversion rates. They might also be able to suggest collaborations with potentially high-profile customers.

Digital marketers can also find out your target demographics’ interests in order to better target advertising towards them. They can often create advertisements that are optimised for the web, streamlining them with a user’s online experience. Digital marketers might do this by creating banners, pop-ups and other forms of embedded advertising. 

E-commerce

If you are looking into setting up an online shop so that customers can purchase goods online, it is good to hire someone with e-commerce skills. These are also useful to digital marketers who can use e-commerce tools to find out more about your company’s target demographics. You might also desire e-commerce knowledge in product designers and content creators, as they are more likely to understand what will look best on your site. 

Coding

While coding is a specialist area that might only be required by certain types of business, it is certainly a useful skill to consider in an increasingly digital world. It is worth looking for coding skills if you need someone on board who is able to design an app for your company. A good coder can help you develop software that is more streamlined and that has greater functionality than before. This can improve your customer’s experience, streamlining it.

Coders might also be able to develop networks that improve your employee communications. When you combine coding with cybersecurity experience, you have an employee who can keep your business safe from online attacks. 

Coding is a specialist skill that it might be easier to hire for, because it usually takes years of experience and education to become proficient in it. However, you can still enrol your current employees on a coding training course so they can become more literate with this skill.