As a SharePoint Administrator, you are in charge of teaching employees about the platform and everything that it has to offer. While it can be easier to have employees make the switch if they have the right foundation, the story is different when you are dealing with new hires. New hires pose a different type of problem because you don’t know the skillsets that they have and need to get everyone on the same page at the same time. Gartner explains that employees often resist software adoption because they focus on the challenge of learning new technology, rather than on the benefits of the new system.
While it’s difficult to imagine how you are going to get all of your new hires up to speed, there are some strategies that you can implement to ensure that the highest amount of knowledge is obtained in the shortest amount of time. Here are 5 ways that you can make new hires proficient with SharePoint, immediately.
1. Point Out the “Killer App”
The first thing that you want to do is determine what the “killer app” for your organization is. If you had to spotlight just one feature or application of SharePoint, what would it be. The National Computing Centre suggests that you choose an application that will “deliver maximum benefit for your organization.” No matter what app you choose to highlight, be sure that it’s easy to understand and gets your new hires interested in what SharePoint has to offer.
2. Evaluate Training
No matter what type of training you decide to use for your new hires, you need to make sure that you properly evaluate the learning that is taking place. Look at the progress and determine if the employees are growing at the rate that you need them to. Create objectives and make sure that they are met. If they are not, determine what is the sticking point and address it accordingly.
3. Have Sandbox Sites
If you really want your users to master SharePoint, you need to give them some room to experiment and see how everything works. The NNC says that having a sandbox site provides employees with a “relaxed, informal way (to) learn how the system can work to their advantage.” Keep in mind that it’s not a time for them to just play around, but really get an idea of what SharePoint is and the potential that it possesses.
4. Ask for Feedback
While observing and getting notes on progress is a good first step, you want to talk to your users and see what their thoughts are. You’ll be able to get a much better idea of what employees are dealing with if you ask them, and it’s also important to show your new hires that their opinion matters. Sit down and talk with everyone to see if there is a common issue that they are encountering. If they are, you need to change your training process to meet their needs.
Gartner analyst, Mark Gilbert, states that SharePoint users “often report that broad business adoption has not been easy to achieve, and they struggle with training, governance, cost management and migration”. As such, it is integral that you determine which areas are most difficult so that these challenges can be addressed and remedied early on.
5. Provide Post-Training Support
While it’s tempting to just wipe your hands clean of the training process after it’s been completed, it is your responsibility to make sure that learning never stops. There is a lot to SharePoint, and it won’t be easy to master it all after a few training sessions. Look at how your employees are performing and make sure that they are getting the support to keep learning and growing as a user to make them the best additions to your team. Utilizing an “in-the-moment” performance support systems like WalkMe goes a long way in ensuring that SharePoint users have access to the guidance they need, at the moment they need it, in order to ensure high productivity and performance.
Conclusion
If you are the SharePoint Administrator, you are able to shape the success of your organization. Don’t sit around and hope for the best when you can make a difference. Take the tools that are available to you and use them in a productive way to help your new hires become proficient with SharePoint.
