IT Staff Training
Training Staff in IT
John Edwards on July 19, 2007
"Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight," observed Thomas Carlyle, the 19th-century Scottish essayist and historian. Carlyle's words could be used to describe many IT staff, where employees struggle to meet users' demands without fully understanding the technologies and processes behind their actions.
With many businesses IT staff training is provided simply to ensure that team members are kept up to speed on the tasks directly related to their work assignments. Some organisations provide no training at all, relying only on the skills and knowledge staff members have acquired in school or at previous employers.
Forward thinking organisations however, view their IT staff members as key technical specialists who can help the business squeeze maximum value out of its systems whilst enabling employees at every level to reach new productivity heights. These organisations approach IT staff training with four basic goals in mind:
To improve the productivity, effectiveness and efficiency of their service by helping employees to develop and better utilize their talents, skills and potential.
To help staff develop their knowledge, skills and abilities so that they are better qualified to perform the duties of their present jobs and advance to more responsible positions.
To provide development for managers and supervisors, making them capable of organizing and developing effective management systems for the accomplishment of the organization's goals and objectives.
To alleviate labor shortages and reduce the turnover of personnel.
Turning lacklustre IT staff into a team of insightful, proactive players isn't something that can be accomplished overnight. Like an underperforming baseball or football team, undertrained IT players need to be carefully and regularly schooled in a variety of different areas.
Technology vendors for instance, routinely offer free training materials about their products, ranging from publications to DVDs and even Webinars. The Web is another source of free education and staff should be encouraged to visit websites and forums that specialize in topics relating to their jobs. YouTube even offers free videos on topics ranging from spreadsheet productivity tips to C++ development.
Organisations can also draw on internal resources to distribute IT knowledge. Mentoring programs can be useful, like placing a team member who possesses extensive knowledge in a particular area with a less-experienced colleague, are a great way to cross-train employees in different disciplines at little or no cost.
Reaping the Benefits
After receiving adequate training, IT staff will be well prepared to help their organisation achieve its current and planned IT goals. Besides providing consistently excellent operational support, staff members will have the knowledge necessary to offer insight on new technologies and processes that can benefit their organisation.
Well-trained staff will also be able to solve routine and challenging problems in less time and with fewer technical glitches than counterparts at other organisations who lack adequate training. Additionally, staff possessing knowledge in a variety of different areas will be able to fill in for sick or vacationing co-workers without a missing a beat.
To turn Carlyle's quote on its head, organizations with a well-trained IT staff may find themselves observing that, "Nothing is more beautiful than activity with insight."
Eskdale Solution can offer you training in-house or at our centre, we can also help you to put in place a CPD (Continuous Professional Development) plan for all the needs of your staff in IT.
Contact Eskdale Solutions for IT Training