“Every employee needs certain digital skills for e-learning to work” – but what exactly does that mean? In this article, we explain the term and give you tips that will allow EVERYONE to take part in digital training.
What does digital competence actually mean?
In our increasingly digitalized society, digital competence is one of the most important skills for employees. But what does it mean to be digitally competent?
“Digital competence describes the ability to find one’s way in a digitalized world, to learn and work in it.” – Wikipedia
Digital competence is also one of the eight key competencies for lifelong learning. That means it concerns every employee!
Digital transformation does not only lead to job-specific changes. Many companies expect a fundamental shift in the competency requirements of their employees. A study by KOFA (Competence Center for Securing Skilled Labor) examined which competencies are becoming particularly important in the context of digitalization:
IT user skills
Independence, planning, and organizational skills
Cooperation and communication skills
Professional and IT expertise
Leadership skills
The results clearly show that dealing with technical applications is becoming increasingly important and that they are being used for many more tasks. Of course, the requirements and the scope of the digital skills needed vary depending on the role or task within the company. But every employee should master the basic essentials. After all, they need these skills not only for their work in the company, but also to participate in e-learnings.
5 tips on how every employee can take part in e-learning
1. Take the fear out of “technology newcomers”
It is often older employees who have fewer digital skills. Naturally, this also leads to greater skepticism; in addition, they know the benefits of multi-day in-person seminars and do not want to do without them. Support these employees in particular and explicitly promote skills in using digital tools and creating digital content. We have already explained in detail in the blog how to convince technology skeptics.
2. Check the current level of knowledge
Before you start planning your content, you should assess your employees’ current level of knowledge. This is especially important for cross-departmental e-learnings, since competency levels can differ greatly there. An IT specialist will probably have a better understanding of programming languages than a sales employee.
Offer them suitable learning materials that match their knowledge gaps. If the levels differ greatly, adaptive learning is a good solution.
3. Offer every employee good onboarding
To keep knowledge gaps as small as possible from the very beginning, you should provide every employee with comprehensive onboarding. Especially in e-learning, it is important that every employee knows the following from the outset:
What is the goal of the e-learning?
How does the e-learning process work formally?
How can they get help with technical questions?
How can they get help with content-related questions?
How long does the e-learning take?
On which devices can they do the e-learning?
4. Explain complex content using examples
Explaining extensive or complicated content in simple terms is challenging even in a direct conversation; in e-learning, it is no easier. That is why it is advisable to always explain complex topics using examples.
In some cases, it even makes sense to wrap the learning content in a story. In the spirit of the storytelling method, your agent in the story pursues a mission or is confronted with a problem in order to find a solution in the end.
5. Use easily accessible technology
The most important tip comes last: do not make things harder for your employees than necessary and rely on simple technology for e-learning. Especially if their digital competence is less developed, new software can quickly become overwhelming and thus demotivating.
A learning platform like blink.it is the perfect solution for technology beginners or employee groups with differing digital skills. Its clear design is intuitive to use, even without hours of introduction. That also saves you time as an HR professional. In addition, with blink.it you can integrate playful elements such as quizzes and short videos to make your e-learning as engaging as possible.
Digital competence: Take the quick test now!
So how are your employees doing in terms of digital skills? Be a good role model and check yourself and your own skills as well. After all, you can only help your employees if you are digitally competent yourself.
A look at the quick test makes it clear that not all employees can be at the same level of competence. No problem! With our tips, all employees can take part in e-learning.
Our 5 most important tips for e-learning at a glance:
Take the fear out of technology skeptics
Check the current digital knowledge level
Good onboarding for every employee
Explain complex content with examples
Use simple technology for e-learning
Make things as easy as possible for yourself and your employees, after all they should be able to focus on the learning content. To make that happen, good planning and simple technology are essential. Keep in mind that older employees in particular repeatedly struggle with complicated software. Use a simple learning platform like blink.it for your e-learning and collect all learning content in one course. That way, you can be sure that every employee can access it and actually complete it. In addition, you can remind them regularly about your e-learning by, for example, sending them an email.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What is meant by digital competence in everyday work?
Digital competence describes the ability to use digital tools safely, process information, and find one’s way in digital learning and work environments. This includes technical basics as well as independent work and digital communication.
Why do employees often struggle with digital training?
Often, the problem is not the learning content itself, but uncertainty in dealing with technology or complicated software. Missing onboarding, unclear processes, and technical hurdles can quickly reduce motivation.
Why is good onboarding so important for e-learning?
Structured onboarding helps participants move confidently through the digital learning environment. Clear information about the process, technology, learning objectives, and points of contact reduces uncertainty and makes it easier to get started.
How does simple software help balance differences in digital competence?
Intuitively usable learning platforms reduce technical hurdles and also allow technology newcomers to get started quickly. This allows participants to focus more on the learning content instead of how to use the software.
Updated on 08/05/2026
