FINAL WORD
 10x qualities to help your company transform
 Davinia Simon , Head of Growth Markets , Stax , looks at the current lack of available digital skills in the workforce and how to identify and recruit staff with 10x qualities .
 When the pandemic hit , companies all over the world were forced to significantly accelerate their technical modernization efforts overnight . While digital front runners , such as Singapore , South Korea and Australia implemented swift changes , many countries struggled and continue to do so . Technical modernization has been difficult in a lot of Asia-Pacific , as much of the workforce is employed by small-and-medium enterprises ( SMEs ). In Southeast Asia alone , SMEs make up 99 % of all enterprises in the region . Pre-pandemic , these businesses often put off digitalization and modernization due to a misconception that such efforts would entail high costs .
 Businesses of all sizes are now feeling the crunch . According to a recent survey by Skillsoft , 75 % of technology decision-makers in Asia-Pacific are experiencing critical skills gaps across their teams . PwC also found that more than one in three CEOs in the region are concerned about the availability of key digital skills in the workforce , above the global average of 28 %.
 With skills gaps expected to prevail for several years , companies need to ensure that they are hiring and upskilling to attract and retain the best talent . Helping deliver successful , on-going technical modernization and innovation is now central to almost every employee ’ s role . Skills gaps will continue to persist for some sectors , but for most , tackling these challenges head on and creating the right culture to enable growth will deliver long term success .
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