Can Anyone Figure Out the Copy Machine?

 When we think of all the advanced bells and whistles that accompany many communications jobs today, it’ easy to become overwhelmed. From the latest smartphones to wearable devices, video conferencing programs, laptops, email and various program systems, even the fancy copy machine (that no one even in 2024 can properly operate) all fully inundate modern office spaces. So how much does this impact organizations, employees, support staff, and the bottom line? The answer is a lot. While yes, fancy computers and such are lovely advancements in technology that can make life much easier, they also come with a learning curve.

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Employers are now faced with tremendous costs to fully prepare their workforce for success in a technologically advanced world. Training expenditures in recent years have shown massive expenditures for payroll toeffectively train staff, acquiring outside products and services, upgrading technologies,purchasing content, and utilizing consulting services all totaling over $101billion in 2023 alone.

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These costs are what it takes to make digital developments even worth having, because without proper education, devices often go untapped of their full potential.

We face trouble when organizations do not fulfill the necessary training requirement for modern day communicators. AGerman study found that workers who feel they have skill gaps and inadequateworkplace training show negative effects in both performance and personal well-being.Luckily, the same study found that the negative impacts can easily be offset byprovision of training in these areas. When employees do not possess sufficient abilities to use new technologies both organization and individual suffer. Turns out having all the bells and whistles isn’t so great after all if you’re never taught to play the instrument.

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