5 Reasons Your Internal Technical Training Isn’t Working

How does your organization empower IT professionals to grow, develop, and create? In the current climate of digital transformations, companies are starting to feel the heavy strain of uncertainty and tension. The pace of innovation is ever-increasing; new technology and tools are created daily. Who has time for a week-long classroom training to learn every new piece of technology? And even if you do have the time, decreasing happiness and increasing frustration, stress, and self-doubt hardly add to the desire to learn something new. On top of that, training content is often outdated, and training structures are too centralized. What to do? According to Gartner, in 2018, organizations spent $366.2 billion globally on training. Just looking at these facts, it is safe to say that companies do understand the value of learning. But is the approach taken and instruments used the best for transferring knowledge and boosting productivity and innovation? Today, I will share five reasons why you should reconsider using tools that support traditional learning methods and gear toward challenge-driven learning.

IT professionals need flexibility

Imagine your IT professionals have a problem they know can be solved with the right technology, but they don't know how to. If they were able to access learning content at all times, unfamiliarity with a specific tool would no longer be a show-stopper, and issues would be solved in the blink of an eye. Just take a look at how kids learn today. When they have a question, they can open YouTube whenever and wherever and search for the answer. If you want knowledge to be easily accessible, you need to create a similar learning experience in the workplace that allows open access to content. That way, people can self-educate when necessary, instead of waiting for a training course.

Internal knowledge is gold

Every employee has its own set of expertise. Encouraging peer to peer learning will inspire and teach other people new skills. They will gain new insights, solidify their knowledge, and keep it up to date. Our research shows that knowledge sharing is a common practice in many organizations today: 75% of the people who responded to our survey feel responsible for their own learning and the education of others. Yet, this form of learning is not easily facilitated within the traditional learning approach. One of the ways you can support IT professionals is by offering an online knowledge base that is hands-on and ready to be nurtured internally by them.

IT Professionals need to be able to apply their new skills at work

Did you know that when new information isn't used, we forget 75% of it after six days? In the 19th century, psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus already discovered that our brains simply delete what we don't use. After 20 minutes, we have forgotten 40% of what we learned, and after 6 hours, 60% is gone. How to improve this number? By putting what you've learned into practice. Sadly, studies show that only 12% of employees use the new skills they learned daily. If you create content that is engaging and provides hands-on practice, for instance, through online learning tools that include simulated scenarios, employees will have a much more productive learning experience.

IT Professionals don't have time to waste

We all know the problem with time, we are always busy! One of the reasons people are not continuously exploring new skills is because learning takes time. Traditional training courses require at least half a day in a classroom, which means a push back on deadlines and performance. What about offering professionals the knowledge they are looking for by providing short, bite-sized learning opportunities on topics of relevance to their immediate challenges or opportunities? Microlearning content helps professionals keep their knowledge up to date in a way that fits in with busy schedules and tight deadlines.

IT Professionals need to be challenged and inspired

Traditional training can be dull and passive; participants listen to the trainer telling a story, read a book, and complete irrelevant assignments. An online platform is different; challenge-driven learning tools will activate employees with more than just video. With one-third of employees saying that uninspiring content is a barrier to learning, the solution is simple: create inspiring and engaging content. For example, take a learning-by-doing approach and add gamification to your organization’s learning material with real-life challenges and exciting quizzes. Create digital winners with a new way of learning.

Prepare for the future

If you are still implementing traditional learning methods, you will find that it does not support the new learning culture. A learning culture companies need to adopt in order to remain relevant in the market. Traditional learning doesn’t cut it anymore, it is time to focus on what the future of learning will look like in the tech industry! Shift your organization away from traditional education, and try our interactive solution! Instruqt is a learning-by-doing IT platform that helps your team enhance current and future products by using new skills they learned online. Create an interactive and engaging experience filled with byte-size content and track progress using the insights the tool offers. Instruqt is here to support you in building your employee development and knowledge sharing journey.