Becoming Fluent in the Digital World

Adaptation is key for businesses in 2024, so companies are looking to hire digitally fluent employees, according to the Computer Technology Industry Association's 2024 Workforce and Learning Trends Report, which notes that being digitally fluent means being able to identify the most effective tool for a specific business outcome and suggesting new tools as needed. In short, employers recognize that most candidates won't have hands-on experience with proprietary tools exclusive to their company. Instead, they want employees who can quickly learn to use various applications and technological tools.

"For example, a digitally literate worker can smoothly switch between their company's preferred email client, word processing tools, group messaging app, and web browsers," the report explains. "A digitally fluent worker can identify which tool is most effective to achieve a particular business outcome and can suggest new tools and protocols as their job evolves."

As businesses continue to modernize, they are prioritizing those prospective employees.

Of the 1,200 HR and L&D professionals worldwide who answered the Computer Technology Industry Association's survey, 70 percent said digital fluency continues to increase as an important capability within their organization. The other respondents indicated that the already high level of importance they place on digital fluency remains static.

HR leaders also ranked the importance of digital skill domains, with cybersecurity ranking the highest. In second and third place are AI, data, and analytics; and hardware, devices, and peripherals.

Because the majority of HR leaders expect change on numerous workforce fronts in the next year, with 30 percent expecting "significant" changes, 90 percent of HR professionals indicated an expectation to use more technology and data in HR management. Changes include skills gap assessments and upskilling; career pathways and talent mobility; and data-driven performance management.

"The path for many of the workers within these organizations may begin with foundational digital literacy skills and then progress to more advanced digital fluency skills over time," the report states.