Windows 10 is on the Way. How a Contract IT Trainer can Help you Find Value in your Software.

Jun 23, 2015 | IT

Windows 10 is on the way and whether you’re for it or against it, you’ll definitely have heard plenty about its imminent launch next month. Windows 10 will be rolled out on 29^th July on a range of devices, but will also be available as a free download for anyone currently using Windows 7, 8 or 8.1.

If Windows is central to your organisation and the day-to-day tasks of many of your employees, there’s a strong case for creating a plan to deal with the changes and upheaval an upgrade or software change like this can have on a workplace and its daily practices.

Hiring support for change

A contract IT trainer could be the answer if you’re short of time, support or in-depth specific knowledge of a certain product. An IT trainer could save you time training staff (one-to-one or in group sessions), create guidelines specifically for your organisation’s practices, be on hand in the office to floor walk and answer employee queries and also could help to reduce the strain on your help desk.

Staff may become frustrated or make mistakes if appropriate steps and training are not provided to carefully implement change. Bringing an experienced professional in can open up new training suggestions and highlight fresh opportunities.

Going through an important upgrade (like the Windows 10 upgrade) or a period of organisational change (like a new or more advanced system upgrade) are more obvious reasons highlighting the potential need to hire a contract IT trainer.  However there may be more subtle, nagging IT issues that could be causing a lack of productivity and wasted time where a trainer would prove just as much value.

Underused and unknown features

A 2014 study found employees only spent 48 minutes per day using MS Office applications and only a small percentage of users were considered heavy users. Since many users are unaware of the advanced features of office and other such programmes, they barely scratch the surface of what’s available to them. Investing time and effort into highlighting some of the unknown and unused features of the expensive software your business owns should not only improve the speed of tasks but develop understanding and increase efficiency.

Computer Weekly state that only “15% of North American and European information workers say they are completely satisfied with their IT department’s understanding of what they need to be successful. For the remaining 85%, there is a gap. The larger that gap, the more time staff may spend figuring out how to get the job done anyway.”

The true value of your company software

IT consultants have experience working on and implementing projects for a range of different organisations, giving them a fresh take on practices and bringing some fantastic expertise to the table. Fully understanding your IT and ensuring that your employees are using it to its full potential is key to keeping IT budgets under control and reducing unnecessary costs.

It is so important to have the right tools for the job, but ensuring your whole team understands how to use them to their full potential is just as important. Making a transition or changing something significant in your organisation’s technology will require a strategy to help make it straight forward and cause minimum disruption for employees. If you’re short of time and want the most productive outcome, hiring a contract IT trainer could be a viable and valuable decision. Remember that updates such as Windows 10 are created to ultimately make life and processes easier, but it’s important for everyone to fully understand them as much as possible from the beginning.

Here at Langley James we’ll support you every step of the way with your IT recruitment, finding the perfect match for your business requirements. Find the contractor or IT professional you’ve been searching for and get in touch with one of our team today. 

Five Ways the Modern Workplace is Evolving

Jun 23, 2015 | IT

It’s nothing new to suggest that the workplace is not the same as it was 30 years ago, and technological advances have been a driving force behind many of these changes, not to mention economic and cultural shifts. However, the CIPD recently released a new report for cityoflondon.gov.uk highlighting some of the key workplace changes that are happening to the physical workspace and workstyles that make up the environment where so many of us spend so much of our time.

The city has over 50,000 jobs forecast to be created from 2013 to 2023 with two of the four most notable sectors mentioned being the technical services sector, and the information and communications sector. The report looks at what kind of workstyles are becoming more important, what role the workforce need to play and how office space and infrastructure need to change to support these new styles.

Although the report is focused on the city, you don’t have to be in a state of the art, central London office for these key themes to affect you and your business. The interviews on which much of the report is based “confirmed a shift from a narrow focus on workplace efficiency, towards a more balanced focus including workplace effectiveness and engagement. An effective workplace is one that optimises productivity by providing workers with the environment, tools and support services they need to fulfill their roles.”  That sounds good, right? But what are the important factors that are allowing this to happen?

Flexible and Agile Working

Working away from the office and flexible start and finish times are some of the characteristics of agile working. There is more pressure on organisations to offer flexibility, although not all are happy to. The report found it could be one of the top tactics for improving employee productivity.

The Growth of Shared Space

Activity-based workspaces are increasingly being providing for collaboration, concentration, communication, creativity and contemplation. There is a shift from fixed, long-term leased space to flexible and on-demand space. Less space is generally being used more efficiently, and more effectively.

Connectivity

As businesses adapt to market pressures, and change within business is more frequent, there is much more need to be agile and well connected. High-speed internet connections allow working from home, a coffee shop or anywhere you wish in fact. Workplaces are becoming more team based and collaborative but also more mobile, making the power of the network more profound.

A Multi-generation Workforce

The majority of the city’s workforce are Generation Y, born between 1979 and 2000. However generation Z, those born after 2000, will soon too be entering the workplace. Due to improved longevity and changes in retirement law there are also increasingly more older workers staying in work. “Tomorrow’s office will need to accommodate up to four generations of worker, and cater for their different workplace needs, covering a wider spread of ages than ever before.”

Technology Continues to Develop

Employees are now bringing an average of three and a half mobile devices to the workplace. Email once took over voicemail and now instant messaging is taking over email as the chosen form of inter-office communication. Working on the move and remotely is becoming easier as technology gets more reliable, user-friendly and convenient.

Perhaps your workplace will organically evolve to incorporate these factors, but it’s certain that you can prompt, encourage and facilitate change in your physical workspace, in-house technologies and through workstyles and practices. Increasingly, workspaces are required to be more flexible, open and interactive, but still need to work for a range of workers at different stages and with different needs. Organisations need to attract and retain highly skilled employees while responding to the changing demands of the workplace.