16 Apr, 2020 | Blogs
As companies increase the adoption of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), the demand for developers seems to soar high. RPA needs a thorough knowledge of topics ranging from process mapping to systems integration, and everything in between. And, therefore, enterprises eagerly look for developers who can juggle the business and technical sides of automation. Sifting through several job portals online, you’d probably notice some of the common RPA skills listed by hiring managers. These include, knowledge of existing technology, process mapping, data analytics, collaboration, interpersonal skills, and business process expertise. In other words, companies look for RPA developers who bring to the table more than just coding knowledge. Organization prefers employees who have the above-mentioned qualities or can build a team where each member brings unique skills to the group. Whether you’re hiring RPA developers to scale up your automation team or want to build your career as an RPA developer, here’s a list of top six RPA skills every developer should have.
RPA Skill #1. Coding
The Microsoft .NET Framework is one of the most common languages used to build various RPA platforms. Even though many RPA platforms offer low-code functionalities, an RPA developer is expected to know Visual Basic .NET programming language to process the entirety of data types using Microsoft’s library of prebuilt methods. Therefore, one of the highly desirable RPA skills is the knowledge of Visual Basic for Applications, a language that allows task automation within Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
Another coding language that RPA developers should know is SQL. That’s because data SQL is important for database integration, which is routine in RPA. Other programming languages that are good to have to include HTML, CSS, Python, and JavaScript.
RPA Skill #2. Familiarity with Technology Environment
Every company has a different technology environment and hiring managers are always looking for fresh ideas that can be incorporated in their existing teams. Therefore, as an RPA developer, it is highly recommended that you have a knack for understanding the enterprise’s internal systems since RPA requires integration with multiple systems. You need to bring data sets and ideas to life with codes and not hesitate in working with critical internal applications and devices.
RPA Skill #3. Knowledge of Business Process
In addition to knowing the technology environment, business process knowledge is an essential RPA skill to have. After all, companies want people who understand not only the technology but also the company’s processes and business that drive it. Knowledge of the business process is key to the success of any RPA deployment. This expertise helps RPA developers identify which processes are ideal candidates for RPA or any other form of automation. The professional should be able to comprehend any deviation that needs to fold into the automation. Familiarity with several methodologies like Six Sigma or Lean is a huge plus for RPA developers.
RPA Skill #4. RPA Platform Experience
This point, perhaps, is a no brainer and one of the most common qualities sought in an RPA developer. Hiring managers look for developers who have experience with RPA tools such as UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Softomotive, etc. Even though coding is a big part of RPA, many hiring managers don’t always demand expertise in programming languages since these RPA platforms have a low-code model and don’t require extensive coding skills. Read our list of Top 10 RPA tools.
Also read: Understanding the role of an RPA developer
RPA Skill #5. Data Analytics
Experience in data analytics is one of the most attractive RPA skills every developer should have. That’s because probability plays a huge part when dealing with automation deployments that include machine learning and AI. Moreover, since RPA bots transform complex, unstructured data sets into organized, automated tasks, competency with data analytics is required to understand the types of variables, arrays, dictionaries. An RPA developer should be capable of performing operations on data sets as well as understanding the scope of variables.
RPA Skill #6. API Integrations
Even though you don’t need to be the most adept developer to create automation, you need to have advanced knowledge of XML and XSD. Moreover, advanced familiarity with REST API and SoapUI is a huge bonus. While in most cases the integration in RPA bot happens on the system’s UI layer, sometimes the need arises to send API requests. Even though this may happen seldom, integrations through APIs can be a critical difference for a project whenever this situation arises.
Final Thoughts
We hope this blog gives you a glimpse into the essential RPA skills required by every organization. To know more about RPA, contact us today!