#1 Agile management
This project management approach which favours flexibility, adaptability and collaboration is particularly sought after in 2023. And with just reason, allowing teams to rapidly respond to change and to deliver iterative and incremental results while focusing on the added value for clients and stakeholders. It covers multiple roles including Agile Coach, Scrum Master and Product Owner, to name but a few.
An example of the type of company looking for these skills? Our clients in the insurance sector, particularly those based in Niort, are at the vanguard of Agile management.
#2 Java development
Developers specialising in the Python, PHP and Symfony programming languages are extremely sought after in industry. But actually Java developers are even more highly valued, whether freelance or consulting for digital service companies. And this isn’t new. Versatile, scalable and robust, Java is used by any number of companies to create a wide variety of software solutions and applications. Hence the high need for such skills.
An example of the type of company looking for these skills? The majority of our key account clients, for example in the retail sector in and around Lille.
#3 Salesforce expertise
The leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, Salesforce is a resource that manages interactions between prospects and clients, sales staff, customer service and marketing. It provides companies with a comprehensive view of their sales cycle, enabling them to manage sales opportunities efficiently and effectively. One of its advantages? It’s flexible and able to adapt to the needs of individual organisations thanks to specific modules such as CPQ (Configure Price Quote) and Sales Cloud.
Ever more companies are asking Salesforce experts to customise the solution to meet their needs. But there’s a real lack of skills, with few experienced profiles on the market compared with growing corporate needs. As a result, the average daily rates for Salesforce experts are often above average!
An example of the type of company looking for these skills? Large international corporations and some smaller B2B outfits in the Lyon area for example.
#4 IT infrastructure and architecture
In 2023, companies are depending more and more on technology for their activities. Thus they need a solid infrastructure and well-designed architecture to guarantee smooth operations, robust security and the capacity to adapt to technological change. Hence the growth in IT infrastructure expertise, which optimises all hardware, software, network and storage components to manage the operation of corporate information systems; and IT architecture, which encompasses the design, planning and overall management of this infrastructure, ensuring its cohesion and security and its ability to respond to the needs of the company.
An example of the type of company looking for these skills? Most companies whose IT management is based in and around Paris, and also in cities including Bordeaux, Lille, Nantes, Brest and Lyon, in sectors as varied as e-commerce, banking and retail.
#5 DevOps expertise
DevOps is a software development approach that aims to optimally synchronise development (Dev) and operations (Ops) to promote close collaboration and continuous delivery. It places the accent on automation, communication and shared responsibility across the teams. Relatively recent, this discipline constitutes a cultural swerve in terms of methodology, and is growing in popularity.
An example of the type of company looking for these skills? Companies in the banking sector, who are amongst the first to have incorporated DevOps into their organisations.
#6 SAP expertise
SAP is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system offering a full suite of modules and functions to manage business processes such as accounting, human resources, logistics and many others. Lots of big companies use SAP on account of its capacity to centralise data, automate processes and provide global visibility across an organisation. The solution is a true quality benchmark that adapts very well to companies of many different sizes.
SAP expertise is divided into various compartments that correspond to the different modules in the solution, dedicated to each key area of the business. The most wanted areas of expertise include:
- SD (Sales and Distribution)
- MM (Materials Management)
- WM (Warehouse Management)
- LE (Logistics Execution)
- FICO (Finance & Controlling)
An example of the type of company looking for these skills? All the major industrial stakeholders across the whole of France!
#7 Change Management
Change Management covers all the procedures and strategies put in place to manage organisational transformations and transitions. Its aim is to anticipate, schedule and manage change effectively, involving the stakeholders and adopting transparent communication methods to favour the adoption of new practices and minimise resistance to change.
This is a relatively new area. Only a few years ago, change management issues were generally handled directly by project managers and were not considered a role apart. But many projects turned out to be costly failures, often because the solutions created were not actually adopted. Now, companies understand that impact analyses, user training and communication about projects form a dedicated area of expertise. Businesses are increasingly turning to Change Management experts to maximise the success of their projects.
An example of the type of company looking for these skills? Major pharmaceutical groups, particularly in the Lyon area, insurance companies in Niort, and a large number of Paris-based key accounts.
