How to Train Your Employees on a New Technology

Featured article by Tess Pajaron, Independent Technology Author

With the rate at which new technology is being developed, almost every company is going to have to deal with implementing new technology every few years. While the technology is time and cost-saving, sometimes it can be difficult to get employees, especially those accustomed to doing it a certain way, excited about transitioning to a new way of doing things. Here are some useful tips for training your employees on a new technology.

Prepare Them

The last thing you want to do is to have your employees show up one day to a new program on their computer and expect them to start using it. Seriously, you have no idea how many companies have IT professionals working on installing new software for weeks ahead of time, without telling the people that will be using it. Make sure that when you decide that you’ll be transitioning, you let everyone know to expect it, and when to expect it. Tell them how this is designed to make their jobs easier, and you’ll get a much better reception.

Understand it Yourself

Before you even begin training, make sure that you’ve sat down and figured out what it does and how it does it. You need to have a thorough understanding of the technology, how it works, and how it should benefit your team. Make sure you’re confident that it does what it’s supposed to before you inflict it on others.

Get Key Members on Board

Make sure that you pre-train a select group of managers and leaders to have a fuller understanding of the new technology than everyone else. Make sure that they are aware of the benefits, and can help talk-up the use of the technology for those that are not as quick to learn. Make sure that everyone knows who they can ask for help if they’re having trouble.

Schedule Ample Time for Training

Make sure that you’ve left ample time for the transition to occur. Schedule the training ahead of roll-out, so that employees aren’t panicked when they begin using it. If possible, allow them to work side-by-side with familiar processes and the new ones so that they can “see” the similarities and differences, and better understand how the new stuff works.

Doing not Seeing

Remember that hands-on learning is always more effective than watching a demonstration or a lecture. Set up a test-environment beforehand so that employees can get practical experience working with the technology before it goes online, and so that they can get any questions answered. This type of training is generally best in small-group settings, rather than a full-staff training or assembly.

Easy Troubleshooting

Make sure that during the initial roll-out, you’ve got extra people dedicated to troubleshooting and assisting employees that may be struggling with the new technology. Help should be easily accessible, and also very hands-on. Having someone available to walk employees through difficulties is a much more effective strategy than having them communicate through a help-desk ticket system.

Dealing with Reluctance

No matter what the technology, you’re going to have some employees reluctant to come on board. Often, it’s because of a perceived lack of technological experience, and sometimes the cause runs deeper. Employees are often afraid that new technology will render their jobs irrelevant, and may fear that if the technology works well, they will become obsolete and be laid off. Reassure your employees that this is designed to help them, and that it will make their jobs easier in the long run. Remember that in time, the technology will become mainstream, and that many of these concerns will fade with time and experience.

With a background in business administration and management, Tess Pajaron currently works at Open Colleges, Australia’s leading online educator. She likes to cover stories in careers and marketing.