Published by
Mike Bandar
Team Training
|
6 mins

How To Train Employees on New Software

The implementation of new technology can transform your workplace. Before you enjoy the perks of new software, it is essential to get over the problems with its integration into your company. Even the best technology fails if the workers are not ready to adopt it or do not know how to use it efficiently. That’s why employee engagement is the cornerstone in introducing something new!

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Employees comfortable with working on the existing software do not want to leave their comfort zone. They hesitate to adopt new technology. Here the software training plan plays a critical role. Do you want to learn how to train employees on new software successfully? This article states excellent strategies for this.

It will cover:

  • Pareto Principle for Learning
  • Selection of Learning Model 
  • Prioritize Training (proper timing, scheduling, and resources)
  • Induce Engagement in the Training 
  • Allow failure as a gateway to learning 
  • Incorporate feedback from the Employees 
  • Key take aways in a nutshell

Pareto Principle for Learning 

Mr. Pareto, an economist, sociologist, and engineer established the Pareto Principle (20/80 rule) almost 100 years ago. In today’s workplaces, this rule holds great significance.

In the case of software implementation training programs, a company must focus on training employees on the latest technology. This training initially focuses on 20% of major functionality that employees will use 80% of the time in their regular operational tasks.

Pareto principle: 80 percent of the results come from the 20 percent of the effortso

You can do this by providing access to multiple training resources for the workforce. Besides, the employer must solve any problem that may hinder employee training and fosters an atmosphere of collaborative learning. In this way, employees can follow a training method as per their needs. They will get the time, proper tools, and resources to learn and be convinced to use the new technology. In short, putting your efforts into the major 20% of software learning will make 80% of a company's tasks more manageable.

Selection of Learning Model

Every employee has their own learning pace and style. When using new technology, each worker will do it differently. Therefore, it is imperative to know about all the learning models and apply the one that matches the employee’s learning style. 

Some employees understand lecture-based (instructor-led training) classroom conferences. Some prefer e-learning, while others want to learn through mentorship programs. 

Pick the suitable form of training and customize the software training program accordingly. For example, mentorship programs are successful in those organizations where employees want to learn about the new technology from a senior person (mentor).

select a learning model, prioritize training, induce training management, incorporate feedbacks

Prioritize Training (Proper Timing, Scheduling, and Resources)

When you implement new software, keep in mind that your employees already have a considerable workload. It becomes hard for them to take out time for training from their busy schedule. Consequently, they keep delaying the learning process and prefer to complete their daily assigned tasks.

You should prioritize training to solve this problem. For example, allocate proper time and resources to get professional training efficiently. Plan a training schedule that does not create unnecessary pressure on employees.

Every employee will participate willingly in your training program if you give them ample time to grasp the new technology. Another tactic to execute a software implementation training plan smoothly is to make employees aware of the benefits of the software. They will accept it wholeheartedly when they understand that this transition will make their job role easier.

Induce Engagement in the Training 

A software training program is effective when it is engaging and relevant. You cannot induce engagement with a comprehensive manual or multiple virtual sessions. Instead, employees tend to learn fast when they study and practice simultaneously. 

Additionally, engagement increases when they feel involved in designing, developing, and deploying the new technology. As soon as employees understand the advantages of the new software, the immersion level increases automatically with a high retention rate of employees.

An interactive training session is also vital when implementing new software. One way to do that is to ask a few members to gain expertise and then teach others about the software. This aids in retaining knowledge and creates a perfect learning environment.

Gallup published a report in 2018 on employee engagement that shows companies with high employee engagement enjoy 21% greater profits and 17% excessive productivity when compared with companies having poor employee engagement.”

Allow Failure as a Gateway to Learning

Failure and mistakes go hand in hand when introducing new technology to your company. People learn from mistakes and failures. Embracing your employees’ failures is crucial for successful software implementation training plans.

This allows your employees to know how compassionate you are about the project and opens new doors for learning. It also helps you identify the problems and solutions that lead to repeat failures in the software implementation. In addition, it gives you an idea about the way people are learning in your team.

Incorporate feedback from the Employees 

If you are implementing new software without taking any direct feedback from the users, you may ruin your implementation plan completely. This is because; your employees are the most affected individuals by the advancement of new software. Unfortunately, their involvement in how the system will work is usually neglected.

As a result, employees lack interest and intense resentment towards the new software. It takes longer to train them about the new technology, which results in high investment costs.

You can fill this communication gap by collecting and understanding employee feedback from the very beginning of the software training plan.

This means you should incorporate feedback from the following major groups; the implementation team, the end-users, and the HR individuals.

With regular surveys, you can easily acquire feedback from each group. However, ensure that the surveys are not time-consuming with long irrelevant questionnaires. Make your surveys short that adhere to questions that provide crucial insights.

Conclusion

As soon as employees get comfortable working with existing technology, a new software update comes along. Even though technology evolvement is profitable for the business, it may frustrate employees to learn and get used to working on new software.

Let your employees explore the software and practice as much as they want to get comfortable using it. The WayBook tool helps you to design your software training program. It provides a platform where employers can gather relevant training materials to help their employees excel in software training.

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