Retailers must engage with ‘techy’ talent from other sectors if they are to remain successful in the medium-long term. Article from ReThink Retail.

The specialist retail recruitment firm outlined how almost the entire industry, not just smaller brands which don’t yet offer online marketplaces, must do more to promote the cutting edge and innovative projects that could highlight retail as a sector of choice to digital experts. However, with a well-publicised shortage of these skills currently affecting the UK, firms will have to source this talent from new and unorthodox locations. Kate Barron, Director of ReThink Retail commented:

“The digital era has obviously been around for some time now, but this Christmas marked a real turning point for retailers. It’s absolutely vital to offer an online marketplace to consumers and doing this requires employees with digital expertise. However, there are so few of these professionals available in the current market that firms will have to look elsewhere. This is why it’s so important for these brands to begin to engage with talent in other sectors such as gambling and gaming in order to promote the exciting work they could potentially be involved in.”

“Retailers can obviously grow their own digital talent, but this is a long-term approach and really, the skills are required now. The sector isn’t really seen as location of choice for many digital professionals and this has to change. Firms should utilise case studies of professionals who’ve moved into the sector and thrived and really push the message that the projects they could be involved in are as cutting edge and innovative as those they’re currently working on. They also need to borrow the model utilised by many technology firms and develop hot-house, results-driven environments for these professionals as this is likely to attract them to work in the sector.”