Why you should send employees to IT training
Skills in electronic data processing (EDP) are today among the basic requirements that an employee must bring to most jobs. EDP covers all aspects of working with data on the computer.
Since new developments and changes constantly occur in this area, it pays off for employers to train their staff continuously in EDP so that they do not come into conflict with data protection guidelines or fall into virus traps, but instead can optimise work processes and increase their productivity.
The following six points show how broad EDP is, which areas are promoted in training courses and why companies and employees can only benefit from them.
More security and better antivirus protection: uninformed employees are a source of danger
The communication between companies, customers and employees takes place to a large extent via e-mail and today is hard to imagine being without. However, many risks are also associated with this communication channel, as viruses and Trojans can repeatedly be found in the contents. By opening an infected file or an infected program, the malware is activated and can cause considerable damage to the computer or to your data.
Attack opportunities for a virus:
- Phishing e-mails
- Downloads from (un)known websites
- weak passwords
- supposed calls from IT support
Particularly persistent viruses can even lead to complete data loss. Only a trained employee who is aware of the IT dangers and knows which e-mails may be opened and which may not can avoid these virus traps. A careless and uninformed employee, on the other hand, can get the entire company into difficulties if the system suddenly becomes insecure through a virus activated by them.
Data protection starts with e-mail addresses
Among the everyday EDP tasks is frequently the sending of an e-mail to a distribution list. To avoid a subsequent complaint for non-compliance with data protection, you must make sure that the addressees cannot see the names and e-mail addresses of the other recipients.
E-mail addresses are to be regarded as personal data as soon as they can be assigned to a natural person. Such personal data may not be transmitted to third parties without prior consent, which means that an open e-mail distribution list is not permissible from a data protection point of view and can even be punished with a fine. By entering the e-mail addresses in the “BCC field” (Blind Carbon Copy) instead of in the “TO” or the “CC field”, however, mailings can still be sent to several addresses without any problems, as here the e-mail addresses of the other recipients are suppressed.
Faster working through better navigation on the PC
Keyboard shortcuts can call up a wide range of functions in internet browsers and MS Office programs. Without tedious navigation through the menu bar and the individual sub-items, many work steps and functions run faster and more comfortably by pressing several keys at the same time. Although the combinations have to be learned first, with a little practice and repetition, working on the computer becomes much easier.
In Excel, for example, you can add a new worksheet to your document with the combination Alt + Shift + F1 or insert the current date directly into your document with the key combination Ctrl + . . This is much faster than having to go through the menu to the function every time.
In addition to using key combinations, you can also make working on the computer faster if you know and also use the many functions in programs such as Excel. Only an employee who knows about the various possibilities of the programs can fully exploit the functions and possibilities available.
EDP makes work more effective
To make working on the computer more effective, functions, tools and tricks for better Google research can help. To make progress with research, you not only need to know what you are looking for, but above all how to use the search engine correctly. One way to narrow down the large number of results is offered by Google’s “advanced search” function.
This allows you to narrow down and specify, among other things, the time period, the file format and the language. You can also search directly for specific usage rights here. For example, the search can be limited to results that you may subsequently use commercially. Another special search is offered by Google Scholar, which searches exclusively through academic documents.
The automation of IT tasks can also lead to strategic advantages for a company. Employees can be relieved if they know how processes can be automated. This also reduces errors that occur in manual work and gives the employee the opportunity to work more on other challenging tasks.
Professional appearance in presentations
If a company wants to present its ideas, concepts or results, a meaningful and exciting presentation is part of it today. To be convincing here, it is important that you know how to create a PowerPoint presentation professionally and without errors. Font that is too small, too much text or misplaced graphics on a slide are among the classic mistakes that make a presentation appear unprofessional and boring and can be avoided.
In EDP training courses, employees therefore learn tips and tricks for creating the perfect PowerPoint slides that ideally support the content presented. The more professional the appearance, the more serious the company is considered to be.
Employers that offer training courses are more attractive
The Training employees is a valuable investment from which not only the company benefits, but also the employee. Further training opportunities in the company therefore increase attractiveness as an employer. They are perceived as a form of appreciation, because the opportunity for training is not offered everywhere and taken for granted.
An employee who experiences appreciation and recognition for their work in the company often also increases their willingness to perform and their trust in their employer.
Conclusion: Good EDP makes life easier and a company more successful
Employees who are qualified and trained in EDP help to ensure that company goals are achieved and that work processes are efficient and secure. Through further training, employees can contribute better to the success of the company and avoid errors that arise from a lack of knowledge in dealing with EDP. Employers who train their employees in EDP therefore invest directly in the future and success of their company.