Why digital literacy in the workplace is important

What is digital literacy?

Digital literacy is commonly defined as the ability to use technology to accomplish everyday tasks in ways that are faster or easier than performing those activities manually. In other words, possessing digital literacy is a person knowing how to use digital tools to communicate and collaborate in both their personal and professional lives.

"Digital literacy is knowing what digital tools are available, knowing how to find them and knowing the appropriate digital tool for the task you have to complete," said Quentin McAndrew, global academic strategist at e-learning provider Coursera.

The ability to learn new concepts is also an important part of digital literacy.

"[Digital literacy] implies a certain level of comfort with the tools that exist now," McAndrew said. "It also implies a level of digital agility, where you have the ability to learn to use new [digital] tools as they evolve."

Another important part of digital literacy is awareness of best practices.

Digital literacy also requires an understanding of cybersecurity, data privacy and ethical technology use in addition to being able to use computers and digital platforms, said Karen Panetta, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University and a fellow with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Why does digital literacy matter?

Digital literacy can help employees succeed.

Individuals who are competent with digital tools have greater chances of thriving in their personal and professional pursuits, McAndrew said. That ability to learn new technology gives those with digital literacy -- and the companies that employ them -- an advantage.

In addition, digital tools are now simply a required part of many jobs.

More than 90% of the job ads analyzed in the U.S. labor market demand digital skills, according to the 2023 report "Closing the Digital Skill Divide" by the National Skills Coalition in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Technologies like AI mean that digital literacy continues to be important in the workplace.

Individuals need to be digitally literate to get through their daily lives and their work, said Seth Robinson, vice president of industry research at CompTIA, a global trade association that provides IT training and certifications. People must know how to securely access online sites, securely share information via electronic means and communicate via digital channels. They must also know how to protect themselves from cyberthreats of all kinds.

5 examples of digital literacy in the workplace

Here are five examples of required digital literacy in the workplace.

1. Familiarity with basic digital tools

Workers must be able to use fundamental programs to get basic tasks done. For instance, many workers now need to know how to use Excel, including how to build a formula in the program, import data and produce results.

"You have to show you know how to use the tool and how to make it work," Robinson said.

2. Video conferencing competency

With some teams now spread out geographically, many employees need to know how to effectively participate in virtual meetings.

Required skills include being able to schedule a meeting, establish the right security settings to protect it from unauthorized access, and engage and collaborate on whichever technology platform the team chooses for its virtual meeting, Panetta said. For example, users should know how to raise their hand in a virtual meeting.

3. Data skills

Many employees need to not only make data-driven decisions, but know where to find the information on which to base those decisions.

In order to make data-driven decisions, workers need to know how to access and analyze data, McAndrew said. They also need to know which tools are appropriate for which tasks. For instance, they should know how to use business intelligence software to report on past performance, and data analytics tools for prediction modeling and forecasting.

4. Cybersecurity literacy

Digitally literate workers are also cognizant of the cybersecurity risks and data privacy concerns that come with the use of digital tools.

For example, everyone should be on the lookout for phishing attacks when using email, and they should know which data privacy laws apply to the data that they handle, Robinson said.

5. Familiarity with AI

Digitally literate employees should be aware of the advantages and the pitfalls of AI in the workplace.

Possessing digital literacy in the workplace increasingly means being able to use generative AI to tackle tasks more effectively and efficiently, Robinson said. Workers need to know what tasks they can use AI for, how to include it in their workflows and how to check the results.

They also need to know the potential ethical, legal and security concerns around their use of generative AI, as well as their own organization's policies and prohibitions about its use.

3 tips to help improve digital literacy at work

CIOs and other IT leaders can work with others at their company to help improve employees' digital literacy. Here are some approaches:

1. Encourage employee experimentation

One of the best ways to learn is by doing, McAndrew said, and that's no different in the digital realm.

"Start using [the tool], and figure out what you know and what you don't know," she said.

2. Determine how to upskill workers

Organizations should have a plan for how employees will learn the skills they will need to succeed as new technologies come into the workplace, Robinson said.

CIOs can collaborate with other company leaders to determine how workers will upskill and which employees need to learn which skills.

3. Don't forget the core skills

Many skills that were important in the workplace in the past are still crucial.

The abilities to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively and collaborate well are essential for identifying the next big technology that employees can use to improve their work, McAndrew said.

Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist with a focus on covering enterprise IT and cybersecurity management.