It goes without saying, effective training provides your employees with up-to-date skills which in turn create a higher level of organisational efficiency, drive greater productivity and lower employee turnover through strong workplace satisfaction.

In today's world, Microsoft skills are the backbone of most organisations. Without Microsoft apps, individuals and teams cannot perform at their best.

So, it’s important to consider these potential training issues and solutions.

1. Too much free training

When your employees start looking they’ll find free Microsoft training in lots of places – web search, YouTube, product sites and more. So why should you pay for training when there’s so much available for free? The answer is – your employees can waste a lot of time sifting through the free stuff looking for what they need.

Solution: Time can be saved by engaging an external trainer who has already done the groundwork.

2. Employees have trouble applying their training

Your employees have researched and watched numerous how-to videos. They’ve sifted through all the information they didn’t need and now, when they attempt to put their new knowledge into practice, they get stuck. Where do they go now?

Solution: A hands-on training session with a trainer can answer any questions your staff may have while they learn.

3. Training is not delivered when it’s needed

Training is typically delivered as part of an initial technology roll-out, but less often when staff have started using the technology. This is often when they discover the things they didn’t know they needed at the time of the initial training.

Solution: Always include post implementation training. This should occur within 6 months of completing new technology installations and then again in another 12 months.

4. Employees don’t know what they don’t know

Your employees may think they’re using the full capabilities of their Microsoft software but may be unaware of key time-saving features.

Solution: Regular training can highlight key software features – features that may well save time and improve productivity.

5. Skills are lagging behind technology updates

New Microsoft features are rolled out constantly but unless you’re on Microsoft’s mailing list and notified of the latest updates you may not be aware of the changes. For example, Word and Excel: How many of us have been using these products the same way for years without understanding how they've changed over time?

Solution: Regular training can keep you abreast of feature updates. It also shows your staff you value their time by eliminating the need for them to test out new features in their own time.

6. Training is not broad enough

Sudden changes and interruptions to the working environment may mean your employees need to acquire additional technical skills. The most obvious recent example is the advent of work-from-home as a result of the Covid-19 situation.

Solution: Train staff in technical skills they may not necessarily need right now but are likely to need in the event their working environment changes.

7. Training is difficult to schedule

Training all your employees at the same time is difficult due to daily work commitments and pressures.

Solution: Nominate technical champions who are professionally trained and allow them to train the rest of your staff. Technical champions don’t necessarily need to be from your IT team, just capable end users helping to alleviate workload on the IT department.

8. Not all employees receive the training they need

In larger organisations there are many different business areas and roles, and key stakeholders can be missed. Using schools as an example, there are school leaders, student admin, teachers, classroom support, library, grounds & maintenance, finance, administration, IT, marketing, fundraising staff, and more. Often, training is arranged around a group with similar roles, however some individuals may have unique roles with different training needs.

Solution: Include everyone in the training plan. Sometimes, individuals are assumed to have the necessary skills, but are overlooked. A good example is IT staff themselves.

9. Training only covers immediate job requirements

Employees are usually trained only in what they need to do their jobs. This is important but may not allow them to see opportunities for improvement outside their designated role.

Solution: Training in technology can sometimes help people generate ideas that could be useful for their colleagues or the organisation as a whole, not just themselves. This could, in turn, boost each employee’s sense of purpose within the organisation.

10. Incomplete training for new employees

When new staff are on-boarded, they’re typically trained by someone who has performed the same or similar role within the organisation. They will therefore be trained according to the individual trainer’s technical skills which may be out of date.

Solution: Provide complete training for new employees whether that involves an external training provider or an internal champion who receives regular technical training.

To find out more about Pact IT training solutions, click here.

Angela Wood, Pact IT Solutions