Training is an integral part of any new process or technology implementation and user adoption is at the center of it.
A holistic training plan is one that considers all impacted stakeholders and their varying levels of interaction with the platform.
We’re going to approach this in three easy steps:
- Determine learner types and learning paths.
- Assign learners to learning paths.
- Use ServiceNow resources to build a just-in-time delivery plan so learners receive the right training at the right time.
Learner Types
Begin by identifying some basic user types for training. At a high level, most trainees boil down to two groups: Functional and Technical users. Functional or Process Users use the ServiceNow platform to complete daily tasks and responsibilities.
Examples of Process Users are: IT help desk associates or HR Case Managers. End Users generally require the least amount of training. They use a service portal to submit requests and incidents.
Technical Users work "under the hood" with the platform either in platform administration or developer roles, or they are the folks from the business that need to have a solid understanding of how the platform works.
Let’s take a closer look at the top three technical learner types:
- System Administrator is responsible for maintenance of the platform and therefore needs foundational and advanced knowledge of the core platform.
- Developers develop new and extends existing platform features and applications. They require advanced knowledge of the core platform and all no-code, low-code, and pro-code platform features.
- Implementers are responsible for the initial setup of the platform or product line. They must be familiar with platform configuration principles that maximize supportability, maintainability, and upgradability for long-term success.
Learning Paths
Once you have your learner types identified, you can look at the learning paths available for them. Our on demand learning portal, Now Learning makes this as easy as can be. From the homepage you can search for training by Role, Level and Product specification such as Customer Service. You can select all your none of these for your search. We recommend at least selecting one, such as the role, so you can see what the learning path is for that role.
Taking the System Administrator role as an example, there is a prescriptive learning path available that walks the trainee through what courses to take, what simulators are available, what certifications to achieve and also micro certifications that are available.
Learners do best when they gave a wide variety of learning formats available to them. So, create a blended learning approach that builds on up to go live and reinforces best practice after go live. The formats you choose may depend on your circumstances such as timing, team member availability, budget, travel restrictions, and so on.
Just in Time Training
When it comes to training, timing is everything. Here are some interesting stats from Instructure.com:
- After one hour, people retain less than half of the information presented.
- After one day, people forget more than 70 percent of what was taught in training.
- After six days, people forget 75 percent of the information in their training.
So, it's important that training is delivered when it will be needed and reinforced. And remember, training is NOT just a one-time event.
Begin with a Training Strategy or Roadmap which provides a directional breakdown of the learner groups and timing. Timing of training relies heavily on the implementation approach you are taking. Will your development cycle be long or short? Are you rolling out in phases or to a small group at first?
When it comes to process users we recommend a train the trainer approach with a blend of on demand and instructor led formats including prework videos, quick reference cards and custom guided tours.
All the things shown on this slide are services provided by ServiceNow and we can tell you more about these if you are interested.
The last step is to pull all this information together: your learner types or groups, with the courses and training needs that they have and then map that to the dates that they need the training.
Remember, building a holistic training plan is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Determine learner types and learning paths.
- Assign learners to learning paths.
- Use ServiceNow resources to build a just-in-time delivery plan so learners receive the right training at the right time.
