How to get your employees onboard through user adoption training
User adoption training is essential when implementing new technologies, digital tools or processes. Getting the most out of digital investments requires buy-in from those who will use those new tools. By ensuring employees understand and embrace the change, businesses can facilitate the smooth transition to new systems and minimise disruption.
Getting employees on board helps to build the necessary skills and knowledge for using new systems. It reduces resistance and aligns employees with organisational goals and objectives.
User adoption training is essential for improving employee competence and confidence. Improving digital literacy reduces errors and inefficiencies in workflows and enhances employee performance and job effectiveness. When employees understand why they need to use new tools, they tend to be more engaged and motivated. This fosters a positive work environment and leads to higher job satisfaction and employee retention.
Understanding user adoption training
User adoption training is all about equipping employees with the skills they need to adopt new software or systems. A key objective of the training is to ensure the understanding of the purpose and benefits of the new digital solutions.
Successful training programs are characterised by clear goals and objectives and a solid understanding of the users’ needs. From there, training programs can be customised to address these unique needs through engaging and interactive content.
Whether it be through job aids, e-learning, or practical hands-on experience, businesses need to select the right form of support for the users of new digital systems. It’s also important to consider that training is not a once-off. Effective use adoption programs include ongoing support and resources.
Designing an effective user adoption training programme
The first step in supporting employees with new digital tools is assessing existing skills and knowledge. From there, training developers can identify gaps and proficiency, comparing current skills with desired levels.
By determining the required skills, knowledge and competencies, training programs can be tailored to meet the needs of individuals. Customised content and delivery methods help to support employees through this change management process. By providing flexible learning options, employees are more likely to be engaged in the training process.
Training managers should consider diverse roles and responsibilities, offering team-based or individualised training depending on the needs of their end users. If the content is either too difficult or easy, employees will tend to lose interest or motivation. For this reason, it’s essential to pitch the user adoption training to the level and needs of the employees.
User adoption training programs need to have specific outcomes and behaviours. These typically align with organisational and user adoption goals. For example, if employees are expected to use an enterprise resource planning system, they need to feel confident in the new system otherwise they will simply revert back to old systems and processes.
Training managers should consider the content and learning preferences of the end users. This might be instructor-led, online or using a blended approach. It’s also important to consider the age and digital literacy of the users. For example, Gen Z employees tend to prefer mobile-based training programs which they can do on the go.
Gamification may also be useful to motivate teams to complete their training programs. This could include leaderboards or points that are awarded for the successful completion of training programs. There are a wide number of technology platforms and learning management systems available, so businesses should choose an appropriate one according to their desired training method and content.
Given today’s abundance of multimedia and interactive technologies, users tend to expect visually appealing and engaging training materials. This can serve to enhance user engagement, particularly when coupled with practical, real-life applications. For example, an action-based learning program is generally more effective than a content-based one. By incorporating hands-on practice and real-world scenarios, users will understand the benefit of the training and how it applies to their work.
Overcoming challenges
It’s important for businesses to address concerns and fears related to change. Overcoming employee reluctance is a key step in any effective user adoption training program. Training leaders need to communicate the benefits and positive outcomes, providing explanations of how the training will support the users. By encouraging open dialogue and feedback, employees are more likely to share their concerns and be engaged throughout the training process.
Another key challenge to overcome is any technological or resource issues. It’s essential for employees to have access to the necessary resources when they need them. Learning in the flow of work is an example of a methodology that can be used to address this resource barrier. By giving employees access to what they need to know when they need it, employees are more likely to engage with training aids and resources.
Supporting user adoption training
Sustaining user adoption requires a culture of learning and knowledge sharing. Companies should encourage continuous learning as a core value, and promote knowledge sharing through platforms and forums. Employees should be recognised and rewarded for their contributions and this will help get employees on board with professional development schemes.
Enterprises looking to maximise the return on investment in new digital initiatives should consider partnering with experts in user adoption training. Specialists in user adoption understand the requirements for change management, with pre- and post-training support. Specialised learning designers can create job aids, reference materials and resources that are aligned with the unique needs of the business. For more information about our services, please contact us today.
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Can!do works with large enterprises in South Africa to maximise the value of their employees, technology and business processes. To do this, we offer three fundamental services; change management, capability development and performance optimisation.
We have 30 years of experience in these fields and have worked with leading companies in South Africa. We are a certified Level 2 B-BBEE company and a leading provider of new business systems and processes that drive user adoption. For industry insights and news, please follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.