The transition from a world of hard copies and paper files to a world of digital recordkeeping is important for many modern businesses. But for some employees, making this adjustment can be hard. If you have reluctant employees who aren’t ready to give up a paper-filled office, how can you help them embrace the new ways? Discover five tips any business can use to encourage the idea of paperless paperwork.
1. Take Concerns to Heart
As eager as you may be to go paperless or as much as you feel it will make life easier, keep in mind that not everyone sees things in the same way. Staff who are hesitant about this new way of doing things have valid reasons for feeling that way. So, talk to them and really listen to those concerns. Don’t dismiss them.
You will likely find that many worries are similar — things like not being tech-savvy or not having the time to train — and those who voice them may actually represent a much larger part of staff than are willing to admit it. Therefore, addressing these challenges benefits everyone.
2. Include Employees in Decision-Making
While the move to a digital office should be spearheaded by management, much of the actual implementation should be driven by employees. Staff are the ones on the front line who use this system on a daily basis. They need to be a big part of decisions on which system to choose, how to achieve the transition, what the organizing principles are, and how best to learn it.
Putting employees’ experience at the forefront of your digital transition helps in many ways. You will get a more functional and practical system. More employees will understand the new system. And employees who feel included are more likely to embrace it.
3. Keep It Simple
If your office includes people of all backgrounds, interests, age groups, and skill levels, don’t craft an unnecessarily complicated system. Make it as intuitive as possible and start smaller.
To do this, think like an anxious user. When reasonable, err on the side of simplicity over thoroughness — at least to begin with. If you can choose between two screens of information or one screen, for example, consider if just the one will do.
What about the amount of information on a single form? Simply limiting this and allowing more white space on a page can make things easier for everyone to follow.
4. Team Up Employees
Think about particular staff members or departments who will be hesitant or find the change difficult. How can you help these individuals learn the new methods and use them? One way is to partner them with other employees who embrace the digital methods.
If you have an older employee or one who isn’t tech-savvy, ask a more enthusiastic employee to spend some time with them to learn together. They could be partnered up right from the beginning if that will make both employees more comfortable with the arrangement. Or, you might provide a sort of mentor after company-wide training to target what the non-technical person is struggling with.
5. Show the Benefits
People are more likely to support a change that makes their work easier. So, focus on how this can help individual employees and departments. Older workers or those with families, for instance, often want more of a home- and work-life balance. Digital recordkeeping can help by allowing staff to work anywhere. A company that uses this as an incentive will help people look forward to the change.
What can your company do to help specific staff members learn and enjoy a digital record system? Start by meeting with the pros at Indigital. Our years of experience with businesses and employees of all sorts can make your transition easier. Call today to schedule an appointment.