Why your workforce needs a confident digital culture | 7wData

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In the 21 century Technology has become a ubiquitous part of modern workforces. Businesses are increasing their IT budgets and investing more in new IT designed to energise business performance and staff productivity. However, it seems not all employees feel quite so confident in their ability to use new Technology at work.

61% of staff are anxious about new technologies at work, according to a study conducted by Microsoft, Goldsmiths, University of London, and YouGov. At the same time, only 23% of business were investing in cultural change programmes to help staff adjust to changing work practices and understand the value of technology investment. Low confidence and apprehension over digital changes is evidently impacting workforces, and with the rapid pace at which technology evolves this is not surprising. 61% of UK leaders also agree that alterations in tasks create anxiety among employees.

With this in mind, it is imperative that businesses implementing new hardware and programmes also focus on creating a confident digital culture at work. While thorough support and training are key elements in this transition, fostering a more positive mindset around technology is at the heart of this culture change. It is only then that companies will truly see the full benefits of their IT spend as staff positively engage with their technology.

Today’s workers are under pressure to possess the right IT skills and adjust quickly to different IT programmes, particularly with mounting fears over Artificial Intelligence (AI) and job automation. Such a task is made even harder when staff are accustomed to legacy systems and not supported in the transition by their companies. Equally, employees who are too connected with their technology can find themselves feeling more pressured. The rise of remote and agile working means individuals can create a work schedule which best suits their lifestyle, however the constant connection to the office through smart devices often makes it harder to switch-off, resulting in increased anxiety.

Digital anxiety can be detrimental for individual wellbeing and actually hinder employee productivity rather than increase it: 44% of workers mentioned technology issues as their top reason for lack of productivity.

One of the recurring issues hindering positive digital adoption at work is training. Many companies might assume that their staff are happy with the technology they use, however the truth is frequently that workers have not had adequate training with even the fundamental systems they use on a daily basis. The key to putting IT fears to rest permanently is proper support and training. It can take time for staff to transition from legacy systems to new devices and software. Upon executing any new IT organisations should provide staff with individual training in the office to enact a real digital culture change. This initial training will not only enhance individual’s technology usage, but will be more cost-effective in the long-term as it reduces the need for calls to external technical support.

Staff will benefit from a personalised training experience where they can learn fundamental skills and ask questions freely. Organisations might consider training courses on their existing programs such as Office 365, helping to maximise engagement and enrich workers’ digital skills.