Resistance To New Tech: Motivating Employees To Adopt New Technology

Technological changes have no doubt changed the way work processes are today. However, these technological changes have also caused a divide between employees – those who are in favour of new technological tools and those who are resistant to change.

There are numerous categories that employees can fall into when it comes to embracing new technology.

First, there are those who are afraid of losing their jobs as a result of technology and automation. However, this is a valid concern. With the introduction of artificial intelligence and robots today, numerous menial and administrative work can be easily replaced. This then forces workers to upgrade their skills and pick up technology-related skill sets or risk losing their jobs.

Then there are the generational workers – seasoned and older employees who are all-too familiar with the existing systems and resist technological changes for fear of looking incompetent in front of their peers. These employees tend to struggle to adapt to new complex technologies and are too embarrassed to admit how to use them. As a result, resistance becomes their way of adapting.

Finally, there are the Millennials, who are all too eager to embrace the latest technology fads, falling into the "shiny-new-thing" syndrome. While this no doubt makes it easy for organisations to get employees’ buy-in, it can also pose a problem as these employees end up losing interest quickly.

While organisations can roll out the latest technological tools, it is up to leaders to manage change communication to employees and provide them with sufficient time to learn and understand the benefits of these new technological tools.

Here are some ways in which organisation can slowly implement new technological tools into their organisation and getting employees to slowly embrace it.

Provide a step-by-step guide. When it comes to operating a new technology system or tool, the lack of a proper guide is likely to frustrate any employee. Providing a step-by-step guide through each of the functions is likely to alleviate any fear or worry.

Suggest video tutorials. Video tutorials are particularly useful for employees who simply do not have the time to read through guides or for less educated workers.

Have a subject matter expert. Finally, training a team of employees to be the go-to person for new technological tools can be extremely helpful particularly when employees have questions that cannot be addressed by guides or video tutorials.

Understanding people’s needs. Demonstrating clear personal gain from the outset is crucial. People don’t want to hear about how cost-effective it is for the company; they want to know how it will directly impact and transform their working lives. Bring out the positives of the tool that meet to people’s needs – how it makes their life easier, what burdens it removes, how it improves their workflow and productivity. Invest time and effort into learning how to use the new technology. People will understand its benefits and able to see how this change can improve what they have with the existing system.

Related article: The Key To Real Employee Engagement Is Your HR Technology

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