In our modern world, digital intelligence becomes increasingly important for representatives of any profession. Technological advancements are integral elements of our daily lives, and they play a crucial role in the workplace. The pandemic reshaped our working image, and employees had to indulge in remote work requiring special digital skills.
The World Economic Forum states that by 2025, 44% of skills that employees need to perform in their role will change because of technological advances. If you see that your employees need technical skills improvement and do not know how to train them, we prepared top tips to motivate people to learn new skills. They should understand that changes are inevitable, and to be on board, they need to self-develop.
Why It Is Crucial to Acquire Digital Skills
Today, an employer must possess hard and soft skills to land a good job. Besides, conquering the job market requires a person to develop management skills. But why is it so important to master digital skills?
Digital transformations are one of the key factors that helped businesses to effectively respond to the pandemic. 42% of respondents stated they were prepared to withstand any challenges thanks to business digitalization. Moreover, after implementing digital transformations, 58% of the offline enterprises reported improved customer service, and 50% indicated increased business agility.
The other digital workplace outcomes include cost reduction, more competitive products or services, increased revenue, the transformation of business model, improvement of employees’ well-being, and more. Therefore, we can say that businesses can not only respond to the pandemic but benefit from many other factors, like integration, empowered people, and trusted data.
Fundamental Digital Skills for Every Employee
Here is a list of basic digital skills every worker in any profession needs to master. Millions of people do not know the essentials that deteriorate their productivity and slow down the company’s development. Let’s find what skills employees have to acquire.
eLearning
eLearning systems are essential to train employees, and you’ll not be able to teach them any digital skills without acquainting them with such technologies. Besides, because of the quarantine restrictions, it will be impossible to conduct in-person training. Thus, e-learning platforms are a must for fast and efficient training.
Handling Information
It’s vital for a person to find, process, and store information properly. The Internet suggests to us massive amounts of data but we need to use reliable sources. Besides, a digital workplace requires employees to know how to work with various types of information or convert files if it’s needed.
Transacting
Among other basic skills employees should acquire is transacting. It means that a person knows how to register and apply for services. The employee can fill in online forms and manage different transactions.
Online Safety
Now employees should be aware of cybersecurity principles to ensure a safe digital workplace. There are many risks including phishing, viruses, unsecured sites, and more. So if a worker lacks this skill, your company is in danger.
Communicating
This digital skill presupposes an employee can effectively collaborate, interact, and share information. Online communication is not only about chatting on social media. It entails that a person knows how to conduct and participate in group calls as well as send professional emails.
Actionable Motivation Tips
Use these tips to motivate your employees to raise the level of their digital intelligence. Consider that verbal motivation is great but it’s easier to learn a new skill with the help of different tools.
Develop a Plan
If you want to train employees, elaborate a cutting-edge action plan, so they see specific tasks and goals. Here you should list skills they should master, classes and courses, and show what benefits at work they will get after that.
You need to talk to them to find employees’ career aspirations and create a plan based on their ambitions. Outline for workers basic skills and ask which of them they have and which are willing to master.
It’s crucial you provide people with all the necessary tools and materials for boosting digital intelligence. You should be supportive, monitor their progress, and help overcome any challenges.
Customize Training
Employees will be more motivated to master new skills if you pay attention to their abilities and needs. It’s crucial to discover what they already know and what needs to be improved for their position. When undergoing training, employees will feel that the program is helpful for their development.
This motivation strategy is quite costly but if you’re interested in your business success and employees’ welfare, hire specialists to help or benefit from e-learning platforms with customized training plans. Mind that digital intelligence is a complex phenomenon with many elements, so be supportive, patient, and careful when requiring some skills from your employees.
Offer Rewards
When developing new digital skills employees should understand it is not done in vain. They need to be sure you will provide them with better working conditions and higher remuneration. Moreover, when monitoring their progress, offer rewards for successful skills acquisition.
The incentive program may simply consist of financial rewards. Pay additional bonuses only to those who try hard and have the desire to evolve. However, it’d be better if you outline developing as a reward. People should see that free training is not an obligatory job requirement but a possibility to self-improve and educate.
Consider Feedback
You should regularly ask employees about their training experience and analyze the feedback. If people feel not comfortable in mastering skills under this program or with a specific mentor, take measures to create favorable conditions.
It’s great if your company culture makes it easy to openly share opinions and views. A negative training experience will not provide significant results. Make sure people understand why digital skills mastering is crucial for them and answer all their questions concerning this issue.
How can companies provide a supportive and inclusive environment for employees to acquire digital skills?
Companies can create a supportive and inclusive environment by creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, offering equal opportunities for growth and development, providing resources and support for employees to acquire digital skills, and promoting a positive and collaborative work culture.
How can companies provide opportunities for employees to use their digital skills on the job?
Companies can provide opportunities for employees to use their digital skills on the job by offering challenging projects, creating cross-functional teams, providing opportunities for employees to present their work and share their knowledge, and offering opportunities for continuous learning and development.
How can companies foster a continuous learning culture for employees to acquire digital skills?
Companies can foster a continuous learning culture by encouraging employees to set personal and professional development goals, providing access to training and resources for digital skill development, recognizing and rewarding employee achievements, and encouraging ongoing professional development and learning opportunities.
What role do technology leaders play in motivating employees to acquire digital skills?
Technology leaders play an important role in motivating employees to acquire digital skills by setting a positive example, promoting the value of digital skills development, providing resources and support for employee development, and recognizing the importance of digital skills for the company’s success.
What are the most important digital skills for employees to acquire in today’s job market?
The most important digital skills for employees to acquire in today’s job market include digital literacy, data analysis and interpretation, digital marketing, coding and software development, digital project management, and cybersecurity.
How can companies support remote workers in acquiring digital skills?
Companies can support remote workers in acquiring digital skills by providing access to online training and resources, offering virtual learning opportunities, encouraging continuous learning and development, and creating a supportive and inclusive remote work culture.
Conclusion
Now you see why it’s essential to train employees and know how to do it the right way. Digital skills are crucial for facilitating work processes, as today we can complete many tasks automatically. There are many other benefits of a digitized workplace and you know why your company needs employees training. So do not hesitate to apply these tips in practice and benefit from incredible results.
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