Technology continues to permeate (perhaps invade) every aspect of our lives, so digital literacy and proficiency have become critical skills for success in almost any profession. Yet, despite the increasing importance of these skills, many businesses and individuals still struggle with basic computer literacy. I came across an article by the National Skills Coalition (an organisation based in Washington DC) which said that “nearly 1 in 3 workers lack foundational digital skills” – so either you or one of the people sitting next to you at the office likely lacks the skills required to properly operate the machine they sit in front of for roughly 8hrs each day.
Although some surveys say that over 90% of jobs require some level of digital literacy, many workers lack the necessary skills to navigate common software applications, have problems troubleshooting basic hardware and software issues, or are unable to even use basic keyboard shortcuts. This lack of PC literacy can lead to reduced productivity, increased frustration and errors, and lost opportunities. And some of these issues can fly under the radar in a number of businesses.
In today’s digital age, it is more important than ever for businesses to invest in developing the PC competency and literacy of their workforce. This not only enhances employee productivity, but it also promotes a culture of innovation and adaptation that can help businesses stay competitive in workplace landscapes that are increasingly reliant on the digital capability of the workforce.
Below, we will take a look at some of the key approaches that organizations can take to assess and improve the PC competency and literacy of their staff, including skill assessment tests, skills gap analysis, and customized training programs. We will also discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with improving PC literacy in today’s business environment, and how this can impact the success of organizations and society as a whole.
Testing PC Literacy
Most businesses will make use of several different ways of testing how well someone is able to operate a PC (and in some instances a mobile phone). Although, I’ve encountered numerous situations in my experience where these tests are not used even in the recruiting process. A distinction should be made, however, between testing for digital literacy as part of the recruitment of a new employee vs testing for existing employees.
Testing for new recruits..
Some of the common tests businesses will use for new recruits are:
- Skill assessment tests: You could administer skill assessment tests to new recruits to assess their knowledge and proficiency in specific areas such as using common software applications (e.g. Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite), navigating the operating system, troubleshooting basic hardware and software issues, etc. Some of these tests can be quite simple – for example, I know of some finance & accounting Managers that won’t employ anyone who can’t write a VLOOKUP in excel. As this is a fairly advanced skill, those that are able to do so automatically show a level of proficiency that’s required for certain roles. But it’s useful to adopt a more thorough approach to testing, especially in the latter stages of an interview or recruitment process.
- Behavioural interviews: You could conduct behavioural interviews to evaluate a candidate’s experience and level of comfort with technology. This can help you gauge their proficiency level and their ability to adapt to new technologies as well the more common ones. One way to do this is during the interview process, sit the applicant at a PC in the meeting room and have them navigate around the PC. Ask them to bring up an application or a browser. Ask them to enter a specific URL into the browser. Ask them to copy & paste some text from one place to another and check either their ability to use keyboard shortcuts (CTRL + C & CTRL + V if you’re a Windows user) or possibly their mouse work (if they prefer to ‘right click’ and select copy & paste options from the provided menu). You could even prepare a ‘dummy user’ within a specific piece of software and have the user log in, and navigate through that application.
- Reference checks: You could contact the candidate’s previous employers to verify their level of computer literacy and proficiency. Although you’ll naturally have to take the reference for the applicant at their word, this can help you understand their experience and how they have used technology in the past.
Ongoing PC literacy testing for existing staff…
In contrast to this, testing the PC competency and literacy of existing staff may require a different approach. So, you may consider:
- Skills gap analysis: Instead of starting with skill assessment tests, you can first conduct a skills gap analysis to identify the specific areas where employees may be lacking in terms of computer literacy or proficiency. This can help you focus your training efforts more effectively.
- Customized training programs: Take my word for it – this space requires a fair amount of resources and dedication. But, instead of providing general training programs, you may need to develop customized training programs that address the specific needs of your existing staff. This can help you bridge the skills gap and improve their PC competency and literacy.
- Ongoing evaluation: Taking a ‘one & done’ approach to training in this space is one of the many reasons PC literacy can naturally wane over time. So, unlike new recruits who can be evaluated before they are hired, existing staff need ongoing evaluation and support to ensure that they are keeping up with new technologies and maintaining their PC (and mobile phone) competency and literacy. I mean, think of all the changes & new functions that come with getting an upgrade to your mobile phone. And how many people receive training as a result of this change – I’d hazard a guess, that it’s next to none! So, regular feedback, coaching, and training can help ensure that they continue to develop their skills.
Digital Skills & Competency Testing
Let’s look at just a few of these testing options above in a bit more detail, starting with skills assessment tests. These can certainly be a useful tool for testing the PC competency and literacy of new recruits. And these tests should be designed to evaluate a candidate’s knowledge and proficiency in specific areas – for example, general or business software applications, as well as PC operating systems, along with basic troubleshooting. Some examples of skill assessment tests could be:
- Microsoft Office proficiency test: This test can be used to evaluate a candidate’s proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The test can cover topics such as formatting, formulas, data analysis, and presentation design.
- Operating system proficiency test: This test can be used to evaluate a candidate’s proficiency in using a specific operating system such as Windows or macOS. The test can cover topics such as file management, system settings, and basic troubleshooting.
- Troubleshooting test: This test can be used to evaluate a candidate’s ability to diagnose and solve common hardware and software problems. The test can cover topics such as virus removal, network connectivity, and system performance issues.
One benefit of assessing someone’s PC skills is that they can be administered online or in person, depending on your preference. And although there are considerable benefits to creating & building your own tailor-made tests, there are also many pre-built tests and platforms available that you can use to create and administer skill assessments. Some of these are in the form of your own LMS (learning management system) that you could implement within your own business to both host or house your courses and testing, but can also automate some of the follow-ups for end users to participate and complete their training and run reporting on all of this activity. Once a candidate has completed PC proficiency testing, you’ll be able to review the results to determine their level of PC competency and literacy and make an informed hiring decision.
Gap Analysis For Digital Skills
Skills gap analysis is a process of identifying the difference between the skills and knowledge that employees currently have and the skills and knowledge that they need to perform their job effectively. It involves assessing the skills and knowledge of the employees and comparing them to the skills and knowledge required for their roles. To evaluate this, you might:
- Firstly, identify the skills and knowledge required for the role: Start by identifying the skills and knowledge that are essential for employees to perform their job effectively. This may involve reviewing job descriptions, performance metrics, and feedback from managers. Often, I’ve seen (Operations Managers & HR Managers) list this in a table or matrix form so that you can measure each employee in a group or team against this list of skill with a 1-3 or (preferably) a 1-5 rating.
- Then, assess the skills and knowledge of the employees: Once you have identified the required skills and knowledge, you can assess the current skills and knowledge of the employees. This may involve conducting surveys, one-on-one interviews, or performance evaluations when you can observe the capability of each employee.
- Once this is done, identify the skills gaps: Compare the required skills and knowledge with the current skills and knowledge of the employees to identify any gaps. This will help you understand the areas where employees may be lacking in terms of computer literacy or proficiency.
- From this evaluation of the “gaps”, you can develop a training plan: Based on the results of the skills gap analysis, you can develop a training plan to address the areas where employees may be lacking in computer literacy or proficiency. This may involve providing online or in-person training, coaching, mentoring, or job shadowing. The aim is to develop a plan that will move the employee’s skills from a rating of 1 or 2 up to ratings of 3 or higher depending on your scale and the requirements of the skill in relation to your rating criteria.
- Also, be sure to include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the training: After providing the training, you should evaluate its effectiveness by assessing the employees’ skills and knowledge again. It can also be helpful to survey each of the trainees to get feedback on how they experienced the training. This will help you determine if the training was successful in bridging the skills gap and improving their computer literacy and proficiency.
By conducting a skills gap analysis, you can identify the specific areas where your existing staff may need improvement in terms of computer literacy and proficiency. This can help you focus your training efforts more effectively and improve their skills and knowledge in a targeted but efficient manner.
Customised Training Programs
To be upfront about this, I’m a huge fan of customised training programs as I’ve experienced the benefit of these personally throughout my business career! But they’re not for everyone. And they really are a lot of work and can represent a significant commitment from any business for their staff. But when it comes to hard work and my attitude towards it, I’m reminded of a quote attributed to Bruce Lee, who said, “Preparation for tomorrow is hard work today!”
Customized training programs are designed to address the specific needs and requirements of your existing staff. Unlike general training programs that cover a broad range of topics (which also have their place and have a level of usefulness), customized training programs can be tailored to the specific job roles and skill levels of your employees within your own company. By developing customized training programs, you can bridge the skills gap and improve the PC competency and literacy of your existing staff in a targeted and efficient manner. Here are some steps you might take to develop customized training programs:
- Identify the specific needs of your employees: Start by identifying the specific areas where your employees may be lacking in terms of computer literacy or proficiency. This may involve conducting a skills gap analysis (as discussed earlier) or collecting feedback from employees and managers.
- Determine the learning objectives: Based on the identified needs, you can determine the specific learning objectives for the training program. This may involve setting goals for employees to achieve, such as learning how to use a new software application, improving their troubleshooting skills, or enhancing either their general or specific knowledge of a particular area of their job description.
- Develop the training materials: In my experience, this is often where much of the hard work takes place. But, based on the learning objectives, you can develop the training materials, such as course materials, videos, or interactive tutorials. These materials should be customized to the specific needs of your employees and be designed to help them achieve the learning objectives.
- Deliver the training: The training can then be delivered in various formats, such as in-person workshops, online courses, or a combination of both. Delivering training or teaching anyone is a skill in itself. Even parents, and many of them, would confess to their struggles to teach their own children during Covid Lockdowns. It’s often not a skill which business Managers automatically possess. But, when it comes to the delivery method, it should be selected based on the learning objectives and the specific needs of the employees.
- As noted in the prior section, evaluating the effectiveness of the training is an important step to take: After providing the training, you can evaluate its effectiveness by assessing the employees’ skills and knowledge again. This will help you determine if the training was successful in bridging the skills gap and improving their computer literacy and proficiency.
By developing customized training programs, particularly for your own business situation, you can ensure that your existing staff receives the training they need to improve their PC competency and literacy. This often results in improved productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction, as well as a more skilled and capable workforce.
So, there are several approaches that organizations can take to assess and improve the PC competency and literacy of their staff – amongst others, skill assessment tests, skills gap analysis & customized training programs were given some attention above. But, it’s important to note that each of these approaches requires careful planning, implementation, and evaluation to ensure that they are effective in improving the PC competency and literacy of staff. Additionally, there may be other factors that impact the success of these approaches, such as the availability of resources, the level of employee engagement and motivation of trainees (along with their Managers & Supervisors), and the organization’s culture and structure.
While there’s a fairly brief overview of these approaches, each of them requires more in-depth consideration and planning to ensure that they meet the specific needs and requirements of your organization and its team members.