The world of Human Resources (HR) is rapidly evolving, and at the forefront of this transformation are two game-changing technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. As we venture deeper into the digital age, HR professionals and hiring managers find themselves on the cusp of a revolution that promises to improve processes, elevate candidate experiences, and unlock the full potential of their workforce.

In this article, we’ll explore the insights of two HR experts, Lorenzo Chiozzi, HR Director at Hikvision UK & Ireland, and Tess Hilson-Greener, CEO of AI Capability Ltd, as they share their experiences and visions for the integration of AI and automation in HR. Alongside this, the article looks at the wider HR function and how areas like talent management, administration and onboarding can be developed and improved by HR teams that are willing to embrace AI and automation.

Enhancing HR Processes through AI

OpenAI, the creators of Chat GPT, published a research paper estimating that “80 percent of jobs can incorporate generative AI technology”. In HR, there is great potential for companies to incorporate AI into performance reviews, talent acquisition, evaluating large pools of candidates, administrative tasks, and other repetitive and data-driven functions. This view is shared by a leading thinker of AI in HR, Josh Bersin, who remarks that much of the data taken by HR is “numerically focused, involving surveys, feedback forms, data” which is then correlated with “business results against various people metrics”. This data-driven approach to HR is one that AI and automation can support, from developing best-practice employee engagement surveys to evaluating large numbers of CVs against the job requirements and a profile of a desired candidate.

In simple terms, AI frees up HR teams to complete business-critical projects by automating administrative tasks. Lorenzo Chiozzi explains, “In recruitment, you can use predictive analysis, interview scheduling, chatbots and candidate sourcing to boost productivity. Reporting has changed with predictive reporting and automated report generation.” These AI-powered applications allow HR teams to work more efficiently, saving valuable time and resources.

Tess Hilson-Greener agrees, emphasising the diverse applications of AI and automation in HR. “These include talent acquisition and recruitment, employee engagement and performance management, workforce planning and analytics, learning and development, and HR operations and administration”. This showcases the wide range of opportunities that AI presents to HR teams, enabling them to strengthen various aspects of talent management.

Delving deeper, Workable mentions that AI can also help businesses “anticipate and plan for outcomes using predictive analytics and machine learning.” This can be especially useful for small businesses without the resources or expertise to map out detailed HR strategies. Utilising AI can help HR teams understand best practices and case studies so that AI can digest and provide actionable ideas tailored to individual organisations.

Enhancing HR Operations and Administration

AI and automation have instigated a fundamental shift in HR operations and administration, significantly reducing administrative burdens and freeing up valuable time. Lorenzo shares, “I use AI daily in some HR processes, recruitment, and in a variety of different contexts.” Tools like automated applicant tracking systems, chatbots, and virtual assistants streamline candidate interactions and deliver seamless experiences throughout the hiring process.

For those new to AI, Tess recommends starting with “policy management and reporting” and to “use Chat GPT and other AI video/voice solutions.” AI-powered chatbots can answer employees’ frequently asked questions and provide prompt assistance, enhancing employee self-service options and fostering a more efficient HR service delivery.

The efficiency of operational tasks can be improved by using AI, which can help with speeding up the onboarding and acclimatisation process for new employees. An article by Oracle, referencing data compiled from 34,000 exit interviews, notes that “40% of new employees quit within the first year of being hired”. Whilst employees choose to leave their jobs for a multitude of reasons, delays and inefficiencies in the onboarding process can lead to employees feeling overwhelmed at work, unsuited to the role, or struggling to adapt to the company’s culture or way of working.

Utilising AI allows the onboarding process to support employees 24/7.

It can also ease the time-consuming administrative tasks involved. Furthermore, Oracle state that AI can “equip an employee with intelligent suggestions for courses or reading that will aid in day-to-day job duties”, which highlights the value that AI and automation can provide in career development too.

Mitigating Risks and Embracing Opportunities

Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index Annual Report sheds light on employee attitudes towards AI. Whilst 49% of respondents noted that they have concerns about AI replacing their jobs, 70% would be in favour of delegating as much work as possible to AI. HR teams can leverage this curiosity and act as the champions of AI and automation, to upskill employees in its wide-ranging uses.

This view is echoed by Gosia Adamczyk speaking to HR Magazine, who suggests that HR teams should build confidence, “starting with the acceptance that these tools are here to stay”. Companies and HR teams can jump on the AI revolution and develop programmes and initiatives aimed at allowing employees to harness the potential of AI in their work, rather than allowing them to see it as a threat.

These initiatives still need to be developed with a degree of caution, and it’s important to remember that with any technological advancement, AI comes with risks and challenges. “It can be very dangerous if the model is totally trusted, as it can generate manipulation or systematic biases,” cautions Lorenzo. HR teams must ensure transparency, fairness and oversight when using AI algorithms to avoid unintended consequences. Tess adds, “To mitigate risks, organisations should ensure transparency and fairness in AI algorithms, regularly monitor and validate AI outputs, and have appropriate safeguards for data privacy and security.” Embracing opportunities with AI, while being aware of its limitations and risks, is essential to maximising its use within HR.

Ethical Concerns and DEI

As AI and automation continue to play a more significant role in HR, addressing ethical concerns becomes crucial. Tess reminds HR professionals that, “Human oversight and review are important to catch and correct any potential biases or errors.” Ensuring AI algorithms are transparent, fair, and free from bias is paramount in upholding fairness and equality in HR practices.

Incorporating AI into DEI plans ensures that AI-driven decisions align with organisational values and promote a diverse and inclusive workplace.

By investing in AI-qualified consultants and experts, HR teams can mitigate risks and maximise the value of AI and automation in driving positive outcomes for both employees and the company.

Supporting this, Sameer Maskey remarks in a Forbes article that “AI-powered internal survey assessment tools can help HR teams conduct sentiment analysis and deploy data-driven organisation initiatives that focus on employee morale and things today’s workforce considers a priority, such as diversity and sustainability.”

There’s no doubt that AI offers an important, unbiased tool for HR and talent acquisition teams in assessing employee morale and diversity within a company. And for hiring, AI can assess a wide pool of candidates without unconscious bias, not to mention provide a fresh perspective on ideas for employee engagement, for businesses that are ‘set in their ways’.

The Human Touch in HR

While AI improves efficiency, it cannot replace human empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. As Tess explains, “Balancing automation with human interaction and personalised experiences is crucial.” Lorenzo emphasises the importance of strategic implementation, saying, “AI should be implemented strategically, always considering the human factor. AI can make happen what has always been missing in people management – the ability to read information and analytics in a holistic and meaningful way.”

Josh Bersin remarks that AI can pull together data that can be used to make better hiring decisions, and likewise decide “who to promote, who to demote, and who should make it to the very top ranks of the company”. Regarding the internal movement of employees, it’s important not to rely completely on AI to make the decisions but to use human intuition and the insight of managers working with employees to ensure that balanced decisions can be made regarding an employee’s potential, suitability for a promotion, and other factors.

Likewise, AI is not yet advanced enough to accurately grasp the values, feel or culture of a company, and HR teams are best placed to decide whether benefits or initiatives are working well, rather than simply relying on data and figures to cast judgment. Small initiatives can have a large impact on employee engagement and morale, and soft benefits can be crucial in retaining and attracting talent, that might be overlooked in a hiring strategy based on ‘hard data’.

The Future of HR

Both experts agree that the progression of AI and automation will have a significant impact on the future of HR. Tess predicts that, “There will be new professions, and organisations that manage to crack the AI code for a practical and useful HR approach will prevail.”

The seamless integration of AI and automation will empower HR teams to make data-driven decisions, optimise talent management, and drive employee performance, ultimately ushering in a new era of HR excellence.

As generative AI develops further and becomes widespread in the workforce, new regulations will be developed to ensure that it is safe and beneficial to society. There will be plenty of firsts when it comes to AI, and Jack Aldane, writing for Global Government Forum, mentions that Romania recently “unveiled the world’s first AI government adviser.” The working world will be moulded in the coming years to incorporate AI, and HR teams will be at the forefront of harnessing its capabilities, while upskilling workers to fluidly utilise it, thereby firmly positioning it as an ally rather than a threat to job security.

Conclusion: A Journey of Progress

AI and automation have transformed the landscape of HR, promising to revolutionise talent acquisition, employee development, workforce planning and HR operations.

As HR professionals and hiring managers navigate this transformative journey, they must strike a balance between leveraging AI’s capabilities and preserving the human touch.

Embracing AI strategically, with a keen eye on ethics, transparency and fairness, HR professionals can unlock the true potential of their workforce and create a thriving, future-proof organisation.

As businesses embrace the power of AI and automation, HR’s role will evolve into a pivotal one, overseeing the co-existence of human expertise and machine intelligence in companies. Navigating this path with foresight will pave the way for HR to emerge as a strategic driver of business success, steering businesses towards a future of limitless possibilities. The journey towards HR’s AI-powered future has only just begun, and the possibilities are as exciting as they are limitless.

The post AI and Automation: HR’s Evolution into the Future appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Diversity in the workplace refers to the inclusion of different genders, nationalities and other underrepresented groups in the office. Across many industries the lack of diversity is alarming and problematic, however, when it comes to diversity numbers in tech startups, the numbers are dismal.

For example, our 2019 research revealed, in a survey of 1000 UK workers, that only 1% of female jobseekers want to work in startups, compared to 8% of male jobseekers.

This is reflected in Tech Nation’s Diversity and Inclusion in UK Tech Companies report[1], which states that 77% of tech director roles are made up of men, while just 23% are women. Compared to the national average of 71% for men and 29% for women, there are clearly barriers in place that are  preventing more women from working in startups.

When we look at wider underrepresented groups, the situation remains the same. According to Tech Nation, just 15% of those working in tech are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds[2]. If you think your company lags behind and you’d like to learn how to improve diversity in your startup, find our headline ideas to get started below.

Encouraging diversity in your startup infographic

If you’d like any more advice about how you can increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace, please get in touch today.

[1] https://technation.io/insights/diversity-and-inclusion-in-uk-tech-companies/

[2] https://technation.io/news/what-of-people-working-in-tech-are-from-bame-backgrounds/

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This year has already shown how exciting the future of technology is and the enormous potential it holds for humanity. Technological advancements are coming in thick and fast, transforming the way we live, interact and work. If you work in tech and are hiring digital staff, you’ll already be well aware!

No matter how hard you try to stay on top of this flood of software, gadgets and trends, sometimes the pace of technological innovation outruns us all. So, it’s good practice to regularly set aside time to take in the tech landscape and reorient yourself – particularly if you’re a professional looking for a job in tech. We’ve been doing just that and have singled out five tech advancements that will have a big impact on your working life for years to come.

These are some of the exciting trends in technology we’re following closely:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

AI and ML have already revolutionised the way we use technology, and this trend is set to continue. AI writing tool ChatGPT has been on everybody’s lips this year, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Companies from Google to Snapchat are beginning to incorporate AI tools into their platforms to improve user experience. Many other AI-powered devices and applications will follow suit, becoming ever more sophisticated, personalised and widespread, thereby improving efficiency and decision-making in industries like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.

Professionals in many industries have already been discovering new ways to streamline their work with AI tools, from helping to write blog posts, to creating marketing plans, and even spotting errors in coding.

2. Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things is the name given to the increasingly large ecosystem of internet-connected devices. These days, this includes everything from doorbells to watches and baby monitors, and the list is growing.

The IoT will continue to connect devices and sensors, creating a vast source of data that can be analysed and utilised to enhance various sectors, including smart cities, transportation, and agriculture.

3. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR)

From its humble beginnings as gimmicky sci-fi goggles, VR (and later AR) has grown massively in quality and application. With mega-corporations like Google and Meta investing heavily, these technologies will continue to improve, making it possible to create immersive experiences for users in various fields such as gaming, education and healthcare.

4. 5G Technology

5G networks will provide faster and more reliable connectivity, enabling improved data transfer and supporting the growth of IoT and other emerging technologies. As the networks are rolled out in more locations, including developing markets, the possibility for increased global trade and seamless collaboration between businesses will skyrocket.

5. Quantum Computing

At the cutting edge of tech innovation is the hugely exciting quantum computing. This ground-breaking technology will revolutionise data processing, allowing for faster and more efficient computation, with potential applications in fields such as cryptography, logistics, and drug discovery.

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Overall, the future of technology looks incredibly promising, with many exciting advancements on the horizon that will help to solve some of the world’s most significant challenges. But they will also have untold impacts on our personal and working lives. Keeping one eye on these evolving technologies will ensure you’re in a good position to seize the opportunities they present.

We work with digital and tech professionals who have the skills and knowledge to keep your business at the forefront of its field. Get in touch today to benefit from their expertise.

The post Five tech innovations you should know – and how businesses are using them appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Thirty years ago, a typical job for Angus Knowles-Cutler would be to look at the financial performance of the top 50 British companies over the last three years. To do this, he’d pop down to a library, pull out a couple of microfiche and spend the next 12 hours looking through a viewfinder to review the data. He would write the numbers into a big ledger and complete calculations via calculator. That evening, he’d prepare overhead slides of the data using acetane, cutting up cellophone to create graphs. It was a 12-hour task.

Five years ago, now Vice Chairman and Managing Partner at Deloitte’s London office, Angus asked his graduate colleague to do the exact same task. It took her 40 minutes.

It is examples like these that demonstrate just how far we’ve come in the modern world of work. However, with an increase in technological development and an ever-evolving shift in attitudes to the office space, the future of work is set to transform at an even faster speed. So what can we expect from the workplace in 30 years’ time?

Tech takes charge

The largest, and arguably most pertinent changes, arise from the impact of technology. The transformation can be broken into two parts: widespread industry changes and shifts within individual roles. Angus has dedicated much of his recent research into the medium and long-term impact of technology and automation on London’s employment market.

“All jobs are fundamentally changing. No jobs are immune from change, whether they are jobs that are generally considered to be lower-skilled, or higher-skilled.”

“Any job which has high human content will continue to grow – and jobs which machines can increasingly do, especially as things become more clever through AI and advanced robotics, will continue to be replaced.” he continues.

This means industries like manufacturing, retail, transport and increasingly, call centres, are losing traditional jobs at huge rates, with other sectors are transforming based on business needs. For example, in retail, where 300,000 in-store jobs have disappeared in the last 15 years due to online shopping, there is a renewed emphasis on customer service and assistance, rather than direct sales. In manufacturing, it is less about oiling or greasing a machine and more about robotics and supply chain project management.

Macro to micro

While particular sectors are experiencing seismic shifts, others are going through smaller, task-specific changes.

“Often when people think about automation, robotics and tech in the workplace, they see it as binary – so it’s either a human does a job or a machine does a job. The reality is, when you look at the real world, it’s more subtle than that,” says Angus.

“It’s actually tasks within jobs. If you have 15 tasks in the day, machines are replacing the more mundane, rote tasks, leaving the human to do the more creative, human types of tasks so it’s not a binary replacement one for the other, it’s actually technology augmenting the human.” he explains.

With this in mind, both individuals and businesses will stand out from the crowd by emphasising their ‘human’ elements: “Technology, when it’s working well and well-deployed, is actually making humans more effective at what humans do best,” Angus continues.

“We’re good at creativity, we’re good at complex problem solving, and we’re good at dealing with other humans. All the research I’ve done indicates that in the future, we will need the three Cs – creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.”

The death of the office

Technology will also change where we work. Dr Nicola Millard, Head of Customer Insights and Futures at BT, notes that a movement towards on-the-go working will make work-specific physical spaces irrelevant: “As tech continues to shrink, employees of the future will become ‘shoulder-bag workers’, with their entire office fitting into a small bag,” she says.

“We’re seeing the death of the desk, with many asking why we need a desk. It’s generally a place of distraction, so now we need to start thinking about choices in the way we work, designing offices for agility.”

However, this doesn’t mean offices are completely dead. “It’s a bit of a collaboration conundrum – we need to allow people to work anytime, anywhere, but also bring them together in a way,” Nicola says.

Therefore, shared spaces like co-working offices, cafes and hotel lobbies will be more popular, allowing a diverse set of people to communicate and collaborate.

Angus agrees, noting that Deloitte’s recent experiences in London have shown that these types of spaces, which Nicola calls ‘coffices’, are essential: “Collaborative space, especially for start-ups, is in short supply and we clearly understand we need more of it. Space where people can work together and go and have a coffee in the same space with the people next door that are working on quite a different start-up, but sharing common experiences seems to be a common thing.”

More broadly, the move to these types of spaces indicates the need to develop skills around digital teamwork: “It’s about people being able to work together digitally in a collaborative way. So it might be working with teams of people who are all around the world but you’re still working in a collaborative way, but in a digital world instead of a physical world with other people,” says Angus.

Moving forward

For Nicola, it’s using the opportunities that technology presents to reinvent the wheel, instead of digitising analogue processes.

“If you have a bad process in the first place, you’ll end up with a bad result. So businesses need to look at reinvention, asking what they want to do, what talent they want and how they attract them,” she says.

“Ultimately, digitisation is about productivity, so businesses need to ensure they are using the technology in the right way to improve employee productivity, instead of hindering it.”

For Angus, future-proofed businesses are those who look beyond the next 12 months: “One of the big issues is most businesses are quite good at knowing what kind of people they need and what spaces they need in the next year or two. Forcing yourself to look 10-15 years down the road is much more difficult but really important,” he says.

“Long-range workforce planning often falls to the HR team and that’s fine if it’s a year or two out but for 10-15 years down the track, you need to engage the most senior people in your business. It’s a much broader decision that just HR.”

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This piece is the sixth in the series: ‘Make your working life exceptional: a guide to creating a better workplace.’ Read part one about mental health, part two about flexible working, part three about workplace design, part four about diversity and part five about employee engagement.

Second photo credit: WeWork

The post Collaboration and critical thinking: how technology is affecting the future of work appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

First published on Forbes, 12/08/22

“The true enemy for many is the daily grind of commuting.” That’s according to Mark Dixon, CEO of flexible office provider IWG. And he has a point. People were only too delighted to give up their commute during the pandemic; for many, the resulting time and cost savings were the biggest perk of working from home. And now that offices are going back, many workers are dreading the thought of having to do it all over again, not least due to fears over the risk of infection.

However, as someone who regularly runs and swims to the office (yes, in London!), I can wholeheartedly say that the commute doesn’t have to be that way. There are cheaper, more sustainable ways to get to the office and, dare I say it, commuting can be good for you.

New Commuting Patterns

Changes in how we work should mean that commuting isn’t as painful as it once was. Less days in the office mean less commuting and less people using transport systems, which could actually make taking the train or the bus more bearable.

For those whose only option is to drive to work, the rise in hybrid working is also good news. Research by Wejo for USA Today, shows that the “rush hour” is not quite so rushed these days. Starting times are now flexible, often later, and more spread out.

Employers can help to ensure that these new commuting patterns stick. For example, at Tiger Recruitment we’re giving people flexibility over their start and finish times so that they can travel in quieter (and less expensive) periods. Thanks to technology, people will soon be able to plan their journeys with even greater precision. Take Google’s transit crowdedness predictions innovation, for example, which is currently being trialed in New York and Sydney. Commuters can see how busy their train or bus will be and avoid peak times, meaning that standing shoulder-to-shoulder in an overcrowded carriage could become a thing of the past.

Shorter Commute?

Another growing trend that could eliminate the once-dreaded commute is the so-called 15-minute city, the brainchild of Professor Carlos Moreno. This is the idea that everything you need in terms of work, retail and leisure is within 15 minutes by foot or bike. The concept, which gained momentum during the pandemic when people tended to stay local, is designed to create a greener, cleaner, more pleasant urban environment. Paris has embraced it; Milan is piloting it and other world cities are introducing their own variations, with leading examples including Portland’s Complete Neighborhoods and Bogotá’s Barrios Vitales.

With the 15-minute city, rather than everyone having to travel to a central office location, people would work closer to home, combining remote working with working from a local flexible workspace.

Healthier Start

The beauty of living closer to the office, or working closer to home, is that you can travel there under your own steam. My own day starts with a run through London’s Hyde Park followed by a swim in the Serpentine. For me, the commute is my daily exercise, which leaves me energized and ready to face the challenges of the day ahead.

The desire to avoid public transport during the pandemic has also driven a number of my team to rethink their commute and, like me, where they can, have made walking, running or cycling to the office part of their routine.

Active commuting is great for physical wellbeing, with medical research showing that it could help people live longer and reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease. Employers can help their employees make healthier choices. That might mean offering bike or e-bike subsidies, such as Amazon is doing, and providing the right facilities so that people can easily store their bikes and shower and change before work.

Greener Choice

The other beneficiary of more active commuting is the environment. Encouraging people to take up greener modes of transport can help businesses reduce their carbon footprint and maintain the sustainability boost we saw during Covid-19 when people drove less and stayed at home more.

Many people are still wedded to their cars and if anything, the pandemic has strengthened their attachment as they look to avoid crowds and the risk of infection. But Oxford academics have found that by swapping their car for a bike or e-bike just one day a week, people can reduce their carbon footprint by about 0.5 tonnes (0.55 tons) over a year, representing a substantial share of average per capita C0².

Changing behavior also requires city-level transformation. There needs to be the right infrastructure in place – such as cycle lanes – with incentives to reward and encourage healthy choices. This year’s European green capital, Lahti in Finland provides an interesting example of how it can be done. As part of a broader urban mobility project, citizens use an app to calculate their carbon footprint and earn points – virtual Euros – for using greener transport options, which can be exchanged for discounts on products and services.

Mental Preparation

Love it or hate it, the commute is an important part of working life, which helps people mentally prepare for the day ahead and unwind when it’s over. It’s for that very reason that when all of us were working from home, a group of UK academics recommended a ‘faux commute’ as a useful way to separate work and home life.

This is a healthy habit that businesses should continue to foster in their remote workers. A lap of the park or a walk round the block can help people get into the right professional mindset. It can also guard against burnout; rather than gaining an extra hour by not commuting, employees often devote that time to their work and don’t mentally switch off as much as they would if they were traveling to the office.

So, as offices go back in cities around the world from New York to London, let’s resist the temptation to return to our old ways and a commute that fills many of us with trepidation. Now is the time to think differently, to encourage your teams to consider the commute not as something to endure but as an opportunity to exercise, mentally prepare for the working day and have a positive environmental impact. Anyone care to join me for a swim?

The post Re-Imagining The Commute: Why Take The Train When You Could Swim? appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

We are living in a digital world, with laptops, smartphones, tablets and other devices now an integral part of our daily lives and work.

Businesses around the world have become increasingly digitalised, even traditional brick-and-mortar companies are now opting to market their business online. With all the benefits of digital marketing for businesses, this is no surprise.

Just some of these benefits include:

• Cost effectiveness: Digital marketing methods are less expensive than traditional marketing
• Targeting: Reach niche audiences in a measurable way
• Lack of geographical boundaries: Target audiences anywhere in the world
• ROI: Generate a consistent lead pipeline and higher conversion rates
• Measure: Analyse data to determine if campaigns are yielding the desired results

The future of digital marketing is bright

The digital transformation of business has led to a steep rise in demand for marketing professionals who are well versed in the digital marketing arena. Graduates and those looking for a career change are attracted to this exciting and fast-growing career path because it’s a dynamic field that is constantly evolving.

There are currently over 22000 digital marketing jobs for the UK listed on LinkedIn. And recent LinkedIn data shows that the digital marketing sector continues to soar in popularity. Thus, if you are looking for jobs in this field, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of opportunities available to you.

Is digital marketing a dream job?

Whilst digital marketing is an exhilarating and rewarding career, it also comes with a set of challenges that you need to be prepared for if you are seriously considering this route. To successfully navigate the fast-changing digital marketing landscape, you’ll need to equip yourself with a myriad of skills and continue to improve your knowledge on an ongoing basis. Top digital marketers are always learning and upskilling to ensure they remain competitive and keep on top of emerging trends.

Pros of a career in digital marketing:

• You can earn a healthy income
• It’s a fast paced and exciting career route that will keep you on your toes
• It offers unlimited opportunities for personal and professional growth
• You’ll have the opportunity to work with an interesting mix of people and businesses
• Feeling bold? You could take the plunge and set up your own digital marketing agency
• You’ll be free to tap into your potential and use it to drive your success
• As long as you have internet access, you can work from anywhere in the world
• The balance of tasks allows you to be creative in your work as well as review tangible analytical trends
• The broad landscape of digital marketing gives you many different avenues and outlets
• You’ll have the chance to build a thriving career that will last the test of time
• You’ll never be bored!

Cons of a career in digital marketing:

• Continual learning and keeping on top of rapidly changing trends is hard work
• You may not always see the results you were hoping for
• If you find yourself in a niche that isn’t the best fit for you, it may be challenging to pivot
• You’ll spend long days sitting in front of a screen, which could cause tension over time
• Digital marketing is a demanding and multifaceted career that requires discipline and focus
• You may struggle to formulate successful campaigns, generate traffic and drive conversions, even if you think you’re doing all the right things
• Running your own digital marketing business may be harder than you think
• You may work with clients who have unrealistic expectations, creating additional pressure

If you do decide to go down this route, thorough preparation will increase your chances of success. Start by brushing up on or developing some of the key skills that are required to be an accomplished digital marketer.

Just a few of the top skills that will help to skyrocket your career in digital marketing are:

Video marketing

Are you aware that YouTube is the 2nd largest online platform after Google? Businesses who are embracing video marketing are benefiting from more traction, increased brand awareness, more traffic and more sales. Whilst you don’t need to know everything about video production to succeed as a digital marketer, the stronger you are in this area the better.

Social media

As of January 2022, there were 4.62 billion social media users around the world. A social media presence is vital for businesses who want to maximise exposure for their brand, attract and retain the attention of their audience, and generate more business. Social media offers an incredible opportunity to better understand and build relationships with customers anywhere in the world. Most importantly, it’s free! Savvy digital marketers use engaging social media content to attract and convert audiences organically and analyse campaign data to determine what’s working and what’s not.

Copywriting

To succeed as a digital marketer, you’ll need to create content that engages your audience and persuades them to take a specific form of action that ultimately leads to a conversion or sale. With as many as 350,000 tweets going out every minute, catchy, compelling content is vital to stand out in a saturated digital market. And while the amount of content being shared online is increasing, the attention spans of people are shortening. So, you’ll need to compress information into digestible bites while still conveying the right message and without losing the ability to capture their attention.

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Search Engine Optimisation is crucial in all aspects of digital marketing, so if you can demonstrate a solid knowledge of the dynamics of SEO, you’ll be ahead of the game. The organisation for whom you work may assign the technical side to a specialist SEO team, but if you have expertise in this area you can apply it to ensure you are producing optimised content that will drive successful campaigns.

PPC

PPC, or pay-per-click advertising, helps businesses to expand their reach by showing up in top spots online, and they only pay when a visitor clicks on their ad. Digital marketers drive performance by paying attention to the relevance and quality of the ad, determining which keywords to target, and the best format and channel. This requires a creative flair, polished analytical skills and an in depth understanding of the business, their goals and customer intents.

Analytics and data analysis

If you want to be a successful digital marketer, you’ll need to use data to verify, understand and quantify the degree to which the efforts of your campaigns are paying off. You’ll need to be able to interpret the data into real, actionable insights which can then be used to inform important business decisions and shape core campaign strategies. Data analysis highlights what’s working and makes it clear where efforts need to be focused.

Email marketing

To further elevate your digital career, learn how to harness the power of email marketing to build relationships with customers. A seasoned digital marketer can create campaigns that nurture subscribers and existing leads through newsletters. They create powerful experiences for their audience, tapping into their emotions and inspiring them to take action.

You’ll find countless digital marketing courses on sites such as Udemy, Lynda, Coursera, Edx, Hubspot and Alison. We also recommend taking a look at our partner New Skills Academy, who are offering course discounts of up to 65%.

If you’re interested in discovering how our consultants could help you find your first or next dream role in digital marketing, please contact us here.

The post Are you ready to be a digital marketer? appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

For both novice and seasoned interviewers, interviewing for a technical position can seem daunting. If your company is looking to hire a specialist in-house, it may mean you’re in the position of hiring for a role you know little about. If you find yourself in this position when hiring a software engineer, the below guide will help you get the best out of the experience.

What is a software engineer?

The first thing you need to do in preparation for conducting the interview is to understand the role of a software engineer. Software engineering is a segment of computer science that focuses on building and developing computer and applications software. So, when a company wants to hire a software engineer, they will typically refer to either applications engineers or systems engineers.

• Applications engineers develop user-focused programs such as databases and web browsers.
• Systems engineers develop programs such as operations systems and computing utilities.

You or your business may consider employing a software engineer due to the increasing use and reliance on sophisticated and customised technologies, such as mobile technology.

Key skills to look for in a software engineer

Software engineers are in high demand for their skills in developing business applications, middleware, operating systems and network control systems. So, what specific skills do you need to look for on their CV?

Depending on the purpose of hiring, you should look for experience and knowledge in:

• Algorithms and data structures
• Debugging software
• Design and architecture
• Fundamentals of computer science
• Information analysis
• Programming and codebases
• Testing software

It would help if you also looked for the following soft skills, many of which you might look for when interviewing for other roles within your business:

• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Cooperation/working well in teams
• Love of learning/innovation
• Perseverance
• Project management

Ten technical questions to ask a software engineer

To get you started on the right track towards hiring the best software engineer for your needs, you can weave these software engineer interview questions into your preparation:

• Describe a time you explained a technical project to non-technical stakeholders. How did you ensure everyone understood it?
• Which systems do you use for managing projects and tasks?
• Which programming languages are you most familiar with?
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a colleague who had a negative impact on the team. How did you raise the issue of their behaviour and what was the result?
• Describe a situation you’ve encountered when several teammates disagreed. How did you resolve the problem, and what might you do differently in the future?
• When a project leader or manager hands you a task, how do you ensure you’ve completely understood all requirements?
• Tell me about a time you were the lead on a product or application development project. How did you make sure the team worked together to ensure the deadline was met?
• Describe an instance where you had a critical application error. How did you and your team work through the emergency, and what you might do differently in the future?
• Which of the following have you used: Agile, XP, Scrum, Lean, or PRINCE2? Which is your favourite project methodology?
• Describe the process you use for writing code and how you make sure it is capable of handling various error situations.

You might also like to delve deeper into your candidate’s experience in updating outdated systems, designing scalable applications, and working under stress.

The post How to identify a fantastic software engineer: an interviewer’s guide appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.