Building greater operational efficiencies, enhancing employee skills and innovation are top priorities for businesses, with technology playing a leading role in reaching these goals, according to new research from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.

Also high on the priority list are launching new products and services, identifying new customers and markets and diversifying revenue sources, CompTIA's "Business Technology Adoption and Skills Trends" report reveals. Executives and professionals from more than 1,000 businesses in seven countries¹ and a variety of industries were surveyed.

Respondents from Japan (57%), Australia (54%), Germany (47%) identified implementing new systems and work processes to enhance efficiencies as their top priority. In the United Kingdom and United States, operational efficiencies are on an even par with other objectives – enhancing workforce skills for UK companies and launching new products and services for US firms. Innovation initiatives and cultivating new ideas are top priorities for businesses in the Netherlands and Singapore. 

"Business priorities will differ and shift as market conditions change, but two constants are always present as companies seek efficiency, growth and innovation – technology and people," said Graham Hunter, CompTIA executive vice president for global sales.

About 8 in 10 technology and business professionals report that leveraging their diverse workforce contributes to innovation. Respondents from Singapore are especially likely to indicate as such (95% net), followed by the Netherlands (88%), United Kingdom (86%), Australia (84%) and United States (84%).

With the strong reliance on people to help make innovation a reality, companies recognize the need for education and training to help their workers develop new skills. Nearly one-half of executives indicate that their organization requires staff training and professional development. Another 44% describe it as solely voluntary – not required but encouraged. Mandatory professional development and training is most prevalent in the US, Australia, Singapore, the UK and Germany.

"Employers struggling to fill key technology job roles must recognize their responsibility to develop talent by making reskilling and upskilling of existing staff a priority," Hunter advised. "Providing internal mobility and career advancement pathways to those already committed to the organization contributes to the sustainability of supply, which is increasingly important when considering talent development."