In today’s world, Bress believes that the best hires are those who can leverage the data set before them, and create efficiencies in processes with it. He explains that those with previous technical expertise live in a competitive market, and while you still need those experts, the most value that an organization could gain is through employees who have a contextual understanding of the business’s needs and where the data comes into play. This can be achieved through training your existing employees, and getting them to the point where they can use their newly honed technical skills to innovate the environment around them.
Understanding how an organization’s industry niche is extremely important in Bress’s eyes. He explains that “the media industry is changing so quickly that, for companies to be competitive, they have to stay on top of it.” If a business doesn’t understand the deep depths of the industry and how it is evolving, they can easily be beaten out by a competitor – or even find themselves in an outdated state. Bress goes even further to say “The ones that are going to win are those that are innovating in the space.” Not only do you need to understand what is going on around your industry, you also need to find ways to make things better and set trends as a precedent before other companies in the industry.
Not only do organizations need to understand the industry around them to stay ahead, they also need to understand what their competition is doing. Bress states that “making sure your employees are in touch with the most recent trends and what other companies are doing” help businesses make innovative decisions.
In today’s world, it’s hard to keep on top of everything that is progressing. “There is so much activity” Bress says, “between mergers and acquisitions – and start-ups coming in – that it’s a lot to keep track of; but it’s important.”
