For companies that are on their way to digital transformation, it is critical that your workforce embraces the change. No matter how state-of-the-art the technology, or how powerful the software, you are never going to reap its benefits if your employees fail to use to it to its full potential.
How To Handle Resistance From Your Employees?
To get your employees on board, you must understand why they’re resistant to change. People like the routine nature of work. Yes, they like problem-solving, and facing challenges and solving them. But, over time people get used to a particular way of doing things. To be able to embrace the change, you must be able to show them the value in it. Technology makes life easier, even if it is a bit of a hurdle in the beginning to acclimate a new way of working.
Millennial workforces are generally much less resistant to technology changes than older generations. However, in today’s hyper-competitive environment, everyone must embrace technological advances to stay in business.
Strategies To Increase Technology Adoption
Can your business survive a service outage caused by outdated technologies? Can you risk paying huge fines if you fail to deliver on your compliance and customers' expectations? Can your business survive a lawsuit if you disastrously end up leaking a client's data because of old software? These are all eventualities that you could face if you continue to put off investing in new infrastructure and software.
If you have been facing resistance to upgrade your technologies in your business, you can try a few of the following strategies to get everyone on board.
Give Enough Time
Timing could be everything when it comes to technology adoption and resistance to change. Many employers try to implement change too fast, which increases resistance amongst employees. It would be beneficial if you implemented the change in gradual increments. It will allow your employees to get used to different aspects of the new system, and not hamper productivity.
Communication
Many employers assume their employees will just follow orders instantly, and need no prior communication before announcing the implementation in progress. That strategy could be harmful to your company. It alienates your employees because they won’t feel like they are part of a team, but just cogs in a machine. Also, you will miss out on the valuable feedback they may have about the technology and the change in general.
Provide Resources And Education
How can you learn a new skill if you aren’t taught it? Not receiving enough training before the implementation is one of the biggest complaints of employees facing change management. As an employer, you should provide adequate training to the employees for the new technologies which will smooth your transition.
Change management is one of the biggest hurdles businesses face with new technologies. That is why many companies choose to outsource their IT to a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
Premier global MSPs like ProV, can help you pick the correct software for your business, manage your infrastructure proactively, and provide a whole host of implementation and roll-out processes that streamline your business for technology adoption. We are preferred partners for enterprise software giants like IFS and ServiceNow, and has deep expertise in technologies like ERP software, IT Operations Management (ITOM), Field Service Management (FSM), and Robotics Process Automation.
To learn how we can help with change management with all of the technologies above, drop a comment below, or contact us today.