Leading experts in the technology sector predict with absolute certainty that over the next few years digital transformation will significantly change our daily lives and our working environment. This process of continuous change will mean that many workers will have to retrain in order to remain competitive. Or, in other words, should avoid the so-called worker obsolescence.
At Zemsania we are aware of the risks that Digital Transformation can pose to all those middle-aged workers who still have more than 20 years to go before retirement but who cannot be considered millennials. This article aims to show some tips to avoid obsolescence in the workplace.
How to stay updated during the Digital Transformation process?
Employees must be aware that they will need to renew some of their professional skills in order to remain an important part of their company. Once the need for professional retraining has been assumed, they should be able to count on:
- Training in digital skills to understand new technologies and add value to their functions within the company.
- Initiative to keep their curiosity active and not lose track of the latest trends in technology.
The new digital era is characterized precisely by collaboration, innovation and autonomy. But what does this mean for workers? And, above all, how can they use this fact to their advantage?
- Collaboration: the Digital Transformation is mainly characterized by shared information, where everyone has access to business-relevant data. In addition, communication is essential when managing new organizations, which require greater creativity to enhance the use of the advantages provided by the Cloud, Big Data or IoT. The consequence of this change in the treatment of information causes that the most up-to-date employee profiles must be multidisciplinary. In other words, that they are able to perform different roles from a creative point of view.
- InnovationIndustrial automation and IoT are unstoppable, which means that the human role within companies has to be reinvented. If there is one thing that machines cannot achieve, at least for the moment, it is innovation and creativity. That's why workers must try to bring out their most creative side in order to innovate and adapt quickly to the continuous changes that technology brings about.
- AutonomyAnother characteristic of the Digital Transformation is that it enhances the individualism of workers, who must have more initiative to adapt to the new context.
In addition to this innovative spirit, to be clear that a stage of professional retraining is approaching and to be clear about the main characteristics of the coming society... what are the steps that a professional must take in order not to become obsolete with the Digital Transformation?
Recommendations to avoid becoming obsolete with Digital Transformation
Some of the recommendations to successfully face all the challenges of the coming digital era are the following:
- Stay up to date with all the technology news in the industry.Having a broad cultural background on the technology and applications that affect your industry is a good way to know how to orient our profile for the future.
- Don't get fixated on a particular technologyToday's world is a rapidly changing one, which means that before long you will probably have to stop using that device that seems so modern to you.
- Uses standard formatsTaking into account the previous advice, it is advisable to get used to using standard formats in order not to be pigeonholed in a specific technology. Using .jpeg, .mpeg or .mp3 formats will allow us to decode information no matter how much time passes.
- Connector applicationsToday there are certain platforms or applications that work regardless of the operating system you are working with. Examples are Dropbox or Evernote. Using these types of connector applications means not losing information or data, as they will most likely also adapt easily to these new technologies.
- Get used to the cloudCloud computing: Devices that store your information in the cloud ensure ubiquity and information security. If you use this type of technology on a regular basis, you will avoid becoming obsolete in a few years.
- Popular platformsJust as we previously recommended using connector applications, in the case of operating systems for both mobiles and computers, it is always advisable to use the most popular ones. The reason is simple: if there are many people using an operating system, it will receive updates much faster than another with fewer users.
So much for the whole process of retraining employees, both from an attitudinal and knowledge point of view. But in this process we cannot forget the role that companies play in helping employees achieve success.
What part affects companies in the renovation process?
Companies must play an active role in the retraining process of workers. In fact, the success of the Digital Transformation depends to a large extent on the acceptance and involvement of employees of the new reality. Trying to achieve this motivation, as well as the acceptance of the reality by workers, is what companies should aim for in the coming years. To this end, they will have to train workers with the aim of:
- Boosting your productivity, by improving their technical capabilities and applying them to the reality of technology.
- Improving agility in work methodologies, as well as in the production processes
- Encouraging innovation and employee autonomy, to leave mechanical work behind.
The fact is that the lack of digital skills of workers can create a huge barrier to the transformation of companies that bet on technological innovation such as IoT.
And you, have you already started to renew yourself in the face of Digital Transformation?