Software Training

Ditch the Classroom

By: Brian J. Nichelson PHD

        The rapid advance of technology forces most companies to upgrade their software every one to two years. With each upgrade or replacement, it’s critical that employees handle the transition as seamlessly as possible. Failure to do so often results in a drop in productivity as well as possible long-term employee frustration and resistance to the new software. 

        Many organizational leaders believe that classroom training prior to the software implementation is the best way to maintain high productivity. Unfortunately, classroom software training is expensive, and it is seldom as effective as many people think. In fact, depending on which report you read, studies show that people use only 10 - 30 percent of what they learned in the classroom once they get back to the job.

        Other concerns revolve around what to do with new employees who come aboard after the formal training sessions. Do you send them to outside training, or do you wait until you have enough new hires to justify bringing a trainer into your organization? Either option means an additional expense for the organization.  Worse yet, while people wait for training, their productivity is on hold. So whether you send them out or bring training...

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