The Importance of Computer Training in the Workplace

In the modern workplace, computer skills are an incredibly valuable addition to any employee’s personal portfolio. As a worker, developing and cultivating computer skills can greatly increase your desirability to employers, and it can allow you to take on roles you might not have previously considered. As an employer, training your employees in computer skills can not only increase productivity but also help you stave off problems that can cost time and significant amounts of money to fix.

These days, it is hard to find a job that does not involve a computer in some way. PCs are ubiquitous in any office environment, and even blue-collar workers may enter data into terminals or use portable devices to look up information on the job. Even the most basic retail cashier positions often involve the use of a computerized point-of-sale system. Familiarity and experience with computers can benefit almost any type of worker.

Training in basic computer skills can greatly affect how quickly a new hire picks up the specific applications unique to your business. To someone without computer experience, a PC can be an unnerving, unfamiliar piece of hardware, and the constant fear of causing some catastrophic error can make it difficult to feel at home at the keyboard. Training new employees in computer skills will ensure that everyone has the basic knowledge they need to function at your business, and it can help new-hires with computer skills gain familiarity with your specific business systems.

Studies have shown that computers increase productivity, but those gains can only be realized if employees are comfortable and experienced with the systems. According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, investments in technology produce gains in productivity three to five times greater than other investments by allowing employees better access to the information they need to do their jobs. Ensuring that your employees are trained and familiar with computers will help them spend less time tracking down that information and more time utilizing it to perform vital tasks for your company.

Giving your employees some basic computer knowledge can also help you head off problems. Malware programs and hackers often rely on user error or ignorance of common traps to gain access to a system, and training your employees in how to avoid these mistakes can greatly enhance your business’s online security. A simple training course in how to spot phishing attempts, in which a user or Web site employs deception to extract data from unwitting employees, may mean the difference between keeping your company’s network secure and losing vital data to an outsider.