

Coronavirus and the forced shift to online have forced companies to actively implement new technologies and software - video calls, task-tracking, collaboration tools. The ability to quickly train employees to use unfamiliar programs and platforms has become a matter of survival for many businesses.
Any software training (as well as training in general) should have clear goals and objectives - each case requires its own methods and approaches. But if we generalize the main needs of companies in this area, we get two big categories: implementation of new software and training new employees. Both categories have their own challenges and peculiarities:
- All people have different levels of digital literacy, and a software training tool needs to take that into account.
- It is important to remember that employees may need help if they have forgotten how some functionality is implemented in the software, or if they perform some process relatively rarely.
- When introducing new software, it is necessary to overcome the effect of resistance - people rarely accept innovations well when they are already used to something.
- PTLLS course online claims, that in case of training new employees, it is important to make the process as simple, clear and comfortable as possible. If a newcomer becomes uncomfortable in the first days of work, he can simply quit, and the company will again have to spend time and money on the selection and adaptation of the employee.
What training tools exist and how they differ
A number of training tools, both traditional and relatively new, can be used to solve the above tasks:
- instructions;
- offline courses;
- webinars;
- software simulators;
- screencasts;
- digital adoption platforms.
If the first half of the list is familiar to everyone, the second half probably needs a short explanation.
Software simulators are a set of screenshots assembled into an interactive course in which you can click on items, type text, and navigate through screens. Usually they are linear and subject to a rigid logic - you have to be sure to follow the scenario through specific steps and clearly perform the necessary actions. In addition to training, software simulators allow for testing and determining how well an employee has mastered the knowledge.
Screencast is a form of a video tutorial. Its peculiarity is that special programs for screen recording are used here. The user receives a detailed image of what is happening on the screen and a parallel voice commentary describing the actions.
Digital adoption platform is a relatively new phenomenon on the Russian market, which has not even received a stable Russian-speaking name yet. In the literal translation, digital adoption means the process of mastering the user's digital skills. Today, the term is used to refer to services that can be built into virtually any software and teach the user right along the way with the help of interactive cues.
They guide a user through an application step by step, explaining what to do to perform a task. Hints are integrated into the software so that they respond to user behavior and appear on the screen only when they are really needed.
Each tool has its pros and cons. Instructions are the most understandable and widespread option. It requires practically no financial outlay and solves all the necessary problems. The problem is that nobody likes to study manuals by himself, and it often ends up in a heavy load on technical support or in endless questions to more experienced colleagues.
Webinars provide wide coverage and cost much less, but they do not solve the problem of practical skills either. Software simulators and screencasts are good for mass training and give a complete picture of how to use software in a real working environment.
Digital adoption platforms are one of the most expensive solutions, but they are almost the only way to conduct training without taking employees away from their jobs. Such services also help to solve user support issues by providing help in the form of tips inside the software when training has long since ended and skills need to be refreshed in memory.
How to maximize results
The five main rules of effective employee software training:
- The faster a new software implementation or new employee training happens, the better. This helps not only to reduce costs, but also to start paying back your investment in employees faster. The best option is when training doesn't take up separate time, but is hands-on and woven into the daily workflow.
- The most effective training is when an employee doesn't have to leave the workplace or the program at all, and all the necessary information is available inside the software.
- Software training should cover the initial mastering of information and functionality as well as support when an employee forgets something or a new feature is added to the system.
- Choose the best tools for software training, guided by the level of digital literacy of your employees. Therefore, try to make both initial and follow-up training as personalized as possible.
- Micro learning is our everything. There is no need to try to cram all the information into a person at once. Instead, make the training gradual - dose it depending on which software features the person uses in the beginning and which ones he will encounter later.
Don't be afraid to try different tools and approaches, even those that are unfamiliar to you. The market doesn't stand still, and every day there are new ways to solve your problem in new ways.





