Poor grasp of Microsoft Office software could be hindering productivity

Businesses could be losing productivity because staff do not understand how to use Microsoft Office applications, tests have shown.

An analysis of the results of more than 4,350 online tests carried out by the Ms-iq.com website revealed that the most frequent score was six correct answers out of 15, reports Personnel Today’s sister title Computer Weekly.

The website allows users to test their Microsoft Office skills anonymously.

Andy Brown, who created the test website, said: “This is not much higher than someone choosing random answers would achieve – many people must be struggling to complete relatively simple office tasks, and this could be impacting a company’s bottom line.”

The results showed that 86% of users answered between three and nine questions correctly. But just 90 of the thousands of people tested managed 12 or more correct answers, and only one scored top marks.

Brown said: “In fairness to those taking the tests, many are simply presented with a PC, with preinstalled software, without manuals, and receive little or no training at all. Many fear treading outside their comfort zone or are simply not given time to train.

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“Sadly, this means many companies are losing the opportunity to improve the return on their investment through better productivity.”