5 steps to help employees adjust to technology changes
New technology changes can have a positive impact not just on how people work, but on your office culture as well.
But sometimes technology
changes can intimidate and alienate employees who are comfortable working in
traditional systems and procedures, and have trouble adjusting.
It’s normal for workers to at first be apprehensive to big
changes when they’ve grown used to the way things have been done for years.
That’s why it’s important to see things from their point of view and understand that change is tough, especially when it upheaves years of doing things with traditional processes.
1. Help them see the value
When introducing new tech solutions to your colleagues, it’s important to help them understand why you’re implementing it and what it will do for the business.
Explain not just how it will benefit the business in
general, but how it will benefit their specific roles and what the impact will
be.
If it’s a tool that’s meant to streamline a certain process,
be sure to impress on them that the time saved will allow them to focus on more
and grow their roles.
If it’s a solution that’s meant to free up more resources,
discuss with them how they now direct that saved budget and labor to more
productive things. If they can see the value it will bring to them as an
individual, you can make them excited to learn more about it and look forward
to its implementation.
Document management solutions represent a big shift in how
businesses interact with their documents, especially if you’re transitioning
from a mostly paper-driven structure. However, it’s a technology that vastly
improves business processes by introducing tools like automation and
intelligent organization.
2. Keep them informed
Most big technology changes requires time for implementation and onboarding. It rarely happens overnight, so having a road map for implementation is essential to make sure it all goes smoothly.
More importantly, staying transparent with your employees on
this roadmap is helpful in easing them into the new system. Letting them know
what they can expect during the implementation period can give them ease and
let them know that they have time to get used to the transition rather than
just diving in.
3. Give them time
New technology always has a learning curve, and this is
especially true for those who aren’t used to working with it as part of their
job.
While some are quick
learners and early adopters, there is an equal number of those who have more of
a struggle learning how things work. They won’t get it overnight, so it’s
important to be patient and encouraging.
A transitional period where they’re still allowed to get
their job done the old way while learning the new way is encouraged if
possible. As long as they’re willing to learn and not resistant, it’s worth it
to let them grow at their own pace, all while providing the necessary support
such as additional training and mentoring.
4. Incentivize
If some employees are more resistant than others to adopt technology
changes, it doesn’t hurt to throw out some incentives to encourage them to
embrace the change.
Offering perks such as free lunch with training will make those employees a little more enthusiastic about attending those meetings.
Get creative with tying small rewards to the use of the new
tech solution as well as implying bigger forms of recognition for demonstrating
proficiency and enthusiasm for the new system.
Letting them know that the skills learned from training will
reflect across their entire career and showcase their adaptability.
5. Listen
Taking in feedback is an important part of any business
decision, not listening to your employee’s opinions and concerns about adopting
a new tech solution.
Encouraging an environment where your colleagues can discuss freely their experience with the current processes and how introducing a new factor that will impact those processes will help inform how you build out your implementation roadmap and how you go about training.
Being open to their ideas of how to transition and
addressing their concerns will make them feel part of the process and not feel
like it’s being forced upon them.
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