Training
Why is training a valuable investment?
Because all employees need to know how to do their job effectively
New employees need to be shown how to use the hardware and software with which they will be working
Existing employees will need retraining if and when the nature of their jobs change
Well trained employees are better motivated and have better chances of promotion
Well trained employees have more company loyalty (this seems to disprove the cynical view that "if we give them training, this will only enable them to get a better paid job elsewhere")
Training can result in improved sales and a better safety record (yet many managers see training as a "cost")
Training in IT is crucial to the success of any IT system
Senior managers need to understand IT in order to make good quality decisions about IT systems in their organisation and also because they need to manage the IT department, as they would any other department, therefore, they need to know what they are up to. They need to set budgets for IT systems and they need to know how to appraise the advice they get from professionals.
Middle Management need to know how to use productivity applications. They may also be responsible for initiatives like a security policy.
Training can be task based or skills based. Task Based training is when people want to know how to perform certain tasks e.g. how to use a word processor to print a letter, how to process a sale with a Visa card. Middle managers/knowledge workers need skills-based training, which will allow them to perform a wide variety of complex tasks.
Methods of Training
Computer Based Training (online packages)
External training courses are very expensive (£500 per day) and it is much cheaper to buy a training package e.g. on CD ROM that could be put on a company network.
Staff can do the training in their own office whenever suits them e.g. during a slack period.
Staff can study at their own pace. They can repeat sections they don't understand and they can skip sections that are too easy.
They are not reliant on the quality of an individual teacher.
There is a danger that some people will get through the tutorial by just clicking the Next button without really taking anything in.
Instructor Led Courses
The disadvantage of computer based training is that it is impersonal. The advantage of instructor led courses is that a trainee can build up a rapport with a trainer.
Learning can take place in a group and people can learn from each other.
A good trainer can inspire confidence in his trainees and will treat people as individuals and meet their individual needs. However, it is difficult to meet everyone's individual needs when they learn in a group. This is why many people leave training courses dissatisfied.
Other Methods of Training
These include step-by-step tutorials (like those on this web site), program guides, books and manuals that allow people to take the initiative and learn on their own. Any reasonably literate person should theoretically be able to do this but with many people there is a big confidence-barrier that makes them fearful of technology in general and computers in particular. The term "technophobia" has been coined to describe this.
A Corporate Training Strategy
The aim of a training strategy is to produce quality products and good service and consequently sales growth. Without a training policy, an unmotivated and unskilled workforce can undermine everything the company is trying to achieve. Skills must be frequently updated as jobs and technology change.