Many employers understand the benefits of IT training for their staff. However, a few have remained on the fence when it comes to bringing in a consultant to institute a program that fully immerses the hierarchy in information technology. Because IT training was once considered a benefit, and not a necessity, those same corporations are scrambling to keep up. Considering the new cyber security concerns of 2016-17 and evidence showing that a lack of IT training can increase a business’ cyber risk the necessity is now clearer than ever.

Given the importance of IT in managing both risk and opportunity, much thought, preparation, and planning must go into the program before it is introduced to your employees. The MAKE IT team has compiled an easy-to-digest list of the key elements involved in corporate IT training so that your staff will learn and implement their new found knowledge to the benefit of your business.

5 Key IT Training Tips that Will Help Your Staff and Business Succeed in 2016–17

1. Make it All Inclusive

Every link in the company chain should be a part of your IT training curriculum. While some employees will require more intensive sessions and deeper knowledge briefing than others, anyone that touches corporate digital properties (even if it’s just email) should be factored in. It may be that one individual that does nothing more than check company email that opens an attachment and exposes your company to a cyber threat. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to staff IT training.

2. Make it Relevant

Ensure that training doesn’t become a jargon-filled seminar which neglects scenarios that mirror day to day activities of employees. In fact, it’s a good idea to ask staff to provide preferred topics ahead of time so that trainers can incorporate them into a predetermined agenda. The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) has stated that employee-led, integrated learning is *the new normal. *While the concept of allowing trainees the flexibility to choose among different IT training delivery methods is nothing new, some businesses need to catch up.

3. Make it Mobile

Thanks to eLearning, IT training has left the classroom setting. But as technology grows so too does the eLearning concept. Leading 2016-17 trends in information technology for businesses is mLearning. The m stands for mobile, a logical moniker that addresses your staff’s increased use of smartphones and tablets to conduct day to day activities in and outside of the office environment.

The concept represents the evolution of eLearning, adapting the organizational learning experience and putting in the hands of your staff for on-the-go consumption via their mobile device. It breaks eLearning traditions by delivering modular micro-learning in alignment with one’s attention span, which in turn increases knowledge retention. In addition, mLearning takes a “pull” approach (versus eLearning “push”) which allows staff to access information when they need it. mLearning also fits a corporate culture where employees work remotely either part-time, full-time, or simply do not work in a static cubicle setting. The flexibility of mLearning is embraced by employees of today and they are more than happy to consume materials on the commute home, or at home. FORBES reports an improvement in adoption, knowledge retention, and engagement as a result of this new IT training method.

4. Make it Collaborative and Social

One digital area where your staff is likely well-versed is social media. Take advantage of their savviness on networks such as Twitter and Facebook and set up a virtual training group on either or both platforms. Prompt employees to pose questions before and after a training session via a post. Empower them to Tweet during a live training event and have trainers read their questions aloud during the session. Also encourage staff to collaborate and interact with one another through these corporate social media groups. You’ll find those that were able to digest new information better than others will become teachers themselves and share what they have learned with their peers and subordinates. When set-up and managed well, organizational social networking groups can serve as invaluable tools to complement your IT training strategy.

5. Make it Ongoing

Information technology grows and changes at a rapid pace. What applies one year may be obsolete in the next. Things can even change on a month to month basis and when it comes to cyber security a one-off occurrence can demand that your staff be updated with new measures to prevent an attack on your business. Thus, your IT training program should not just stop upon its initial (and successful) completion. You may have heard of the Agile Manifesto in software development. Well that same attention to individuals and interactions, working models, client collaboration, and immediate response to change should apply to your IT training program. It must remain as agile and dynamic as the industry itself. Any IT consultant that you bring in should offer ongoing training for your staff as demanded by your business needs, when developments call for it. 

IT Training is a practical way for an organization to align its IT strategy with its business strategy. We encourage you to contact us today if you would like to learn more about how we can help your business get the most of its technology .