The transition of digital skills from a ‘useful’ element to add to a CV, to one of the most dominating features of any workplace.

Digital Skills are no longer just an added bonus which an employee can bring to a workplace – with an increase in remote and home working, digital skills are seen as an essential part of the working day.

Tom Laws, Partnerships Coordinator for the Digital Careers Upskill Programme offers more details.

Many employers may historically have looked at digital skills as something that can complement their business – something that can be quite useful to have but not something that is essential to day-to-day business.

Recently however, more businesses across all sectors are relying on digital products to improve productivity.  A rise in online shopping, online marketing, and engagement of customers via social media means we need to update our knowledge and skills in order to remain competitive, and ensure we have a fully skilled workforce.

Improving digital skills doesn’t need to be a daunting prospect; there is no defined entry point. Digital training can help to identify gaps in company and employee knowledge and help to support individuals to use products effectively; working smarter to save valuable time and helping to accomplish daily tasks.

Those without confidence in their digital knowledge or foundation skills may have felt as if trying to adapt their routine to include digital means have added to workloads and navigating things digitally can cause additional stress to daily tasks. However, with a slight shift in mindset, these digital skills can be an invaluable tool in increasing overall productivity within a business and setting a company on a new path to success.

1 – Employee Development and Retention

One of the key aims for any business is to develop staff and to ensure they are sufficiently challenged in their day-to-day roles to remain engaged. Development opportunities, such as training in new digital competencies are often cited as a vital aspect of an employee’s overall happiness – which in turn drives personal motivation and a buy in to the company culture.

Technology is striding forward at a ferocious pace but that doesn’t render the knowledge a person currently has irrelevant – increasing an individual’s digital confidence just adds additional levels to their ability and their desire to push forward with their development.

2 – Communication and Collaboration.

As many have experienced in the last two years, digital communication has been vital in maintaining a thriving business and now that many are back in office environments, it’s important to build on the skills we all developed with working from home, rather than going back to the old ways.

Social media and enhanced connectivity across the internet have created a ‘need it now’ mentality within consumers; chat bots and messaging has brought your business into the front rooms of millions and those millions expect it to be as simple as a few button clicks to get what they need.

File sharing platforms such as OneDrive and cloud computing allow individuals to make real time contributions which are seen by everyone, data analytics tools mean that a target audience’s information is just a click away and CRM systems make relationship building easier with intuitive functions to ensure the information you need is right at hand.

3 – Automation

The adoption of digital methods also make day to day life for your employees easier; stopping them from being weighed down by time-intensive responsibilities which can be quickly handled and consistently updated.

4 – Future Proofing Your Company

While embracing digital tools is not a guarantee that your company will be successful in the future, it is a proactive method of placing yourself in the best position to take advantage of the changing face of industry.

Giving yourself and your employees the necessary tools to become ‘digitally literate’ will likely build a core of confidence for when new technologies relevant to your business enter the workplace; promoting a company culture of early adoption allows it to be front and centre to take advantage of emerging fields.