We don’t learn stuff just to learn stuff. At least not most of the time.
Sure we have hobbies and interests where we learn stuff just to learn stuff, not necessarily to apply it to our job. But, for the most part, we do learn something with some sort of goal in mind.
We go to school for 12+ years to gain skills in not only life (not so much anymore) but also for careers. There are majors in college for a reason. What do you want to do after you get out of school?
How are you going to contribute to society and make a living for yourself while doing it?
Inevitably you’ll also need to learn how to use the workplace technology because digital transformation isn’t going to let up. Every job no matter how technical requires some use of technology. Even a cook has to use some type of technology whether it’s to clock in or document something else for their job.
I don’t know about you but I didn’t learn how to use Storyline just so I could play. I used it so I could build things to help other people do their jobs better.
We go to school to prepare for our career, not (only) for fun.
I learned how to use a software application so I could help others use other software applications for their job.
Every job, no matter how non-technical must keep up with an ever-evolving world of technology. It’s essential to stay on top of applications needed for your job.
Many organizations are missing good technical training that shows employees not only how to use an application, but also in the context of their work. That part about how they use it in their job is the essential missing part that bad technical training misses.
Good corporate technical training can be the key to unlocking more efficient workflows and a greater understanding of how technology can be used in the real world of their job. It’s more than just the ability to perform a process that doesn’t seem to apply to their job.
Employees need to have the ability to think critically and have the confidence to do their work using company tech. A user guide is essentially useless (user guides are virtually useless for more people anyway) if it doesn’t teach you how to apply a process.
Good technical training allows you to move beyond the basics, and gain the skills to apply technology to the bigger picture, the flow of work. For an organization to truly stand out in the digital age, it needs to develop employees’ skills to utilize technology effectively and efficiently.
That’s what good technical training offers: the opportunity to learn how to use an application to accomplish their job, rather than just using the application with steps that don’t have any connection to the organization’s unique work. Good custom software training is an essential part of helping employees succeed at their work and feel happy with their workplace.
What is Good Technical Training?
Good technical training is more than learning how to use an application, it’s learning it in the context of how to apply it to the work. Technical training needs to be focused on how to use the technology to be more productive, instead of just teaching how to use the application in a silo.
Good technical training should also teach how to use technology to stay organized and productive while working. Staying organized and productive is essential to using most technology effectively, and good technical training will provide training on how to do this.
I mean come on now, you can’t do your work if you can’t even find what you were working on in the mess of files you created!
Being able to quickly and effectively find information, apply it to tasks, and complete work efficiently is key to good technical training.
Knowing how to use the application is important, but how to apply it in your work is more important.
Good technical training will also provide an understanding of how to use the technology safely and securely. Knowing how to protect yourself and your data from malicious attacks is essential in our age of technology.
The weakest link of security in any organization is the users themselves.
Good training will provide knowledge on how to keep yourself and the company safe from potential threats and how to use the technology properly and securely.
Technical training doesn’t have to be boring or mundane, either. It can be engaging and entertaining with a bit of good writing for eLearning or training videos. Making it visual, friendly, and with real-world examples can make technical training pretty entertaining.
And one of the most important ways to make it engaging is by making it relevant to the employee and their job. Relevance is the most important aspect of training.
It’s always nice when training is tailored to your organization too. That’s why we believe custom software training is better than generic training and especially better than no training at all (way too common!).
Training can be tailored to the user’s specific situation and needs, making it more interesting and relevant. Good technical training is essential for every employee when they’re onboarded. It’s also essential to have it ongoing as processes and technology change. If done right, it provides the knowledge and skills needed to use technology effectively and efficiently in the flow of work.
The Benefits of Good Technical Training That Focuses On The Flow Of Work
Maybe the benefits are obvious, but then again maybe they’re not. Judging by the lack of training many employees get on technology, organizations aren’t seeing the benefits. Either that or they don’t believe the benefit outweighs the cost.
Why would any organization invest millions in new technology and software but fail to make sure employees can and are using it correctly? It seems to me that’s an invitation to make sure the change management process fails and lots of money is wasted.
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits organizations are likely to reap when they invest in good corporate technical training.
Efficient & Effective
Employees that don’t know what they’re doing aren’t very efficient or effective. They might even break things! But when they’re well-trained in technical systems at work, they’re more efficient and effective at their job.
If they’re trained effectively with good training that shows them what to do in their work, they’re going to perform their job better. Not only that but the technology won’t get messed up by people using it wrong or organizing things poorly.
Have you ever seen a CRM from poorly trained sales reps or when there’s no accountability? It’s difficult to make heads or tales from the data entered. Imagine someone working with a client after the salesperson and they can’t make heads or tales of the information.
That means decreased sales and poor customer service which leads to unhappy customers. When the message gets lost in translation due to poor software usage, everybody loses.
By providing employees with good technical training, businesses can ensure that employees can work more efficiently and effectively.
Fitting The Pieces Together
It’s nice to not just be a cog in the bigger machine. Knowing your place and how it affects the rest of the machine is essential to valuing your work. Also, think of the creativity and ideas an employee can come up with if they know the bigger picture.
Good technical training also shows how it applies to the work. It also should have a brief overview of the bigger picture so employees can understand the big picture of how everything fits together. Memorizing a few keystrokes or steps and being a pointless cog isn’t good enough anymore (has it ever?)
Employees who have a good understanding of the flow of work can be more productive and make better use of their time.
Innovation
Right back to the creativity I just mentioned, innovation goes along with creativity. Good technical training can help employees become more innovative.
By having a better understanding of the flow of work, they can begin to identify opportunities for improvement. This could include streamlining processes or developing new ways to use the technology.
The best part, if you give them a place to get ongoing support they can also share with others if they find even better ways of doing things. Just make sure you have a place on your enterprise social network to help them share tips and tricks.
The result is a more efficient, productive, and profitable business.
Fewer Mistakes
Mistakes can sap a business. Without good technical training mistakes are inevitable. And sometimes those mistakes can be detrimental to the business or cost millions. But, good technical training can reduce or even eliminate mistakes.
Just training alone can create fewer mistakes, but understanding exactly how to use the technology in the context of work is even better. That way they aren’t left guessing how to apply what they learned to their job.
Employees can better identify potential problems and take steps to avoid them. This is especially important for businesses that depend heavily on technology and automation. By having a better understanding of how the system works, employees can ensure that everything runs smoothly and that processes are completed correctly.
Employee Happiness
When employees get good training, they appreciate that. But imagine if that training is done well and shows them how to use the system for their job instead of simply how to use the system in general. If their organization invests in great training that makes it significantly easier to do their job, they’d know the organization values them.
Organizations that value their employees and train their employees well make them happy. It puts a great big smile on people’s faces when they’re cared about at work. Then there’s the benefit that it will also reduce employee turnover.
Good technical training is essential to ensure employees understand the flow of work and can use company technology and tools effectively. By providing employees with the skills and knowledge they need, businesses can ensure they can work more efficiently and stay competitive.
What Happens When Technical Training Doesn’t Focus On How To Use It For The Job
Technical training should equip people with the skills and knowledge they need to effectively utilize the tools they’re being taught. Without this kind of training, an employee might learn how to use an application, but they won’t understand how to apply it in the flow of work.
That might be better than no training but it’s pretty close to useless.
For example, training in an enterprise-level software suite might give an overview of various applications. Employees won’t be able to effectively integrate the application into their day-to-day tasks, though.
Technical training that doesn’t teach to the job might as well not be teaching anything at all.
Similarly, an employee might understand the basics of customer relationship management (CRM) software, but unless they learn how to use the software to achieve customer success, the training won’t make much of an impact.
Good technical training should focus on how to apply the technology in the context of the job, not just how to use the application. A good eLearning course or training video should show how what employees are learning can be applied to real-world situations.
Then there might be those employees who still want to do things the old-fashioned way. They may avoid using technology altogether which can lead to lost data or worse. When technical training is done right, it should help employees understand the reason they need to use the application and use it right rather than do it their way.
For example, if training focuses on project management software, it should not only show how to use the software but also how the software can help the organization stay organized and productive.
Technical training should show employees how to use technology for their jobs, not just teach them how to use an application. By emphasizing the practical applications of technology, employees gain a better understanding of the value of technology and how they can use it to be better at their jobs.
Strategies for Creating Good Technical Training That Focuses on The Work
If you want your organization to stay ahead of the competition, good technical training is kind of a must. But it’s not just about showing people how to use an application. It’s about showing them context and scenarios relevant to their job too.
These tips will give you some ideas for creating effective and targeted technical training that focuses on the work:
- Focus on the application’s workflow and its integration with your organization’s processes. Highlight the ways that the application simplifies and streamlines tedious tasks. Isn’t that part of the reason you upgraded or purchased the tech in the first place? Make sure you show the benefits! Everybody’s asking what’s in it for me. (WIIFM)
- Demonstrate the use of the application in real-world scenarios rather than hypothetical situations. Show examples of how it can be used to solve common workplace problems.
- Ensure the training is tailored to the participant’s skill level, job role, and work experience. If everyone uses it similarly, maybe stick with the most common role for who uses it. You might focus on salespeople for a CRM application.
- Provide hands-on practice. Let participants test out their new skills in a safe environment. We create training that simulates realistic environments and allows them to learn and practice real skills in a safe environment.
- Allow employees to learn and ask questions in a safe and supportive environment. Give them the chance to ask questions and discuss their experiences without fear of repercussion, discipline, or criticism. A special group on your company’s enterprise social network might be the perfect place.
- Allow for feedback and review. Monitor employee progress and allow them to review their work and receive feedback if they desire. Don’t make it required (nobody likes that) but give them the opportunity for feedback.
- When possible use a digital adoption platform (DAP) for training and providing contextual help for your company software.
Following these strategies can help ensure that technical training is effective, focused on the work, and helpful to employees. Make sure to create a training program that is engaging and tailored to the needs of the employees. With the right approach, you can help your workforce become more productive and confident in their use of the application.
Wrap Up
Good training (technical or not) isn’t just about how to use an application or a piece of technology; it’s about how to apply it in context too. It’s important to start with an understanding of the context in which employees’ jobs are done. Good technical training teaches users how to apply and use the technology in the right context.
Technical training should teach employees the best practices and techniques to use the technology most effectively for their specific role. It should go beyond the basics and show employees how to use the technology in the context of their everyday work.
When done right, organizations will recognize huge benefits. They’ll have more efficient and effective employees who know how to fit the technology together with their jobs. It will also encourage innovations, help reduce mistakes, and increase employee happiness.
Technical training can make or break your organization’s technological change success.
Good technical training will help your organization avoid common issues that arise from employees not being trained well in technology. No more mess of data, missing data, or broken things from employees not doing what they’re supposed to do.
Not to mention, with good training comes more pride and care in employee’s work (we hope). Just be sure you use some of the strategies we provided for creating good technical training.
Hopefully, you now see why technical training isn’t just about how to use the tool, it’s about how to apply it effectively in the flow of work. It will give employees techniques to make the most of the technology and also prepare them better for their work.
Tailoring training to the needs of your organization and employees is essential, just make sure you do it cost-effectively because training can save you money as well as waste it.
If you want to work with experts who specialize in effective digital technical training, we’re here to support your next project. Schedule a free consultation so we can discuss your project and how to best make training that’s effective and relevant.