Global leaders at the World Economic Forum have called the ‘data divide’ one of the world’s most pressing challenges. Questionmark is urging employers to tackle it by creating a ‘data culture’, prioritising the teaching and assessment of modern data skills for all workers.
There is a growing recognition that data literacy is a core skill for employees on all levels. Yet the gap between those that can understand data and those that can’t is growing.
In a global survey by IDC, 83% of executives said that they want their organisations to be data-led. But just 33% of employees say they’re comfortable working with data.
Questionmark’s five suggestions to build data culture
To build a data culture that supports the whole workforce, employers must:
- Know data’s backstory: knowing where data flows and how it is consumed helps businesses tailor their support to staff needs.
- Teach people to read data: data literacy is the ability to read, understand and use data effectively. A data culture depends on literacy at every level.
- Identify the skills needed: assessing workers’ current data skills, organisations can invest in more targeted training where necessary.
- Build talent: combining talent acquisition with training can rapidly scale their data abilities.
- Participate in the ecosystem: no organisation is an island; employers must foster a community of data literacy and encourage knowledge sharing.
Questionmark’s founder gives deeper insight
John Kleeman, Founder of Questionmark, said: “Data is the lifeblood of business today. Organisations that nurture data literacy can expect to gain the greatest advantage.”
“The first step for all businesses is to assess the data skills across their workforce today. Then create a ‘data culture’ based on continuous learning and assessment. One that can deliver a more competitive, more profitable and even a happier business.”
To help organisations take the first step towards building a ‘data culture’, Questionmark has developed a data literacy assessment.
