Risk-averse Firms Missing out on Workplace Technology Benefits

Fear of change prevents employers from nurturing a tech-enabled workforce

TRUMBULL, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Risk-averse firms could be missing out on a productivity boost by failing to take advantage of new workplace technologies. Questionmark, the online assessment provider, has identified five “cultural skills” that workers must develop to build an adaptable culture that embraces innovation.

New tech systems and applications help workers operate more efficiently and better understand their customers. They can help improve the customer experience by 30% and provide a 10% to 20% improvement in employee satisfaction, researchers claim.¹

However, many firms are failing to grasp these opportunities. Rarely are the problems just technical. An aversion to risk, a lack of focus on the customer and other “cultural barriers” prevent organizations from embracing the power of technology according to a McKinsey survey of global executives.²

The new Questionmark report, “How to build a tech-enabled workforce” explores how employers can nurture an adaptable workforce and take advantage of new technologies. It identified five “cultural skills” that workers require.

1. Adaptability – being able to adjust to new situations and tackle new problems will become the defining characteristic of successful workers.
2. Curiosity – the curious worker will innovate to find better ways to do things.
3. A customer-centric approach – workers must constantly ask questions around how customers are changing and how their efforts need to adapt in response.
4. Empathy – the ability to understand co-workers’ pressures and pain points helps liberate entire teams and business functions from their silos.
5. Compliance – a “tick box” approach to the rules of the game won’t help firms navigate a world of heightened risk. Compliance must be at the heart of culture.

Lars Pedersen, CEO of Questionmark, said: “Technological or digital transformation is a major priority for firms across the world. But it won’t be achieved by simply developing new systems and teaching workers how to use them. Without nurturing an adaptable culture, workers will never make the most of technology.

“Online assessments can test skills and attitudes. They shine a light on the cultural barriers to change. Employers can introduce training and support to nurture an adaptable culture which embraces innovation.”

For more information download the full report: “How to build a tech-enabled workforce: establishing the training need and building an adaptable culture”.

The report forms part of the “Questionmark Viewpoint” series which explores the challenges that Questionmark customers face, and how Questionmark helps address them.

www.questionmark.com

About Questionmark

Questionmark unlocks performance through reliable and secure online assessments.

Questionmark provides a secure enterprise-grade assessment platform and professional services to leading organizations around the world, delivered with care and unequalled expertise. Its full-service online assessment tool and professional services help customers to improve their performance and meet their compliance requirements. Questionmark enables organizations to unlock their potential by delivering assessments which are valid, reliable, fair and defensible.

Questionmark offers secure powerful integration with other LMS, LRS and proctoring services making it easy to bring everything together in one place. Questionmark's cloud-based assessment management platform offers rapid deployment, scalability for high-volume test delivery, 24/7 support, and the peace-of-mind of secure, audited U.S., Australian and European-based data centers.

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¹ https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/what-matters-in-customer-experience-cx-transformations

² https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/culture-for-a-digital-age