Digitalisation: how to prepare your employees

In short, digitalising your workplace means turning to technology, computers, and the internet to run your business. This can take many forms, from using social media to market new products to storing your data electronically rather than on paper. Most companies will have some elements of digitalisation already in place, but now there are more ways than ever to use computers to increase efficiency and those who don’t seize these opportunities are at risk of being left behind.

Maximised productivity: Software can speed up menial tasks and give your employees more time to focus on the more important parts of their job. For example, your company could have a collectively shared calendar, easily updated and added to by everyone. This cuts out the process of chasing people regarding cancellations and new meetings.

Deeper customer communications: Through the internet your ability to reach more customers and connect with them is increased tenfold. E-mail, social media, and online chat functions are quickly becoming more popular than telephone calls.

Data security: Protecting sensitive information becomes a lot easier through digital technology. Encryption and passwords ensure data is kept safe and secure, allowing companies to meet strict regulations regarding customer’s details.

However, all great assets are not without their issues and digitalisation can be fraught with problems if the user is inexperienced. Data security can be compromised through cyber threats if measures are not put in place. Equally, despite technology promising greater organisation, a new system can leave employees feeling lost and uprooted from their routines. Some people also fear that screens are replacing face-to-face interaction and struggle to convey that much-needed human touch when marketing.

Helping your employees adjust to a new system after many years using an old one can seem like a challenge. However, there are a few key things you can begin with:

Training
Appropriate training before digitalisation is implemented is crucial, as this gives people the chance to learn at a slower pace and prepare themselves. Sending staff members on a course or integrating digitalisation sessions into your regular work week are common ways of handling this. However, online instructional videos and interactive tasks can also be helpful and can be revisited by staff whenever they need a refresher.

Ongoing support
Training doesn’t just end after the completion of a course and employers need to be prepared to offer necessary continual support even after digital changes have been made. This doesn’t just mean having an FAQ page, it’s about actively encouraging staff to give feedback and communicate openly. This sense of collaboration makes employees feel more valued and increases their sense of unity.

Get executives involved
Before implementing digitalisation throughout the entire company, having the business' executives assess and trial these systems makes for greater efficiency and transition. Understanding which methods will work best for the company is vital and makes the learning process much easier for everyone.

Because digitalisation is making mundane and time-consuming administrative tasks so much quicker to complete, HR employees now have the opportunity to focus their efforts on more meaningful work. Advanced analytics and automation not only reduce human error but improve the working lives and satisfaction of employees. The human is finally coming back to human resources, not because computers are replacing them as many feared they would, but because they’re doing the jobs that people no longer need to.