New technologies have experienced exceptional growth since the beginning of the 21st century. We’ve moved from floppy disks to the cloud. From flip phones to smartphones. From CRT televisions to flat screens. The world of work has not escaped this famous transformation either!

Technology at work: the computer

These new technologies have therefore strongly developed in the working environment. The first work tool affected by these changes is the computer . For several years, the computer has been a tool strongly present in companies of all types. It is as much present in offices as in factories and even in old professions such as agriculture. Different programs have been developed to respond to the various problems of the world of work.

Computers have gradually replaced paper and pencil at work. They make it possible to optimize the tasks to be carried out. Over time, these computers have become more refined, more efficient, and therefore allow employees to be more and more efficient.

Each department of a company has experienced a digitization of its functions. This involved the dematerialization of documents and work tools. For example, all contracts are now dematerialized and saved in the cloud . Companies use mailboxes and instant messaging services to exchange between each employee. It is possible to make video conferences , which was not possible 15 years ago. The computer is a technology that has become a daily tool at work.

The development of the internet at work

The arrival with great fanfare of the Internet has also enabled companies to radically transform themselves. The Internet allows everyone to stay in touch quickly. It also makes it easy to share content and work in groups on collaborative tools.

Internet is a technology that has unveiled new challenges for organizations, including the issue of e-reputation. It is essential today for a company to control its image on the internet. For example, 89% of the French population connects to the internet every day in 2020, including 39 million using social networks daily ( Hootsuite study and We Are Social ).

If reputation is not properly managed, the business will be heavily impacted. This is why new professions have emerged, such as Community Manager or SEO Manager . These professions allow companies to communicate on the new channels that the Internet has created: websites and social networks.

The development of new communication channels

If the traditional advertising channels are still in vogue: television, radio, cinema, posters, print media. The web quickly came to settle as a real lever of communication for companies.

Advertising is present everywhere and recovering Data has become easy. So much so that its use had to be regulated because it was becoming too invasive for user data. The Internet has enabled companies to disseminate their work, their projects and their teams to as many people as possible while fully controlling their image.

The impact of technology on workplace skills

While new technologies have developed, employee skills have followed in the same direction. For seniors, it was complicated to know the change between the old work organization and the transition to new technologies. We had to adapt and acquire new skills as we went along. Each employee is obliged to update their skills regularly according to new technologies. This increases its performance and secures its use.

The new generations have indeed been able to arrive on a transformed labor market. So much so that today it is difficult to conceive of work without a mailbox or technological tools such as computers. “8% of employees have no digital qualification, 27% have a low level, while 33% can claim a basic level and 29% a higher level. » – digital barometer 2017

Training in new digital skills has emerged. Many software programs have been developed to meet specific needs. Solutions for accounting, human resources, IT, communication, etc. These same solutions that optimize work efficiency and reduce processes. It is therefore important to combine new technologies with the traditional functioning of the labor market. For example, conducting meetings by taking notes via your computer. It is also possible to organize conferences by broadcasting a digital presentation. Beyond the interest in these technologies, it is important to maintain social ties between its teams . Interaction is facilitated but should not be distorted. It is interesting to wonder how digital will continue to impact the labor market. If today’s professional networks and production tools are constantly improving and optimizing, will this last indefinitely?

New technologies have been constantly evolving for more than 20 years, so it seems normal to us to see innovative technologies land in the hands of the general public every year. But will this effect wear off over time? It is important to understand that innovation is not infinite and that technology will reach its limit one day or another. However, it is possible that it will reinvent itself to create new tools and new ways of working again and again.

A company’s tools and services have therefore evolved rapidly over the past 40 years. We went from paper to dematerialized in a very short time. This may have destabilized but today it is hardly conceivable to evolve in the labor market without technologies. These technologies are strongly established and others will come to improve them little by little. This therefore has a real impact on each employee and their need to update their skills regularly in a very competitive job market