The latest edition of the Randstad Workmonitor found that employees recognize the need for digital strategies. In the latest Workmonitor survey, 84% of global respondents acknowledged that it’s important for their employer to have a digital strategy, however only 59% stated that the company they work for actually has one. In Canada, the number was even higher, with 87% of employees believing that digital is important. Only 55% of surveyed employees say their employer has a digital strategy, however, indicating a discrepancy between awareness of digital strategies and their implementation.
implementing digital strategies and technologies
One of the challenges identified was the lack of training and knowledge required to implement effective digital strategies. Though workers see the need for (and value of) digitizing routine tasks, most believe they lack the skills to do so.
Some of the findings of the survey include:
- 68% of global respondents (also 68% in Canada) agreed that digitation would require different skills than are currently available with their current employer.
- 62% of global workers (54% in Canada) believe they personally need to learn additional, digital-focused skills to guarantee their employment in the future
- 62% of global respondents (54% in Canada) say that if tasks become automated, they believe they can add personal value to their job.
- 44% of global workers (39% in Canada) say they perform a lot of repetitive tasks that could be automated
benefits of automating and digitizing routine tasks
workers are able to focus on meaningful tasks
39% of Canadians believe they perform repetitive tasks that should be automated: that’s means over one third of the workforce feels their time isn’t being managed well. Imagine if all those tedious, repetitive tasks were completed automatically? How much time would be freed up for workers to focus on tasks that actually offer value? Most tasks that can be automated don’t require much in the way of thinking – things like basic reporting, communication, scheduled updates. Freeing up workers’ time allows them to focus their attention on tasks that actually require a human touch, and chances are actually make a stronger impact.
streamline data collection and predictable tasks
Automated tools excel at collecting and distributing information seamlessly. A human touch is needed for analysis, planning and strategy. However when it comes to data or tasks that follow standard, predictable pattern, automation can really shine. For instance, sending out regular invoices, creating standard weekly reports, or performing basic payroll all follow a standard pattern that can be streamlined with digital technology. Though human oversight is still needed, the bulk of these tasks can be performed automatically, saving countless employee-hours.
create an established, standardized process
We’ve all run into situations where everyone has their own way of completing a task and no one quite understands anyone else’s process. This system can slow down productivity, create variances that confuse clients or customers, or cause problems when employees go on vacation or leave the company. Digitization eliminates hodge-podge processes where everyone has their own way of reaching the same conclusion, making it easy to establish one company-standard way of completing tasks. With a company process in place, everyone is on the same page, making it easy to transfer and share tasks and communicate about them. Clients and customers will also receive a more consistent and reliable product.
improve cross-department communication
The larger an organization, the more complex multi-department projects and communication can become. Though everyone is ultimately working toward the same goal – bringing value to their employer – departmental silos can form if everyone’s zeroed on their own department’s goals and projects. With automation and digitization, it’s easier to keep the lines of communication open company-wide (that means across departments, too!) and ensure everyone’s on the same page and has the same end goals in mind.a
a stronger focus on accountability
Traditionally, employers would need a human manager to manually keep track employee’s productivity and output. Companies can now use tools to track tasks and implement standardized processes to manage ongoing and upcoming projects. With digitization and automation, it’s possible to track what tasks have been completed, what’s left to do, who’s working on what, the expected completion dates, and provide ongoing status updates to everyone involved. When one part of a project is completed, it’s seamlessly transitioned to the next stage. Human error and poor communication is reduced. Everyone knows where they stand and what’s expected of them. They know what coworkers they should be collaborating with. And with names attached to every stage of every project, everyone is eager to put their best foot forward.