New research shows the pace of the evolution of technology is leading to generational division in Australian workplaces. Since 2020 digital adoption accelerated with digital transformation witnessed in operations, customer interactions, cyber security and collaboration platforms. Now as Artificial Intelligence seeps into industries and hybrid structures take hold, experts urge companies to bridge gaps to sustain organisational capability.
Over 1,000 employees were surveyed by Capterra, a leading software research site, with 85 per cent of participants believing job skills are becoming more reliant on the use of digital tools,
with 83 per cent believing their company should provide greater support as new technology is introduced.
HR Consultant and onboarding expert, Greg Weiss, commented on Capterra’s research, saying, “Technology is transforming organisations – faster and more diverse than ever. Communication, collaboration, financial savings, productivity and security are underpinning these shifts and forming the catalyst for change.”
The top three challenges identified in the speed of digital transformation are ‘the usage gap among employees’ (36 per cent), ‘limited access to resources or training’ (35 per cent) and the ‘constant introduction of new tools making it difficult to adapt’ (32 per cent).
While millennials are naturally inclined to digital tools (87 per cent), interestingly, baby boomers and generation z are equally drawn to new technology (85 per cent).
“The appetite is definitely there. It’s a matter of how these employees are facilitated and bridging the digital generation gap is crucial. A cookie cutter approach to training and support doesn’t work in a divergent workforce – as their alignment differs,” says Weiss, founder of Career365.
In order to maximise the adoption of digital tools, 58 per cent prefer on-site training, which demonstrates how a combination of digital and non-digital platforms can flourish in a hybrid working arrangement. While the generational gap and limited access to training resources pose challenges, finding the right balance in digital tool adoption can create benefits including increased efficiency, reduced paperwork and savings on work hours. There is potential to foster this environment as all generations prefer to manage their tasks digitally, including 35 per cent of Generation X individuals, a slightly higher percentage compared to 31 per cent of millennials who expressed this preference.
For baby boomers, brainstorming (37 per cent), performance reviews (38 per cent) and team building sessions (37 per cent) are preferred in-person; while generation z also prefers in-person team building (39 per cent), training (34 per cent) and brainstorming (31 per cent). Digital performance reviews (28 per cent) are preferred by generation z.
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