digital talent gap
TRANSCRIPT
Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Presented bySteve Walker and Allison JoyceExperis Global Content Solutions
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
The User Experience Talent Gap
Difficult to find an individual who…
• Understands usability
• Understands content management
• Is a graphic designer
• Is an effective writer
• Is creative
• Is business-minded, pragmatic
Photo: Gargoyle at Linlithgow Castle, Scotland. Source: iStockPhoto
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Hunting for Unicorns
What we’ll cover today:
• How to find the rare souls who know how to design and build a good user experience
• Can these skills be taught?
• Where do you find quality resources?
• When do you hire, contract, or use consultants?
• How do you evaluate their abilities?
• How do you nurture and keep good talent?
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Your Guides
Steve Walker
Senior Director, Global Content Solutions
@_SteveWalker
Allison Joyce
Marketing & Communications Specialist
@allisonyjoyce
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Experis Global Content Solutions – Holistic Approach to Content
Good user experience considers all aspects of content creation, management, and delivery.
Globalization Strategy
AuthoringUser
Experience
EnterpriseContent
Management
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Customer Experience/User Experience Talent Management
Sample Roles – North America & global:
• Digital Marketing Experts
• Content Strategists
• Web Designers
• Information Architects
• Multilingual talent
• Usability designers/testers
• Analytics
Recruiting
Consulting
Community Management
Job Assistance
Talent Management
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What is User Experience Exactly?
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What Isn’t User Experience?
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?Poll Question One
• In the past 12 months, my biggest need has been for:
– Content strategists
– User experience designers
– Web developers
– Information architects
– We’re pretty well covered right now
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Who is a Unicorn?
Anyone who can do several of these roles…
User Experience
Director
User Experience
Architect
User Interface Developer
User Interface Designer
Graphic Designer
Information Architect
Taxonomist
Project Manager
Content Strategist
Copywriter
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Where are all the Unicorns?
Geographies – Generally big cities where design and technology thrive
• NYC, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Austin
• Don’t want to relocate
Enjoy interaction with others, shared learning and community
• Meetups
• Word of mouth
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Content Strategists
Unwilling to Relocate: 92.1
Willing to Relocate: 7.9
Source: CareerBuilder
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Content Strategists
Male: 49.4%
Female: 50.6%
What is their gender?
Source: CareerBuilder
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
User Experience Designers
Source: CareerBuilder
Unwilling to Relocate: 87%
Willing to Relocate: 13%
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Male: 100%
What is their gender?
User Experience Designers
Source: CareerBuilder
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Source: CareerBuilder
Unwilling to Relocate: 87%
Willing to Relocate: 13%
User Interface Designers
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Male: 75%
Female: 25%What is their
gender?
Source: CareerBuilder
User Interface Designers
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Source: CareerBuilder
Unwilling to Relocate: 85%
Willing to Relocate: 15%
Information Architects
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Male: 70.3%
Female: 29.7%What is their
gender?
Source: CareerBuilder
Information Architects
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?Poll Question Two
• My challenges right now are:
– Constrained budget for resources
– Lack of qualified talent
– Finding the right fit for our company culture
– Assessing our team’s skills to determine where to fill gaps
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Source: CareerBuilder
Unwilling to Relocate: 84.1%
Willing to Relocate: 14.9%
Web Designer
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Male: 69.3%
Female: 30.7%What is their
gender?
Source: CareerBuilder
Web Designer
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Can I Train Staff to Become Unicorns?
Assess willingness
to learn, plus natural
aptitudes
Organized
Loves efficiency
Esthetic sense or talent
Drawn toward process improvement
Technical aptitude Ongoing learning in technologies
Creative
Curious
Multidisciplinary
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How Should I Bring in UX Talent?
Hire Long-term, ongoing needsDefine requirements thoroughlyDedicated resource available
ContractShort- or longer-term engagementTry on the fit for talentGood for focused projects or related projects
Professional Services
Choose an agency to do the work• No hiring necessary• Good for project work
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How Should I Evaluate Their Skills?
The portfolio is key.
• Candidates should have several clear examples of their work
– Live websites
– Wireframes for projects underway
– Sitemaps
– Webpage layouts Patterns Palette Buttons, fonts, photo usage
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In Portfolio Review, Look for…
Esthetics
Design• Color palette• Clear focal point
Appeal • Overall pleasing
display
Pattern usage• Menus, navigation
make sense
Functionality
Ease of use• Tasks or calls to
action are clear
Logical flow of content• Structure or
architecture makes sense
• Don’t feel lost using the site
Content
Tone is consistent• Body copy
• Display copy
Copy is easy to understand• Clear messages
• Readability
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?Poll Question Three
• What type of talent serves your current UX needs?
– Staff/employees
– Consultants – part time, full time, contract
– An agency – completely outsourced
– We don’t do any UX work now.
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How Can I Keep My Unicorn Happy?
Competitive compensation
Telecommute
Flexible PTO
Clear goals
Timelines
Empowered to act
Room to be creative
Opportunity to define solutions
Open communication Flexibility Structure
PayQuality of life
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Talent Gap Solutions
Pay Hard Skills, Experience
Personality, Intelligence
Sector Acumen
Work Conditions
Perception of job, company, place
Continuous branding/differentiation/ visibility • •Reevaluate talent ecosystem/reach, explore passive candidates • • • •Hire for general competency, train, mentor • • •Reconfigure start-up packages • •Add virtual work options • • • •Outsource/Hyperspecialize • • • • •Select technology to optimize staff contribution • • • •Refocus tech education, academic alliances • • • • •Existing staff: develop, knowledge management, engagement • • • • •
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Experis Webinar – Hunting for Unicorns: The User Experience Talent Gap
Top Drivers of Engagement
Engagement:
“…a heightened emotional connection that an employee feels for his or her organization, that influences him or her to exert greater discretionary effort to his or her work.”
- The Conference Board
Work processes – ability to apply skills
Learning and development opportunities
Culture
Senior leaders
Communication
Structure, roles and capability
Recognition and reward
Customer focus
Strategy
Immediate manager
Thank You!
Allison [email protected](805) 252-6039@Experis_GCS
Steve [email protected](804) 521-5255@_SteveWalker
ExperisSpark.com • www.Experis.us/GCS