For any business, finding and retaining the right staff is a complex process. This is no less true fo a digital agency, especially when it comes to securing top talent. Sure, some roles are easier to fill than others due to skill requirements, however, the truth is technical roles within agencies are harder to fill and maintain than many others.
Why are There Hiring Challenges?
Successful businesses often have one thing in common — happy staff. Richard Branson is quoted as saying “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” It seems pretty obvious, but the truth is, if you get this right success will follow.
A key component of this, is ensuring at the outset that you have the right staff. In a digital agency, skills are one element, but attitude, training, and experience are equally important.
And this is where it gets more difficult. How do you find the right staff that meet these criteria. When you look at different role types in an agency, there are competitive and complex criteria that need to be met. Take the following as examples.
Data Analysts: Candidates for this type of role require mathematical and programming skills, but at the same time, they need to be able to work with non-technical team members who need to brief them and also understand their outputs. SEO specialist: SEO is always changing, so the right candidate needs to be hungry to learn and practically apply their knowledge to client accounts. They can’t just know Google, they need to think analytically to they can find the opportunities others cannot. Digital Strategist: Requires a keen understanding of market trends and mandates a blend of creating vision with analytical ability. Communicating this clearly, and finding commercial ways to implement changes is critical.
- Account Management: Account managers (and let’s include project managers) require an ability to interpret client needs, find commercial ways to deliver to these and an uncanny ability to manage the competitive priorities and personalities within the business.
But the challenge is not confined to the skills and characteristics of staff. There are ever evolving changes within the business environment that impact operations.
- Technological Advancements: The digital landscape continues to evolve every day and as new tools and platforms emerge, the required skill sets increase in tandem. This constant change requires businesses and personnel to upskill making it challenging for industries to maintain a workforce that continues to evolve with the technologies.
- Competitive Market: Digital transformation is accelerating and there is fierce competition not only between digital agencies but also large tech firms that are offering digital transformations. This competition in the market drives up salary expectations and creates challenges in both acquiring and retaining personnel.
These challenges have far-reaching implications. In fact, a recent survey by Flair HR revealed that 90% of hiring managers report difficulties in finding candidates with the requisite skills for their roles.
So, how can you overcome these challenges?
Strategy 1: Expanding the Talent Pool
If COVID showed us anything, it was that location is less of a barier than ever, and the right talent could be anywhere. In fact, a study by Been Remote shows that nearly 60% of the global workforce has taken on remote work at the very least for part-time roles.
If you think beyond the need to have staff in a physical office and are open to talent coming from anywhere, then leveraging remote work to expand your talent pool is a strategic move that allows digital agencies to bypass local limitations, reduce costs, and continuously access a broader, more diverse pool of experts.
This not only opens you to a new talent pool, but study by ZipRecruiter, showed that remote workers are willing to take a 14% pay cut compared to on-site workers due to the flexibility of remote work. Sometimes they are willing to sarcifice money for lifestyle, conveneience or because they do not have travel costs. Considering remote staff is a great way to create a larger talent pool.
Strategy 2: Upskilling Existing Workforce
If you find the right talent, then, per Richard Branson, retention strategies, and techniques that put employees first, are essential. One way to do this is to invest into upskilling your current workforce.
It may seem expensive, but when compared to the cost of hiring anew, AND when you consider the upsides that comes from a smarter, more efficient workforce, then having individuals who are able to adapt to new tools and technologies is an investment into the future of your business. It’s not just conjecture though, because a study conducted by Work Institute showed that ⅓ employees leave their current roles due to lack of career advancement and training . Additionally a survey conducted by Linkedin, shows that 93% of employees are willing to stay with an organisation that invests into their career development.
Strategy 3: Strengthen the Businesses Brand
In the same way consumers look to buy from strong brand names, a strong employer brand is a key asset in a competitive market. Beyond salaries and benefits, potential employees are increasingly looking for an organisation with a good reputation and strong growth opportunities. This branding can be strengthened by showcasing the company’s portfolios and employee success stories. Think about Google who offer free lunch, Uber to and from work, training opportunities and more.
They are business expenses sure (and yes, they have a much larger budget than most) but small things that improve how your brand is perceived helps differentiate the company from rival businesses. done by Linkedin shows that employers branding alone, can attract up to 75% more qualified applicants. And as dsiscussed, finding the talent is often the hardest step.
Your next steps
Digital Agency hiring strategies vary brand to brand and city to city, but the truth is, overcoming hiring related issues is only going to be achieved by adapting to the modern digital landscape and implementing hiring and retention strategies that make employees feel special. You don’t have to start huge, in fact, starting with something small and meaningful is best. Think about building a better Job Description that is explicit in what you need, but which shows the personality of your brand. Be detailed and in doing so, give more people a chance to showcase why they are right for you.
And if hiring your own staff is or has been too hard and you want to talk to someone who can help, contact us for information about our outsourcing and white-labelling services.
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