In AND Digital’s 2022 ‘Nature of the Digital Skills Gap’ white paper, 61% of business leaders UK-wide told us that their five year growth plans would be at risk if their digital ambitions did not materialise.

Though that figure may seem startling, many of us may be forgiven for thinking that in the 21st century all business leaders are putting their growth plans at risk if they fall behind on digital.

The fact of that matter remains that even non-digital industries are reliant on those that are already digital. Although the phrase ‘going digital’ may well be daunting to non-techies, we need to ditch the jargon and soundbites and get to the heart of this issue, which is that any organisation that doesn’t prioritise the digital transformation of its processes and its people is going to fall behind.

As part of our research this year, we analysed job vacancies and skills data for the UK and found that in the first seven months of 2022, there were more than 2 million digital skill related vacancies posted out of a total of 8.5 million vacancies – highlighting that demand for digital skills is present in 23.5% of all job ads.

We see many charities and organisations doing great work to inspire and empower others, but it is becoming clear that many are struggling on the bare minimum of digital skills and knowledge, and there are probably many in the private sector who also fall into that trap.

A major problem is a lack of basic understanding of what digital skills are and how they should be deployed in workplaces. While so many businesses depend on digital improvement for business growth, we know that many companies don’t know where to start.

Our report revealed thousands of people equate digital skills with IT literacy: familiarity with hardware such as laptops, use of communication apps, and ability to manage data.

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When we speak to clients, partners and charities at the outset of their digital journey, we always begin by taking the time to establish clarity on what digital skills actually means to that particular organisation.

What will success look like for your team?

Defining and achieving strategic objectives within a digital transformation project, big or small, requires shared definitions, open communication and visualised success.

We know that digital upskilling and transformation does not mean everyone learns to code from scratch and build from the ground-up, it simply means keeping up with the times and not falling behind. Leaders in our sectors cannot be gatekeepers – we need to be leading the way and helping businesses to understand they are already living in a digital world. They may just need a guide to show them some routes around it.