Ongoing user training is important after adopting new software. But often technology education stops after the initial training program is completed. A report from the Margaret Blenkner Research Institute found continuing education is a great way for workers to maintain their knowledge and may even improve their job satisfaction. A great strategy for project managers to adopt is to ensure all users maintain what they learned during training by providing ongoing training.
Continual Learning Increases Worker Morale
According to researchers, lack of knowledge can significantly affect worker engagement and commitment to their job. The institute reported that staff members who receive additional on-the-job training have lower levels of stress and higher job satisfaction than their less educated colleagues. Employees who take part in training programs were also found to have lower turnover rates.
As users start to feel more comfortable with technology, IT professionals may begin to notice office engagement rise and as more users participate in training programs, the morale of the entire workforce may increase. But simply instituting a training program once may not be enough.
Dave Willmer at Certification Magazine suggests project managers ensure workers are committed to their software education and provide additional opportunities for users to continually review what they learned. Doing so will help employees to remember the material and be better able to put their new skills to use.
For example, Craig Roth, managing vice president for technology research firm Gartner, advises project managers to continually employ end user training for successful SharePoint adoption. Since more than 90 percent of the software requires users to understand how to operate specific SharePoint functions, ongoing education is essential for users to boost their knowledge base.
Not only is training an important aspect of increasing productivity, it is also a vital part of how employees feel about their job. Providing information on a continual basis is a wonderful way for IT professionals to help workers get the tools they need to perform to the best of their ability. Investing in professional software is the first step in improving user knowledge, but ensuring all workers maintain what they learned is an important aspect of their technical education.
Sources:
http://www.trainingmag.com/content/practice-creativity-emotion-and-brain
http://www.certmag.com/read.php?in=3945
http://blogs.gartner.com/craig-roth/2012/08/16/the-best-end-user-sharepoint-training-isnt-all-about-sharepoint/
http://www.benrose.org/inc/Research/BetterJobsBetterCareSummary.pdf