In yesterday’s Advisor we began to explore five training tips for getting your employees up to speed with the Internet of Things (IoT). Today we’ll look at a few more tips.
Source: gorodenkoff / iStock / Getty
Who You Can Cross-Train and Who Needs Technology Training
Once you assess your current staff and their technical skills, you’ll have a much clearer idea of who you can cross-train in Internet of Things (IoT). Regardless of whether you hire new employees to handle your IoT or not, keep in mind that you will have to upskill and train employees across your organization as you implement new IoT technologies.
So, it’s best to first look at and consider those employees who would be easiest and more cost-effective to cross-train and develop, as opposed to only creating general IoT training courses for everyone across your organization.
Your Employees Are the Greatest Threat to Your Organization’s Cybersecurity
Once employees start using IoT devices to complete their work and access information and data, as well as to communicate with others, don’t be surprised if you have a breach in security. To avoid major security pitfalls, you’ll want to ensure that each employee is trained in how to securely use an IoT device (by creating and changing passwords, always accessing them on a secure network, etc.).
And, you’ll want to constantly update employees when a new security measure is put in place for your organization’s IoT devices and networks. Otherwise, your organization’s data and the data of its customers will be at risk.
Make Sure Your Organization Has a Device Management Strategy
If your organization is using any type of IoT device, it should have a concrete device management strategy in place that you can teach employees about. You’ll want to ensure employees are well-informed about the strategy so that they can continue to use devices securely and so that they won’t accidentally corrupt valuable data collected and analyzed by IoT devices.
Such a device management strategy especially applies to organizations whose employees use their own mobile devices at work and who use those devices to access other IoT devices at work.
Work Closely with Tech Teams to Develop Your Training Materials
As you’re developing your IoT training curriculum, seek the insight from those individuals who are building, programming, and managing the IoT devices that your employees will use every day. They have intimate knowledge about how the devices work and how they should be used on an everyday basis, as well as important security concerns. If possible, let them demonstrate in person or via video how to use the IoT devices, as well as tips and best practices.
Make Training Fun and Interactive
While you’re training your employees to use IoT devices and technologies, let them use them firsthand and gain hands-on experience. They won’t be able to fully understand how they work and how to use them until they hold them in their hands or access their control panels or operator platforms themselves.
As a bonus, this type of training will prove to be more interactive and fun for your employees, too, as opposed to only watching videos about how to use them or reading a two-dimensional manual.
As your organization prepares for the IoT age, remember the eight things listed above and in yesterday’s post to ensure that your employees are well-prepared, too.