Organizations that spend at least $1500 on training, on average, for each employee tend to see 24% more profit than those who do not. There is clearly value in training, especially technology training. In a rapidly evolving world, employees want to be in an organization that values them and improves their skills for future roles. Investing in technology training ought to be seen in the same light as other capital investments the company makes because of both impact productivity. Technology training can affect staff turnover, morale, and the attractiveness of your organization to new talent.
How Technology Training Improves Productivity
Learning, whether self-paced or structured differently, ought to be a part of any modern organization’s culture. Specifically, technology training focuses on familiarizing employees with emerging tools (hardware and software) that they will end up using in their work. Doing this constantly is important because it creates a higher capacity to adapt to new methods of working. When employees have interacted with a certain technology, even slightly, they will be more receptive to its introduction in their daily workflow. Constant upskilling of employees enables the organization to implement new technologies at a quicker pace.
An often-underrated determinant of productivity is job satisfaction and morale. Organizations must constantly structure the working environment in a way that aligns company goals with personal goals for staff. Technology training gives staff the necessary knowledge to accomplish their tasks in the most efficient manner. It also sends signals that the organization is priming them for bigger responsibilities in the company. Naturally, the employees will strive to do well in their current roles.
Lower Employee Turnover Rates
A high turnover rate for employees hurts continuity and productivity. Technology training can help an organization keep hold of its best talent. It’s therefore important to keep a balance between attractive monetary packages and other benefits such as upskilling. Companies must also realize that attracting new talent, especially in fast-evolving and emerging fields, depends on the company’s reputation. Before applying for a middle-level management role, someone might reach out to people who’ve worked at that company before and inquire about the culture there. They will also look up for information they can get on platforms such as Glassdoor.
Quicker Innovation
Changes in technology, regulations, customer tastes and preferences, and other external business environments can greatly affect the cash flow of an organization. Failure to respond early and quickly can lead to a company being pushed out of the market. Consistent technology training puts a company in good stead to innovate. When new opportunities arise, it can be easy to quickly put together a product and get it fast enough to the market.
Technology training often involves bringing staff from various departments together to learn. When technology training becomes part of an organization’s calendar and culture, it can foster more collaboration within the company. This can lead to better outcomes in projects. In addition, when people from all departments have sufficient technology training, it becomes easier for teams to take advantage of collaboration tools.
Best Practices/Tips on Training
Technology training can take different forms depending on complexity, available resources, and the learning culture at different organizations. However, a few basic tips can apply across the board.
Accommodate Different Learning Styles
First, the organization must customize training for employees with different learning styles and schedules. For instance, carrying out training after office hours might not be workable in places where staff would naturally be mentally exhausted after a long day. Setting aside full days for technology training would be a better proposition. In some cases, an organization might be too large such that creating a portal where people can access materials and self-pace their learning might be the best option.
Engage Staff During and After Technology Training
Engaging your staff throughout and after training is crucial. Let them give feedback on what they think about the training methods employed. They should also tell you how they think the new technology will impact their workflow. If you are planning to choose between two technologies, let them pick the one they think will best improve their work. Employees should constantly give suggestions on new skills they would like the company to facilitate learning. Some organizations will administer a needs assessments test to make a more objective decision on individual learning needs.
Easy to Use UI
When an organization is planning to introduce new custom software to support productivity, it’s important to design the best possible user interface. UI affects the perceived ease of use of a system, especially among non-technical staffers. Sufficient time must be spent on designing an intuitive UI that enables people to accomplish their most important daily tasks with ease. Simple UIs make technology training faster and quicker to incorporate into the organization’s workflow.
Peer-to-Peer Learning
Large organizations often have a phased approach when introducing new technology. They identify key staff who are influential and enthusiastic about new tech. These undergo training and start using the new technology. They share their experiences with the rest of the staff, thus building familiarity and acceptability. Large organizations such as Google uses peer-to-peer learning for their tech staff. They pair up employees and it has led to low-performing employees recording significant improvement.
The communications team should also be involved so that they share standardized information about the goals of introducing new technology, important dates, and how to access learning resources.
Risks of not Investing in Technology Training
The risks of failing to invest enough resources into technology training are quite significant. First, your organization might find itself being slow to react to changes in technology. When competitor companies adapt to new ways of production or even communication, the target customers will notice. The competitor might offer faster services, cheaper prices, or even communicate better. A reactionary tactic might prove insufficient to regain ground lost.
A lack of technical training will also reduce the return on investment on capital investments made. Human resources must be given the proper capacity to make the best use of available technology. Failure to do so ultimately leads to low productivity, declining morale, and increased turnover as people search for better learning opportunities.
If your organization needs assistance in technology training, check out Transcendent Software. We help companies improve employee productivity through teaching proven patterns and practices for IT teams. Your IT team can learn to utilize the best tools to meet deliverables faster and with fewer bugs.
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