Chief Information Officers and other senior executives are busy racking their heads making plans for 2022. One key decision area in tech-heavy companies is technology training. Companies must set technology training priorities that influence the budgetary allocation. There is always a long list of areas where technology training is necessary, but due to resource constraints, some areas are more critical than others.
Priority Areas of 2022
One such area is cybersecurity training. End-user training is important at a time when attacks are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated. Employees need to understand the company’s incidence response plan.
Another critical area of importance for CIOs will be the alignment of IT teams with the needs of current operating environment for companies. Businesses were disrupted over the last two years and there was a rush to ensure the IT infrastructure met the operational needs of companies at that time. These included remote work and a shift to online selling. However, now that the operational part is figured out, the focus should now be strategic and long-term.
The third critical area for CIOs will be staffing. A lot of people are leaving their careers relatively early. This is creating a skills gap due to the loss of this experience. CIOs need to figure out how to maneuver this challenge.
Tips on Better Technology Training in 2022
A company that already has a technology training program should seek to improve year each year. The priorities will keep on changing as new technology takes root or the strategic goals of the company change. If your company is seeking to better its technology training program, here are 6 tips to follow.
Benchmarking Against Competition
Business do not operate in a vacuum and thus it’s crucial to keep up with happenings in the industry. Executives and other staff ought to join forums where people discuss shifts, trends, and other important issues in a given sector. Some industries have publications while others have conventions. It’s in these forums where people highlight new skills in the industry or new technology. A company’s leadership then has the responsibility to decide on how best to position the business and its staff. It’s important to know how much competitors are committing towards research, development, and technology training so that your company does not fall too far behind.
Employee Needs Assessment
The importance of needs assessment before technology training cannot be overstated. Needs assessment is done through oral interviews, performance reports from supervisors, and reviews from customers. Taking time to do a needs assessment ensures resources go where they are most needed. It also gets the employees on board with what the management is attempting to achieve with the training. It’s also crucial to get feedback from trainees once the program has run. An objective evaluation is also key to determining whether training results in the desired behavior among trainees.
Technology Training Should Align with Operational Goals
Any form of technology training must be aimed at improving an aspect of company operations. Cybersecurity training should aim at making employees more aware and careful when handling company information. Technology training for new employees should help them feel comfortable working with the company’s IT infrastructure.
The training must also be tailored to suit the company’s workforce. Some companies have a multigenerational workforce, and the training must take into consideration differences in learning speeds and preferred modes of learning for the different employees.
Technology Training ROI
The technology training program needs a regular review to improve it. Before the program starts, there must be a list of proposed deliverables so that the scope is clear from the onset. A SWOT analysis will help to identify areas to improve upon and opportunities to seize. The budget should also be realistic given the expectations that the business intends to fulfill.
Just like other forms of training, there should be a pilot program or technology training as well. In big companies, a small representative sample should try out the program first. This will help identify hitches and make improvements before a wider rollout.
Finally, there must be a quantitative and qualitative ways to determine the value of technology training. Gather the necessary data to make an objective determination of value for the money spent on the program.
Making Technology Training a Part of Company Culture
A company that relies heavily on technology for its core business must foster a learning culture. Technology moves ruthlessly fast. Skills are highly perishable. As such, businesses in 2022 and beyond must find ways to make learning and training a part of the culture. One way to do this is to create portals from where employees can access self-paced learning materials. They can go back and review manuals to hone new skills or refresh old ones.
Another way is to spread out training throughout the year as opposed to just the beginning of the year. Company publications including blogs, social media, and magazines should capture and popularize the learning in detail.
Finding Innovative Ways to Deliver Technology Training
Business that delivers technology training should not shy away from finding innovative ways to deliver training. As highlighted earlier, it’s possible to create a pool of learning materials that employees can access through a portal. Employees can also work in teams up so that they learn from one another while on the job. The best learning methods today are interactive, attractive, and mirror the real-work environment.
Field service companies are making use of augmented reality to help their employees interact with holograms of machines. They can train on complex repair and service procedures using these detailed digital twins of the physical machines. Simulations can deliver technology training too in a way that’s fun and gives real-world experience to trainees.
A great technology training program needs expert assistance to develop and implement. If your company needs assistance in developing a customized technology training program, check out Transcendent Software. We are a full-fledged IT services company helping clients make the best out of their IT infrastructure.