There’s no argument that the technological shift last year took many businesses, especially small businesses, by surprise; it was unexpected, unplanned, and forced many to refresh the way their operate. With many only just finding their feet in a post-pandemic world, it presents a golden opportunity to reflect on where technology stands within the business, but more importantly, how employees are coping with this increased digitisation.
Why building digital literacy is key to digitisation
Employees are the driving force of your company. Every single one of them has an influence on the success of an organisation. With an abundance of new technology popping up left, right and centre, what’s the use if no one understands how to use it to the best of its ability?
To start with, do an audit of your business to figure out what technology exists within operations, complemented with a thorough assessment of your employees to see where their skills lie with technology and their general sentiment towards it. Developing a digital learning program to include training in the following will help elevate your employees’ knowledge:
- Collaboration tools such as GoToMeeting.
- Document sharing software.
- General workplace applications.
- Cyber awareness.
Training should be a prerequisite to introducing new processes to minimise technophobia. Encouraging a workforce that not only embraces the digital evolution but also values its worth makes it easier for employees to innovate and support the implementation of new ideas. As a business operating within a rapidly changing economy, it’s crucial to keep up with the times because it’s all about survival of the fittest. How can you be fit without training?
How does an employees’ level of digital literacy link to employee wellness and engagement?
One big takeaway from last year is that employees love transparency. Being open and communicating with your staff will increase trust and comfortability in the implementation of technology. Staff that are left in the dark will only feel disconnected and removed from organisational operations.
The explosion of collaboration platforms and tools means that elevating digital literacy skills will allow staff to further collaborate and connect with one another, strengthening the team culture while minimising the generational gap.
Additionally, digitally advancing creates learning and development opportunities for your employees. Not only will this enhance efficiency levels to improve performance, but employees who can hit their goals become more confident in themselves and, therefore, more engaging. Research from ELMO Software shows that two thirds (67 per cent) of Australian workers feel greater technology will assist them in their role and organisations are 21 per cent more profitable, according to Gallup, if their employees are highly engaged.
Cybersecurity is not just an IT issue
As a company increases its technological adoption, it subsequently expands the threat landscape and
being digitally literate isn’t purely just about understanding how to use various types of gadgets and gizmos. It’s just as important to understand how a user can mitigate risk and protect themselves, as well as the business from any potential cyberattacks or mishaps.
Particularly when the hybrid model is becoming the norm, a holistic identity access management is critical to ensuring a distributed workforce can remain productive and protected. Tools like Lastpass Identity will allow them to be properly authenticated and be able to quickly access what they need to keep working collaboratively and efficiently, remotely.
There is no “one size fits all” template when it comes to fulfilling varying needs and wants to suit different workstyles. However, these digital changes are here to stay for the long-haul, and you can’t successfully digitally transform without human talent.
