Training has become an integral part of attracting and retaining top talent, yet employers across the country are coming up short in their employee training programs.
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As more employers continue to implement technology and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to increase productivity, they must also offer adequate training so workers know how to use these tools. Unfortunately, new research findings from Docebo show that not many employers offer the training their workers need.
The “2019 Tech Skills Report” covers the growing technology skills gap many employees face throughout their careers. Although more employers are implementing new technologies, they aren’t training their workers on how to use them, finds the report.
In fact, 28% of U.S. workers say they don’t believe they have the technical skills necessary to perform in their current jobs, and 19% of respondents say they do not receive any tech training at their companies.
“Employees are experiencing the next phase of the digital revolution,” said Claudio Erba, CEO of Docebo. “To be successful amid so much change in the workplace, businesses have to prioritize developing their most important asset—their people. This requires investments in training tools that can allow employees to obtain the skills they might not have, but will need in order to excel in their careers and succeed in the changing workplace. Making learning and development a priority ensures employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to embrace change, reskill, and excel in the everchanging digital world.”
Lack of Training Impacts All Generations of Workers
The report also finds that the lack of training is leaving older workers in the dust. For instance, 47% of Baby Boomers say they don’t feel tech-savvy compared with their Gen Z and Millennial counterparts, and 28% of older workers also say they lack the tech skills they need to stand out and secure a job with a new company.
On the flip side, digitally native Millennials who have received tech training from their employers say they want more, and 46% say they regret not receiving more training from their employer. So, why is training so important to the workforce?
Lack of Training Limits Career Growth
According to the report, workers today want “to learn new tech skills to not only keep their current job but also reach for new, potentially better, opportunities.” The data back up these claims.
With all the talk about “robots stealing jobs,” it’s crucial that workers receive technology training, and workers are echoing these sentiments. Docebo found that 32% of workers feel pressure to learn new tech-related skills to protect their jobs, and for the workers who feel secure in their roles, learning new tech skills will help them advance.
According to the findings, 49% of respondents believe if they are trained on how to use new technologies or data, it would help them increase their annual salary or chances for a promotion. As the business world continues to grow and evolve, so must employers in their training offerings. Soft skills are out, and tech skills are in.
Hard Tech Skills Are More Preferred
Yes, you read that correctly! I said, “Soft skills are out.” If you’ve only been focusing your training efforts on building your employees’ soft skills—great. They can all communicate. But can they run your applicant tracking systems? Access your cloud-based intranet from a mobile device while sitting on the beach, supposedly “unplugging”? Rotate a PDF before attaching it to an e-mail?
These examples are really tame when it comes to tech skills, but if you’ve answered “no,” then it’s time to start focusing on building up tech skills. And your workers will agree! Docebo found that 59% of survey respondents want their employer to offer tech training instead of soft skills instruction. So, are you convinced yet that tech training is now a vital necessity for a productive and happy workforce?
4 Tech Skills Your Workers Must Have
If you want to offer better tech training to your workforce, you can start by focusing on the following four tech skills your employees must know today.
1. View, update, and save documents in the cloud. Most office-related jobs require employees to view, update, and save documents in shared platforms and folders that are saved in the cloud.
Regardless of what type of cloud-based platform you use to organize and store your organization’s documents and files, your employees should easily be able to update, upload, share, and access the documents they need in their everyday work environments.
They should also know the basics behind different file types (i.e., doc, docx, ppt, mp4, pdf, csv, xlsx, etc.) and what they’re used for, as well as how much space they take up in your cloud drive if you have a limited amount of storage space.
2. Use basic keyboard shortcuts. For efficiency reasons, employees should also know basic keyboard shortcuts, such as “Ctrl + c” to copy highlighted text, “Ctrl + v” to paste copied text, and “Ctrl + z” for undoing an action.
3. Back up data. All employees should know where they should back up their data and how to do it for your organization. Whether they store their information and data on jump drives (which is usually not recommended) or store it in cloud systems that your organization relies on, make sure they know what to do and where to find this information.
And whenever possible, install systems and programs that automatically back up data for your employees, too, so they don’t have to worry about it as frequently. Otherwise, your company risks losing a lot of work and important information if a server or system crashes or if it encounters a security breach of some sort.
4. Access office networks and platforms from anywhere. Employees should know how to log into your organization’s networks securely from any device that’s authorized for them to use to access it. They should never try to access your organization’s platforms and systems from an unauthorized or unsecured network because this can put your company at risk for being hacked or compromised.
Additionally, employees should know how to securely access your organization’s e-mailing platforms, learning platforms, and Human Resources platforms, etc., from remote locations or even from different locations inside your office building if necessary.
If you want your employees to be successful and efficient at work, make sure they have the basic tech-related skills outlined above, and be sure to continue training your workforce as technology evolves to reduce the risk of your employees leaving for a company that offers the training they want.