As many would agree, having some level of IT training and skill is vital for most jobs these days, as businesses have come to rely so heavily on modern technology.
Most office jobs these days require some level of IT skill, albeit basic skills, but there are many people who do not possess these skills and have to find their own way around due to lack of training.
There are all sorts of IT training courses and programs that employees can go on these days from basic Microsoft Word and Excel training to more comprehensive and advanced IT courses. For the average office worker, training in Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other commonly used solutions can prove invaluable but there are many who are not getting the necessary training but are still expected to do their jobs. This is creating an issue for both the workers themselves and for the businesses, as it impacts productivity.
A Need for Increased Training
The problems associated with this lack of IT skills within UK offices has a negative impact on both the worker and the business as a whole. For the worker, it means that they are unable to do their work to the best of their ability. This then means that they feel as though the issues are their own fault, and they feel frustrated at not being able to perform their job, which can lead to reduce morale. For the business, it means a drop in productivity, which will take its toll on the business in many different ways, not least financially.
According to the results of a recent survey which involved polling 2,000 office staff, more than one third believed that they were unable to do their jobs properly because the lacked the necessary knowledge and training. Unfortunately, many businesses assume that that new staff joining the company already have some level of experience using basic programmes like Excel and Word, but this is not always the case. Workers then end up spending lots of time trying to find their own way around, which means the loss of many man hours.
In fact, the results of studies have also shown that, on average, workers are losing around ten hours per month each simply trying to work out their IT systems so they can do their work. This can add up to huge amounts of wasted hours for larger businesses with a lot of employees. By investing in more training and equipping staff with necessary skills, businesses could be far better off in the long run because it will reduce these wasted hours and boost productivity, as well as increasing staff morale. As we all know, a happier employee is a more productive one!
Figures show that the lack of IT skills among workers is costing UK businesses a staggering £16 billion every year, and this is money that could be well spent on providing additional IT training. This includes the many employees who say that they lack understanding when it comes to basics such as spreadsheets, presentations, and using Word and Excel.
