UK office workers lack technology understanding

A large proportion of UK office workers do not understand the technology available to them, or are not using it to its full potential, according to a survey commissioned by TechSmith

TechSmith is the world's leading provider of screen capture and recording solutions.

The findings from its survey of 1,000 office workers paint a picture of a productivity shortfall that will continue to grow and detrimentally affect British business success if allowed to continue.

A cross section of full-time office workers were asked to reveal their usual approach to a selection of everyday tasks, as well as indicate familiarity with basic features of Microsoft Word.

The results showed that a large proportion of office workers are not familiar with, or do not use, many of the basic time- and resource-saving tools available at their fingertips.

Key results included: 45 per cent don't know how to merge a Word document; 6 per cent have no understanding of any basic Word functions; 55 per cent don't seek help online if unsure of how to complete tasks, while 40 per cent rely on expensive internal resources; 23 per cent ask the person sitting next to them; more than one third of respondents still print off documents in order to provide feedback to colleagues, rather than using tools available on their PC to highlight comments and changes; 48 per cent of office workers rely on sending hyperlinks in order to share web content with colleagues, despite the fact that these links can expire and the information cannot be viewed if a colleague is working off-line.

Matt Pierce, training manager at TechSmith, commented: "We know that businesses today dedicate increasing amounts of time, money effort and energy researching and investing in sophisticated technologies and productivity tools, but it seems that many do not provide regular basic training to ensure the tools are used for the benefit of individuals and companies.

"This survey points to the fact that it really is time to go back to basics.

"Basic IT skills training for each and every employee is not realistic for all organisations.

"Generic online help tools, used by only 45 per cent of respondents, are clearly not helping enough.

"What's needed is a simple solution that can enable organisations to quickly and easily create effective, customised training resources that can be accessed by employees whenever they need help".

Founded in 1987, TechSmith Corporation provides practical business software tools and services.

TechSmith's solutions enable users to capture, record and enhance digital content from their computer screens so they can share information and knowledge in compelling multimedia formats, and allow others to observe, analyse and learn from their experiences.

TechSmith products are used by 98 per cent of the Fortune 500.

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