In an era where every company is a tech company, tech fluency is a workplace non-negotiable.

The speedy adoption of emerging technologies has created a sink-or-swim business landscape. According to research by McKinsey, the list of long-established companies that’ve been disrupted by fast-moving, tech-enabled powerhouses continues to increase day by day. And, in the late 1970s, the average lifespan of an S&P organization was approximately 35 years. Today, the average lifespan is closer to 20 years. The takeaway: Keep up with technology or move aside.

Innovative technologies don’t build themselves — people build them. When organizations don’t equip employees with basic tech literacy skills, they perpetuate knowledge gaps that slow the pace of innovation. Creating upskilling programs for tech literacy can empower employees across departments with the technical proficiencies needed to deliver better value to the business. Today, a strong tech literacy program is vital for staying powerful in a competitive market.

The Benefits of a Tech Fluency Program

Tech fluency can help employees become conversant in critical technologies (e.g., cloud, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity) and understand how and why these technologies impact business outcomes. Non-technical workers might not understand how tech or data concepts relate to their daily roles, thus limiting their ability to engage and innovate at work. A marketer with no base understanding of cybersecurity might be susceptible to clicking on a phishing link, thus putting the organization at risk. And even seasoned technologists, like software developers, stand to gain from continued upskilling, as it provides insight into how teams and processes interconnect.

Company-wide tech fluency can increase agency among employees and is critical in promoting diversity and innovation. And upskilling programs can help level the playing field and empower everyone to enter the tech community, including historically underrepresented identities. Diverse perspectives and skills sets can foster greater innovation, and tech fluency can enable all team members to effectively participate in meetings, work with stakeholders and engage with customers.

There are countless case studies serving as a testament to the value of a tech fluency upskilling initiative. Some proof points include:

• French information technology (IT) services company, Atos, created a tech fluency path for its employees in conjunction with upskilling opportunities. Within three years of implementing these initiatives, Atos’s revenue more than doubled, growing from $6.2 billion to $13 million.
• Accenture research found that digitally fluent companies are 4 times more likely to see revenue growth exceeding 20% in the next three years. Moreover, 69% are considered a great place to work by employees, and 62% lead their peers in innovation.
• After implementing an upskilling program, design and consultancy organization Arcadis reported, on top of a 40% increase in tech fluency in the first 90 days, a significant drop in security vulnerabilities and IT tickets.

In short: Enabling employees with technology skills can help companies become better equipped to address real-world challenges, streamline processes and free up resources for strategic revenue-generating initiatives.

Tips for Transformative Tech Fluency

Strong tech fluency upskilling programs take work, but when executed well can see a huge return on investment (ROI). Consider the following tips for fostering tech fluency in your organization:

1. Create a goal and identify skills to focus on: What do you want to achieve through your tech literacy program? A culture of continuous learning? Increased access and collaboration? The ability to upskill existing talent to fill open roles? Once you’ve identified a goal that aligns with larger business objectives, determine the specific skills to focus on. For example, if your goal is to prepare your company for a cloud migration, focus on making your workforce fluent in how the cloud operates and provides value.
2. Show leaders why tech fluency matters: Internal initiatives need executive buy-in to be successful. To gain leaders’ support, tie upskilling goals to organizational objectives and explain how it will help the bottom line. Lead with data — not just data on how many people will participate in a tech fluency program, but on the challenges, it will solve and opportunities it will create. Ensure you’ve established key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine success and hold leaders accountable.
3. Develop a communications plan: Learner buy-in is just as vital as leader buy-in. This is where marketing comes into play. Push out messaging across channels (e.g., email, all-hands meetings, Slack) that makes your tech fluency initiative welcoming, valuable and fun.
4. Provide context: Explain why you’re implementing this program and how it will contribute to individual and organizational growth. If possible, have executives own communication to add to the hype.
5. Let your tech fluency plan evolve: Leave room for your curriculum to adapt and expand. Keep an ear to the ground to find out what modules aren’t working and what topics are gaining traction and make adjustments as needed. Technology is constantly evolving, and to keep up with advancements, your upskilling program should be too.

As the lifespan of companies shrinks and digital disruption runs rampant, the need for tech fluency is dire. Embracing a culture of continuous learning can empower employees across all departments and create a halo effect across other areas of the business including customers, security and the bottom line. As companies invest in technology skills for their workforce, they not only address current skills gaps but also position themselves strategically for future success. In essence, tech fluency isn’t just an option — it’s a fundamental key to thriving in the digital era.