It's easy to invest in new software, do a little training, then quickly get swept up in the riptides of work, leaving our best-laid plans for proper training far behind. However, ignoring the importance of system training can deliver a direct hit to your projected ROI.
So here's a quick reality check with just a smidge of tough love. Why? Because we work with companies every day—many in manufacturing and healthcare—whose UKG efficiency is lost on false assumptions about training.
We've seen how solid UKG training as part of an upgrade or implementation can be a gamechanger for teams dealing with pesky (and costly) user adoption issues and training gaps that consistently slow down their workflows.
Signs you need training:
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You've upgraded your UKG Workforce Central, UKG Ready, or UKG Dimensions version several times without providing adequate training.
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You've experienced staff turnover in the past 24-48 months and haven't reassessed processes, configurations, or best practices.
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You're training your team the way "so-and-so" did it 10 years ago (pssst! what got you here, won't get you there).
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Each manager on your team has a different way of executing the same tasks.
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There's panic when a UKG manager leaves, calls in sick, or takes a vacation.
5 System Training Myths
Here are five myths your team may believe about training that could be undermining your daily efficiency and overall system ROI.
1. Training doesn’t include Change Management.
It's a mistake to separate system training (the how-to) that equips employees and streamlines processes from the process of managing organizational change. Change management is central to training and addresses the needs of individuals so that the impending "change" doesn't cause chaos in the organization. It's common to believe that training people will automatically create a degree of acceptance and adoption for new projects. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many external factors can affect adoption, including communication, budget, learning styles, and project management. Training will equip employees to use an application successfully, but it will not lessen organizational change. A great training plan addresses both training and the change that ripples out from the shift.
2. Training is organic and will take care of itself.
This is a common albeit dangerous assumption, especially when dealing with millions of dollars of complex software. Every implementation or upgrade should have a formal training plan as part of its project life cycle. To develop that plan, the project team needs to put time and energy into understanding its needs, goals, resources, and purposes for its application. Training is most effective when it's customized to the specific needs of the company's front-line UKG users. Employees should be trained only on what they need to know and nothing else, saving time and resources.
3. Training is separate from my upgrade or implementation.
It's common to put training on the back burner when there are so many other project priorities. However, doing so can cancel out a lot of effort and risk outcomes.
During our system discovery process, we can often trace a lot of a team's frustration back to lack of proper training. That's why training should be added to the project timeline, adequately budgeted, and specifically customized for the UKG application.
Not sure where to start? A UKG consultant can dig into your system, review configurations, and give you objective feedback on your configurations, processes, and application.
4. One UKG Admin is enough.
This may be one of the most costly myths an organization can latch onto. Putting all your system knowledge in one basket is, frankly, toying with disaster. If only one person understands the ins and outs of your UKG WFC, UKG Ready, or UKG Dimensions application, it's time to map out some serious training. The pandemic has taught us knowledge sharing, and scheduling for the unexpected is the new norm. Therefore, every person who touches your UKG system should be trained properly.
5. We understand the basics.
This is a common statement but is it a reality? Often, when we take a closer look at an organization's system and a team's daily practices, we find gaps. A few basics all system users should know and understand:
- How to use your UKG platform on a day-to-day basis
- How to customize notifications and alerts
- How to create and use key interfaces efficiently
- How to properly train new users
- How to know if your UKG platform is functioning properly
- Whom to contact if there is a problem with the system
- Where to find the daily system reports
If your training is lacking and you continue to put it off, ask yourself this: Would you buy a Lamborghini without doing your research, reading the user manual, or keeping up its maintenance? Approach your UKG system with the same care. Millions likely have been invested; now it's time for your team to triple that investment with solid training.
Get expertise.
If you don't have the knowledge or in-house team to help with your training, don't hesitate to reach out to Improv and close your training gaps. The initial cost of hiring a UKG consulting team is often returned three-fold in system and process improvements. (We're not dishing fluff, see what we saved Treetop, Inc.).
Get training.
If you lack the basics in any UKG system, we can help with customized training plans. Need a WFC shortcut, consider taking our Super Guru: Essential of WFC online course. It's fast, easy, and yeah, dare we say, fun!
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