There's no denying the fact that training employees on new software can take a tremendous amount of time and effort. This problem is only compounded when the software you're dealing with isn't particularly popular and there aren't that many resources out there to help you. The solution for this predicament could be to create a custom curriculum. While this sounds like it could take a lot of work, you'll reap some major benefits in the end. In this post we'll take a closer look, so you can feel empowered in putting together a custom training agenda for your employees.
Here are four benefits of custom training for your end users:
You can focus on only what your employees need to know
Many software programs cover a huge amount of tasks. Think about the platforms that use cloud computing to store an expansive amount of data, or even the many tools within Excel.
If your company is only using a portion of a program's total capacity, it can be beneficial to create custom training that carries this degree of specificity. Focus on the tools your employees will be using, with perhaps a bit more so they can see what else the software might help them do. The point is to customize the plan to the role these employees play. By knowing their needs, you can save time.
You can leverage your staff's collective savvy
Many premade training videos and presentations start at square one. Your staff members, however, might not have to do the same. If they've used similar software in the past, or you understand them to demonstrate a collective mastery of the basics, custom training allows you to start at the level that makes the most sense for the group. In doing so, you can demonstrate to your employees that you understand that their time matters and you're respecting their already established skills.
You can call in the experts
Perspective from an outside expert contributes to your custom training plan in a variety of ways. First, to be frank, sometimes an outside voice of authority can carry more weight than yours. This may simply be because this person conveys a sense of novelty in addition to his or her expertise. By bringing in a subject-matter specialist, your staff may listen more effectively. Also, an expert will likely be able to answer more questions than you on not only how to use the software, but also how it has developed over time and what new features exist.
Partner with a knowledgeable and respected training organization. If you are on a budget, online videos and custom webinars can get a lot of bang for your buck. As a bonus: by presenting the information in a granular format, you're allowing your employees to complete training on their own schedules so it doesn't interrupt their work.
You can potentially save money
While there may be an upfront cost to hiring an individual instructor or signing up for a training platform, there's a high probability of saving money over the long run with a custom training plan. Beyond the cost, it saves both your time and your users' time if you're looking at the bigger picture. If the training comes in a reusable format, the future payoff is potentially huge as well.
