Why Is Digital Literacy Important In The Workplace?

I wonder why is digital literacy important in the workplace in this day and age? Technology plays a big part in most people’s day-to-day lives. Meaning that we are expected to be digitally literate both personally and professionally.  

But what does be digitally literate mean? Simply put, it is all about the capability to evaluate, find, create, and utilize information using technical support and knowledge.  

It consists of online communication, fulfilling online tasks, digital ethics, and online security.  

Employees should receive the necessary training to perform different digital transformations. It should mainly include roles consisting of – digitalization, office automation, artificial intelligence, organization, and other activities that help ensure better performance in the broader business.  

A recent survey by Helastel reveals that 43% of employers believe digital literacy is critical. Another 45% are hesitant to invest in their employee’s digital education due to the additional cost.   

In the following sections, we will dive into the need to invest in digital literacy for your employees. The sections illustrate how employees with digital literacy help improve the business.  

Below, we see why the extra cost can be seen as an investment and beneficial for businesses.

Why Is Digital Literacy Important In The Workplace?

It is a known fact that many employees need better assistance and training in terms of digital activities, mainly due to their fast-paced nature.  

Each employee requires technological skills, organizational knowledge, and efficient education to carry out digital tasks. This is true for most industries, especially as many are emerging towards a digital-first platform.  

Interestingly, under half of the employees who were part of the survey think it is the employer’s and employee’s responsibility to stay digitally literate.  

There are numerous benefits in increasing digital knowledge among the workforce, including productivity and communication efficiency. This can save time and money, making a business more efficient overall.  

One other thing to consider is that of a business’s target audience. As mentioned previously, most people have some form of digital literacy. Therefore, it makes sense that any workforce should have the same or better digital knowledge than the audience.  

If the consumer is online, then it stands to reason that this is where advertisements will be, where inquiries will be made. Those without digital literacy will be unable to complete transactions that require human involvement.  

The Benefits Of Spreading Digital Knowledge Among Employees: 

Creating a highly competent digital workforce can help all stakeholders. Each employee can collaborate remotely while still communicating effectively – and this year, this has been of the utmost importance.  

Here are some of the advantages of a digitally literate workforce:  

• Digital literacy is essential for any business, from understanding cybersecurity to planning events and meetings.  

• Investing in employees’ education can help motivate them with great support from the business.  

Developing a digitally literate workforce will help increase productivity, loyalty, and communication across the business. If you manage a team or own a business, we would like your thoughts on investing in digital literacy.  

How Does Digital Literacy in the Workplace Affect Business?  

Why is digital literacy important in the workplace and how does it affect the business will be answered here.  

So far, we know that digital literacy is quite significant in the digital age, where companies are shifting their strategies to match the digital usage of their customers and target audience.  

Having a workforce that is already adept at using digital tools will make your business better and expedite the process.  

Thus, digital literacy will make your professionals capable of collaboration and communication. Two of the most critical aspects of a great business.  

Employees who understand and incorporate technology into daily tasks effectively communicate with their colleagues and customers.  

Employees with digital literacy are more likely to use tools such as video conferencing to connect efficiently. As a business, you must collaborate with other companies to grow. 

It has a substantial impact on business operations as it fills the digital skill gap that was previously present. This gap would hinder productivity and efficiency in work. This makes digital literacy critical for the future success of businesses.   

Digital Literacy Shapes A Company’s Future Positively: 

Cultivating a culture where digital literacy is encouraged and not seen as a disadvantage will only take your company forward. Especially now that the sector is shifting towards automation and adopting digital technology.   

The workplace requires two types of digital literacy – foundational and occupational. The former requires the employee to have a basic knowledge of using digital tools. At the same time, the latter should have advanced skills in digital literacy.  

The business industry you are in helps you know if digital literacy will be relevant. For instance, if you are based in an industry where remote and mobile working is standard, you will need digitally literate employees. This will help restore the workflow and reduce the chance of any delays.  

Businesses also need to ensure that their technical skills training aligns with the requirements. This will make your employees more confident in using technology.

Digital literacy in the workplace increases employee satisfaction as they are not stuck at work due to something that takes long hours of manual effort.  

With the help of digital tools, a sales team associate can quickly bring the customer data and have it in the report.    

Businesses also benefit from digital literacy by building a resilient and adaptive team.  

And It’s A Wrap! 

The digitally literate workforce is helping every type of organization to grow. Your workforce maintenance costs will also be reduced when you use digital technology.  

The fast and efficient workforce is a blessing for the organization. And this is a permanent investment.  

You will get 40% better results from your single-shot investments for the employee digital literacy enhancements. So, what is your opinion? Do not forget to share your opinion in the comment section. 

Additional Reading:

• Why Businesses Use Flyers as a Marketing Tool?
• How a Virtual Assistant Can Help Scale Your Business?
• Why Businesses Should Invest in a Digitally Literate Workforce
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