There was a time when an IT qualification was seen as something that was only needed by people working specifically in IT departments.

That is no longer the case.

In most roles, certainly, those that are office-based, a basic understanding of IT is critical to a person successfully carrying out their role.

Whilst IT departments are there to help to ensure optimum set-up for each and every member of staff in a business, there is a definite onus on individuals to have a much broader understanding of the technology and software they are using. 

In most businesses, they will have a department dedicated to training staff, and this will often include courses in even the most basic IT software packages like Word or Excel. If you don’t have an internal training department, businesses will usually be happy to send staff on external courses if they feel it will benefit them in their role.

There are a number of benefits for both the business and the individual of keeping on top of IT training and ensuring all relevant qualifications are up to date. Some of these benefits include:

Improved Job Performance

Computer skills are a basic requirement for most jobs today. Most office work requires job applicants to be familiar with internal office productivity software, such as word processors, spreadsheet programs and cloud-based team applications.

Even non-office jobs can require a bit of computer training. Retail cashier positions require employees to operate complex point-of-sale kiosks. Restaurant servers must be able to enter orders into apps or programs correctly. Factory positions may require employees to use computers to log their hours worked or to enter production information each day.

Staying Current

Ongoing computer training provides helps employees build new job skills, which they can use to decrease costs, respond to customer queries and complaints, communicate efficiently with other employees and file legal paperwork. Employees may need to learn how to use a proprietary software program for a new job, for example, or learn how to use an upgraded system at work.

Some software vendors offer free online tutorials or seminars at conferences and trade shows. You can also send your employees to a local training provider for specific computer classes. In some cases, you can hire an IT professional to come to your place of work for a training session for your employees.

Improved Productivity

Aside from the importance of job seekers obtaining computer training, small businesses can realise important benefits from leveraging computer technology in their training programs. According to a report by EduConnect, using computers to facilitate training exercises may avoid the loss of productivity that usually comes with new employees learning computer systems on the job.

For example, if your employees are able to consolidate data from multiple Excel worksheets, this can decrease the time it takes to provide your department heads with valuable data, while reducing errors, according to Forbes magazine. Teaching employees how to make simple updates to a website or blog will eliminate the need for staff to keep contacting your IT department each time your website needs a phone number, price or date changed.

Retail operations traditionally train new employees on point-of-sale software operation on the job, which can cause line queues to back up while customers grow annoyed. Using a simulated point-of-sale system to provide new hires with computer training in a controlled setting, on the other hand, can give employees the skills and confidence they need to serve customers effectively from their first day on the job.

IT Skills are not just for the IT Department

Many leading businesses around the world are continuing to invest in IT upskilling for staff across their business as a way of reducing long-term costs, increasing productivity and providing greater job satisfaction.

Staff that have access to training, especially training that upskills them for future roles, either within the business or with a new company, tend to be much happier in their roles. Whilst a pay rise or a company car is a nice perk of a job, many people would prefer to benefit from continuous professional development as it allows them to be better at their job, providing a greater sense of satisfaction.

Training can help with some of the most basic day to day challenges faced by businesses today. As we enter a more digital environment, where there is much more onus on staff to keep up to date with things happening on social media and online, digital upskilling is important. This also applies to communication. There are so many ways in which businesses communicate with their staff but also with their customers and it’s important for staff to have a good understanding of all of these platforms.

Embracing IT training and development

Businesses around the world are embracing the digital transformation and ensuring their staff and trained and prepared. 

One such business is Betway online casino. They take an enterprise-wide approach to their IT projects, spanning across all aspects of the business. 

“From the implementation of new technologies to the initiation of new functions that create competitive advantage and promote best practice, our benchmark is efficiency. Our team of Business Analysts, Account Managers and Project Managers consult across the business to ensure all angles are covered, all possibilities accounted for and all expectations managed.”

Amazon is another company well-known for its approach to training and development, not just IT. They recently opened up a “Virtual Contact Center” that trains employees to work from home as more and more people are starting to work remotely around the world.

Bonobos, with locations throughout the US, has a comprehensive training and development programme including many aspects of IT, “The goal is to help our employees become better workers and to equip them with the skills they need to manage themselves and their teams,” says Tiff Poppa, senior manager of employee experience.

At New Horizons, we offer a wide range of training programmes and qualifications. Make sure you keep up to date with our blog for all the latest news.