Training staff on how to use the latest tech can be time-consuming, and many employees can feel intimidated by the new software or hardware they are expected to use.
With the right approach, employees can be empowered, and they will see how new developments will benefit them, as well as the business. Here are some important tips that should help any employer or manager get the most from their IT training.
Ease them in gently
Computer software and hardware is evolving all the time, which can make it exceedingly difficult for employees to maintain their IT skill levels. For older employees, IT skills can be very intimidating and stressful.
Start the employee’s IT development gently, with little pressure on them to pick things up quickly. Introduce handy tools that will help them to complete their tasks efficiently. This will help them to see these skills and software as a friend and not a foe.
Celebrate their early successes and make sure that they understand the benefits of IT and how it can empower them to be a more efficient and productive worker. It will make their working lives easier, which is an obvious advantage to them.
Involve everyone in training plans
There are many stakeholders in employee training. There are the employees themselves who need these new skills to help them complete their tasks efficiently. There are also the managers and supervisors who may need their staff to be aware of specific attributes or abilities the software or hardware used has.
It is also a clever idea to involve any union representatives, human resource staff, or company policymakers to make sure all bases are covered. Every worker should be given equality of opportunity, and equal access to work-based learning and training. Working with these other departments and stakeholders will help ensure that all legal and company policies are adhered to.
Personalise training programs
If the training is tailored to each individual employee, they will enjoy more success and more efficient time management. Some employees may already know the basics or have experience in the software that is used regularly in the business.
By trimming down subjects that are not relevant, and reducing duplicate training exercises, employees can be trained more quickly and achieve better results. This also helps employees to be more attentive in training, as they are not covering subjects and tasks that they are already experienced in.
Create opportunities for collaboration
Working together in training is not just fun, it also helps people to grow their knowledge together and form lasting working relationships. This is a two-for-one for trainers as a team is being built while workers learn new skills.
Create training tasks that require people to work in groups or in pairs, or even with the trainer. Collaboration is a great way to learn new skills and can be beneficial to the person administrating the training.
Listen to the learners
To get the best results from training exercises, employees need to be given the opportunity to provide feedback. This can help to make future training more effective and efficient and help to identify areas where the training may be insufficient.
Listen to the learners on the day too. During a training event, employees can provide valuable insights that can help focus the training on improving efficiencies in areas of their job that they experience every day. This can help a business to save time and money.
Provide quality training materials
Whether they are provided online or offline, the documentation and training manuals that are used should be high quality and informative. Not only does this make them useful, but it also shows the employees that their training is important and taken seriously. It shows investment in them.
Too many businesses settle for swiftly photocopied sheets of paper that often contain information that is not needed or can be confusing. Set aside some time to construct focussed and informative content for the employees being trained, and make it look attractive. Think of the materials like a sales brochure, and it needs to sell the training to the customer; the employee.
Include extra information for employees
It can be hard to demonstrate to employees the benefits of their IT training. Though it will help them to become more efficient when they are working, saving them time and stress, training from an employee’s perspective often seems to benefit their employer more than them.
Make sure information is included in the training that is beneficial to them. It may not be related to their tasks. Add a section in the training that covers employee benefits like extra holiday time or how to utilise flexible working hours. This helps to incentivise the training for the employee.
Training does not have to be a chore. Use these tips to tailor a training program that suits both employee and employer. With an IT-empowered workforce, anything is possible.