Prepare for a Culture Shift—and Help Foster It

For people who have been doing these jobs without new tech for years, this will be a major shift in the way they’ve always operated. Invest in training and resources to show employees the opportunities in digitization and tech. Bring them along for the ride, which creates less fear and makes people feel a part of the process.

“Culture is a big, big issue,” says Sedghi. “Take insurance claims processing, for example. The people who actually used to do the work were very accustomed to paper and holding it physically in their hand. They may not be as comfortable doing anything on the computer because they don’t trust it.”

Ultimately, he says, you’re combatting not just a fear of the tech but an employee’s fear of losing their job—or being left behind for someone who is more tech savvy. “The new generation definitely is a lot more accustomed because that’s how they grew up,” says Segdhi. “They grew up with iPhones and other devices. So for them, change is a lot easier. But for people in their mid-forties and mid-fifties, who are typically senior folks within the organization, there can be more of a struggle to adapt. “But the commercial market dynamic is going to move in that direction anyway,” says Sedghi, “so the workers don’t really have a whole lot of options.”

In short: help them by being transparent and open about your tech goals—and invest in training to make their adaptation faster and easier to manage.