Technology is always changing and becoming more advanced, which is why it’s important to try and stay as tech-savvy as possible. Not only will this be beneficial for your personal life, but your professional life too.
Over time, the workplace has become more digital and we are so accustomed to using computers and the internet day to day, across most industries. Many businesses are now ensuring that they have an effective digital literacy strategy in place and that all employees are digitally literate, meaning work can be completed and carried out efficiently.
In this post, we are going to look at what digital literacy is, why it’s important that your company has one, and how you can implement one for your business.
What is digital literacy?
Digital literacy refers to an employee’s skills that enable them to communicate and access information through a range of digital technologies such as the internet and social media platforms.
Most jobs today require a level of knowledge when it comes to digital literacy, whether it’s through email or social media, accessing the internet to complete tasks, using specific company software, or keeping records online.
Why do businesses need a digital literacy strategy?
It’s important for all businesses to have a digital literacy strategy in place. Without one, it could end up being costly to the company as employees start to fall behind. Having a digital literacy strategy in place can help simplify processes, save the company time and money, and improve employee productivity.
A survey conducted by Helastel found that 20% of businesses had no digital skills strategy in place, and even more surprisingly, that a fifth of all employees had never received any digital skill training. But as the workplace continues to become more digitally evolved, companies must act now and put a digital literacy strategy in place in order for the business to grow and to ensure employees have relevant up-to-date training.
How can your business implement a digital literacy strategy?
To ensure employees are #DigitallyFluent there are a number of things a business can do to implement a successful digital strategy. Employers can invest in custom-built training software and platforms that allow employees to complete eLearning courses to enhance their training, and businesses can outsource this to IT experts which is cost-effective for the company.
Other ways that businesses can implement a digital literacy strategy include investing in new technologies so that employees can familiarise themselves with them. Businesses can also have regular training courses, hire new employees who are digitally experienced and can train up existing employees, and send out additional resources to employees either weekly or monthly.