1. Competency with Artificial Intelligence

Today, every technology-oriented, or software company is heavily reliant on artificial intelligence systems to drive their normal operations. Even middle-sized websites invest in the technology as well, with task-specific robots the order of the day.

The technology and it’s applicable systems have conquered the market so much so that it is paramount that every company dedicate capital and human resources towards developing their robotic technologies. Such technology is powered through artificial intelligence.

This intense demand for human skill and expertise with artificial intelligence mean there exists a considerable dearth in the number of people competent enough to execute said tasks.

Additionally, the number of artificial intelligence-savvy managers is even more dire, with there not enough technology officers or product managers with requisite skills in artificial intelligence.

The outcome has been a continued increase in the cost of hiring ably qualified information technology experts with the ability to work on projects based on artificial intelligence. The skill has also become increasingly valuable to both companies worth and operational efficiencies.

2. Proficiency in applied machine learning

It is the newest of the most critical technical skills in high demand within businesses, but machine learning is just as crucial to organizational success. The high calibre of expertise needed for machine learning is such that most companies are still in the testing stages, making whichever makes the first breakthrough primed for handsome financial rewards.

Granted, machine learning is a component application of artificial intelligence that is presently permeating in most industries. The difference, however, lies in the fact that machine learning empowers organizational systems to learn critical operations of the company through system automation, and subsequently improve said systems.

Research shows machine learning focuses on developing such computer programs which access and use company data to familiarize and learn said systems. It is an essential development as machine learning guarantees higher efficiency and lower personnel costs.

3. Cross-team communication and functionality

All businesses seek operational efficiency atop task effectiveness. This need has never been higher. The continued advancement of business technologies means crucial yet different job activities and functions now overlap with increasing frequency. Furthermore, technology allows companies to cut back on the personnel in a cost-saving reorganization.

The reduced number of employees means the need to collaborate on critical projects is heightened, and the need for cross-team communication and functionality ever more required. Modern technology used in business makes this possible.

As a typical project requires the different skill set of developers, designers, and marketers bring on board, it is paramount that these experts work together on hundreds of such projects. Business technology is, therefore, a relief rather than a burden. When properly designed and executed, cross-team collaboration gives organization new impetus to compete on the market.

Indeed, while the intense competition between departments for resources continues to rage on, all the different teams stand to benefit more by furthering the organization on the market. As such, cross-team collaboration brings out the best in each team as well as the organization.

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4. Mobile applications and mobile marketing

The 21st Century demographics are increasingly moving towards mobile devices in everything they do, and businesses must follow suit. Today, mobile devices are the easiest and shortest route to capturing the attention or affections of consumers. This makes the development of mobile-oriented business strategies extremely crucial to the success of the business.

It follows, therefore, that the ability to develop mobile applications and mobile user business interfaces is an extremely valuable skill to oneself and the hiring organization.

Critically, the best mobile application developers must be as flexible as the businesses that they serve to remain relevant. To this end, it is rewarding for such developers to master and show their skilful tact in developing a variety of mobile applications.

Mastering a variety of programming languages would be a solid foundation from which to build one’s repertoire of enthused corporate clients.

Indeed, the need for efficient businesses dictates that mobile interfaces be developed for all mobile operating systems, and be designed to meet essential business objectives.

They include ensuring a friendly user interface that makes the customer experience as much a top priority as conversion and selling are.

5. Excelling in information security and cybersecurity

Every business has secrets, whether trade or operational, that is valuable to the organization as well as its going concern. Also, the various stakeholders to the business do have an expectation of confidentiality in their dealings with the business organization.

For this reason, all business entities have a moral and legal duty to protect the secrecy and confidentiality of all information shared with the business.

For this reason, corporations must invest heavily in cybersecurity systems and personnel, who help shore up the security of the business and information received from its stakeholders. As a result, most business and not for profit organization rank information security at the apex of their organizational needs.

The technological advancements have made cybersecurity an equally high priority skill for businesses in different industries.
Unfortunately, the need for security systems has never been higher.

With several criminals targeting businesses and government agencies alike, it now is paramount that organizational information technology systems to be secured to the best level possible and prevent further infiltration of said networks.

6. Talent for Software as a Service in the cloud

There is no limit to how critical expertise in cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) are to a business. This significance manifests in the number of business activities and operations that demand the use of said skills.

Indeed, the ability to apply digital visualization skills in areas like the Amazon Web Services, VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V and several others for hosting and cloud computing purposes essentially empower the organization to head off competition and prosper on modern markets. That makes these skills extremely vital.

The internet is littered with companies offering essential services to a global audience. This number continues to grow. Also, several other offline service companies also offer such services to a competitive market on which every entity is constantly looking for the edge. Technology can, when used optimally and effectively, provide this edge and safeguard company interests.

A technical employee with the ability to work on cloud stack and similar technologies creates a platform for the organization to flourish. Specifically, how an organization’s Software as a Service is created and maintained impacts numerous critical parts of the company, with user experience, accuracy of pricing and the integration of essential software and technologies into the business systems all critical factors. For this reason, most businesses invest heavily to ensure their SaaS offering is of the right level.

7. Ability to adapt to new technologies

The cost of human labour ranks among the most prohibitive cost items every business has to make do with. As a result, most organizations try to extract the highest possible amount of value possible from their employees to both justify the huge amounts of labour costs as well as keep the financial health of the firm intact.

Part of the methods used to extract value involves the need for employees to multitask; while thousands of businesses the world over reward such foresight and initiative shown by their employees.

The situation is no different with regards to the technical employees. Every employer would prefer a staff of ambitious people ready to take the initiative. Of even more significance, however, is the ability of employees to adapt their skillset, productivity and working technique to the corresponding changes in technology.

Nikos Andriotis argues that the very best of 21st Century technology experts must have the adaptability to new technologies as a staple of their technical skillset; likening the significance of the skill to the regular advancements in technology seen over the last decade. Time and tide wait for no man, says Nikos Andriotis, and neither will technology.

8. Initiating digital transformation in the organization

Like everywhere else, organizational change is scary. Even if it is just digital. The majority of company employees are likely to oppose any proposal that would transform an organization into a tech-savvy institution.

Yet, management has cherished employees with the capabilities to do just that, with such a transformation likely to enhance operational efficiency across the board for the company.

An expert digital transformer evaluates the existing company systems and infrastructure to identify such areas of potential need for operational optimization. They then implement digital platforms and functionalities all across the organization which impact, the overall effectiveness of the organization.

Increased effectiveness translates into more revenue-earning activities being undertaken, hence an increase in periodic revenues of the organization.

9. Digital marketing techniques

As noted before, there is an increasing number of people who access the web and communicate using mobile telecommunication devices. This includes cell phones, tablets, personal computers and more. With more than 3.58 billion people of the world population in 2017 now accessing the internet, it is paramount that businesses adapt their advertising strategy.

The result has been an increased proportion of companies getting their revenues from online sources, with digital marketing efforts by said firms increasing in return.

It follows therefore that any competent employee who excels in digital marketing strategy and techniques became extremely valuable to the organization and its marketing initiatives. Granted, every employer wants to increase their presence and reach on the web. Specifically, the ability of the company to convert any such online presence and reach so generated into viable leads and customers means increased business for the company.

Unfortunately, only the very skilled of digital marketers can accomplish this, with online competition even more fierce than the traditional form. Company employees with proficient skills in search engine marketing, search engine optimization, conversion optimization and several other digital marketing tacts were hugely important to business growth in 2018.

10. Skills related to digital analytics and data visualization.

Business decisions thrive on information. While there may be procedures to collect critical business data from a variety of essential operations and branches of the organization, it is just as important that the data analysis and processing methods be just as effective.

These processes may rely on or make use of both machine learning as well as data analysis techniques, yet they still contribute heavily to the analytical functions of certain company personnel. Either way, their significance cannot be overstated.

Corporate data analytics is thus a continuously growing field. The move to big data means that every strategy manager in large organizations will base their decisions solely on the information obtained by processing and analyzing the data a company collects from its operations and the actions of its stakeholders.

This increased need for accurate information for decision making means that data analysts and specialists in analytics are the new golden geese of every corporate staff around the world. Indeed, the work they do impacts the entire organization and its undertakings, with management, marketers and even plant operators just the tip of a large pool dependent on said data to run their specific mandates within the organizational setting.

11. Robotic process automation

In a world where social bots start the process of attending to user questions, and algorithms scan the industry-related press releases to keep an eye on the competition, every business must automate its processes. For once, business process automation saves time, cuts back on costs and reduces redundancies. Among many other benefits.

Robotic automation specialists give business organizations the edge needed to conquer markets. The skill is especially useful in business process management environments, where all activities integral to organizational success is monitored and controlled.

Several information technology experts consider robotic automation to be more effective in the company future than cloud computing, making the automation experts an extremely valuable asset to the future of the company.

12. Design of user-centric business systems

The needs of customers vary wildly, yet they always fall back to a basic prescription: value, convenience and quality. While the latter is just as important, the role of customer value creation and convenience in dealing with the business and its products overshadow all other variables.

It is along these lines that user experience has grown into a key building block in the design of business applications and similar offerings. As such, the user experience is now considered and requisite element when developing user interfaces of most such applications, software, and programs.

Company workers who specialize in maximizing both customer experience through proper user interfaces are often well appreciated. Their job is to ensure the programs so developed by the company are easy and convenient for use by all demographics. The optimization process must include catering to the needs of special needs groups who deal with the company, such as the visually impaired customers.

On the other hand, the expert on user experience must study the shareholders of the company through user research and testing before deciding on how to increase company-shareholder interactions. They must also find ways to cater to the specific needs of every demographic group to ensure convenience for all.

13. Business intelligence analyst

They are paramount to company success than most would imagine. But business intelligence collectors and analysts could as easily decide company going concern as they could end it. They are highly qualified in a variety of information technology systems and have the competence to use the most sophisticated of business programs.

Unfortunately, business intelligence analysis is one of those positions whose holders are vastly under-appreciated of all employees within the company. The icing on the cake, however, is that they are compensated extremely well. Maybe better than most line managers.

Making use of artificial intelligence programs, business intelligence analysts are like corporate voyeur who seeks to nudge the company ahead of the competition.

They observe hundreds of competitors to borrow any technological is that or process advancements that are then worked on further by the research and development personnel.

The analysts also safeguard company secrets against possible corporate espionage as well as disgruntled employees.

14. Business application development and DevOps

The integration of information technology systems has pushed businesses to invest in a variety of business application development projects.

This need makes business application development a valuable skill for any individual to possess. Modern business managers hire solutions architects to design and develop targeted solutions for internal business needs, including augmentation of current programs and the need to ensure higher efficiency of corporate operations within the firm.

To this end, the technological applications a business develops set benchmarks for how far and efficient its operations can be. It also impacts the market placement the company enjoys over an extended period.

This capability is an especially important one for technology companies which rely on varied software-based programs, solutions, and applications to remain competitive on the market and effectiveness in the manner in which its mandated offerings are discharged.

Similarly, DevOps is a common yet vital tech skill that a modern organization cannot do without. The DevOps skill is especially fancied by organizations aiming to create critical internal business applications and integrate them into its core operations.

The goal is to produce a backend operations system that is more inclined towards client-facing software, applications, and services that reduce destabilizing issues common with most development teams as well as their information technology operations counterparts.

15. Data science and database

Decisions run businesses, and the most significant decisions are made based on factual conditions within the company. These facts are borne out of the data a company collects from its various operations. Data science has gained prominence within the business sector as a result of big data and machine learning systems permeating corporations.

Data science provides the company with useful and accurate information to facilitate the making of key management decisions. For this reason, it is a skill incredibly significant in the routine functioning of the company.

It can also impact on the extent to which a company remains competitive on the market, with strategic decisions made based on the data provided centrally in the direction the company takes.

The skill combines making the collection and handling of huge amounts of highly complex data accurate and simpler and combines a number of disciplines into a more streamlined process with better outflows.

In addition, the extensive applicability of corporate data science systems is such that it is highly intertwined with the core activities of the company.