No person is an island, and this is more true than ever when it comes to building an excellent and high performing digital team. In a truly great team, everyone will work cohesively while bringing something slightly different to the table – talents, life experience, and practical skills.
But how can you go about creating such a team? We explore strategies for building the kind of digital team that will work well both now and in the future.
Defining your digital team
In a world where we are more online than in person, you might wonder if everyone doesn’t fall under the umbrella of “digital team”. However, it’s a little more specific than simply working primarily online. Teams who fall under “digital teams” work with developing effective strategies to reach customers and potential customers across digital platforms. This encompasses social channels, websites and mobile.
Digital teams are set up to engage closely with marketing teams and IT services to reach target audiences. The digital team will seek out and predict trends so that all marketing materials are appropriate for their intended demographic.
Search for diversity
Creating a digital team that can truly thrive means hiring diversely. Strong digital team members should have plenty of experience in a variety of areas – whether that is working in software, being a creative in design or copywriting, or working with clients. Digital teams need a range of skills such as being flexible, organised, and good at working both in and outside of their own team. You don’t have to just look for candidates who have solely worked in digital teams before – as long as their transferable skills can be applied. Digital covers a range of different work, so you need a range of different experiences to cover it.
The importance of design
Digital teams often work on helping to build brands and create websites or product marketing to reflect the core values of different businesses. However, a diligent digital team knows that unique and special ideas for businesses are incredibly rare. The design work that is put into a product, site or service is what makes the difference – digital teams come together to create a strong concept and make those small, intricate decisions that make a design stand out and grab the right audience. After all, this is what catches the eye and draws consumers in!
Extremely online
Nowadays, being “extremely online” is sometimes used as a self-deprecating way to say that you are way too entrenched in the digital sphere. However, digital teams should lead visible digital lives – being active online not only means that they can more easily promote work, this also means that they will remain on the cutting edge of social platforms and what is currently popular…. or what might be coming up! Not only that, but they will also be able to network, gain connections, and get great ideas for future projects.
Thriving on uncertainty
Employees who are used to a predictable job might struggle in a digital team. Look for those who are very comfortable with being flexible and acting on the spur of the moment while making intelligent choices. This might include dropping ideas when they don’t work and being agile enough to move on to something new, or change an idea based on insight from another team.
Keep agility in mind
When thinking about hiring now, you need to consider digital teams who can connect with one another whether they are in the same room or working remotely. While more employees are returning to offices, just as many have a preference to working from home, or both. In an increasingly hybrid working environment, agility is more important than ever, so having the right digital infrastructure and teams who can use it is vital.
Creating a high performing digital team may take time, and can be a little trial and error. Hiring is a difficult process for anyone, especially in a changeable time for workers everywhere. But with these qualities in mind, you can take a look at your own digital team, or your needs, and see how you might advance and grow, and what you need to truly be your best, and produce the best work possible.
At Fifteen, our team are like family and we’d like you to meet them! We’re always on the lookout to grow our team so why not check out our current vacancies.
Can our team help your team to grow your business? Take a look at what services we offer or contact us for more information.