As technologies advance at an extraordinary speed, tech leadership faces the imperative task of upgrading their team’s skills. The situation becomes more grave with the limited availability of tech professionals. Not only that, the fresh batch of juniors don’t possess the critical tech skills that are in high demand and shaping the market trends. This creates a breeding ground for fierce competition among tech companies to build tech teams with the latest set of tech skills and the ability to adapt to the changing industry. One way to combat the situation is to offer technical certifications to your tech teams.
What is a technical certification?
Technical certification is a formal recognition award granted upon the successful completion of a course, program, or training focused on elevating the technical skills of a tech team. The certification is a testament to the tech professionals’ understanding of technical concepts, the application of theoretical concepts in solving real-life problems, and the ability to handle technological tools and methodologies with competency.
Best ways to prepare your tech teams for technical certification
There are many ways to prepare your tech teams for technical certification. The best of them are as follows:
Promote an environment for learning
Conduct a gap analysis
Create a training program
Offer the right support
Celebrate the milestones
Promote an environment for learning
The first step toward preparing your tech teams for getting a technical certification is curating a workspace that encourages team members to further improve their current skills. This is achieved when engineering leadership first works toward their own development plan and then motivates their teams to achieve the same. Once a precedent is set, tech teams will be intrinsically motivated to focus on improving their present skill set. Whether it’s learning new coding practices or exploring advancements in blockchain technologies, there’s always something that piques the interest of members of the tech teams. In some instances, it could be a course in React for Front-end developers that is a necessity for developers looking to upskill themselves in the field. While the reason behind pursuing a course may vary, the sole motivator remains the certification that opens numerous opportunities for the tech teams.
Conduct a gap analysis
When interest in technical certification has been brewed in your tech teams, the next step is to closely assess each team member to determine where their skill sets are at present, and then compare it to where you want them to be. Team members are evaluated through a series of assessments and in many cases, an engineering competency matrix that they are judged against. The difference between the specific knowledge required for the course and the tech team’s current competency after the evaluations gives the tech leadership a clear idea of where the gaps lie. This process highlights the areas that need improvement, which can provide insights to help L&D teams tailor their training efforts to be as efficient and targeted as possible. For instance, if the certification requires proficiency in a particular programming language, L&D teams could consider setting up a coding challenge that reflects common tasks they would need to perform on the job. The results determine the tech teams’ starting point so that L&D teams can map out a clear and effective path to gaining certification.
Create a training program
L&D teams should utilize the insights from the gap analysis to craft a training program that’s not just a one-size-fits-all solution but rather a customized learning path that caters specifically to the needs of the tech team. It ensures that every hour spent in training is time spent closing that gap. It is important to include a mix of learning methods, such as online courses, hands-on experiments, and even seminars to cater to different learning styles. L&D teams should make sure to set clear key performance indicators along with strict timelines to keep everyone on track. This approach ensures that the tech teams are engaged, motivated, and making progress along the way. The goal should be to provide clear, precise, and actionable training toward achieving technical certification.
Offer the right support
Once the training plan is in place, the next crucial step is to make sure the tech teams have the right resources. This can include access to online courses, separate training time during work hours, or the latest tools and technologies to practice with so that they can excel at the training. An environment where team members feel encouraged and empowered to succeed helps to create high-performance tech teams that strive hard to achieve technical certification. Appropriate support lets tech teams give their 100% to the training. L&D teams should make sure the resources are readily available so that the technical certification journey is a shared team experience. As the training kicks off, regular check-ins are a must to ensure that any concerns are addressed and blockers are managed quickly before any hindrance is caused.
Celebrate the milestones
The journey to technical certification is a team mission. The final step of the journey is celebrating the milestones, regardless of how small they may be. Engineering leadership must set aside time to celebrate achievements, whether that is completing a module or participating in a hackathon. The aim should be to build a culture of continuous learning and mutual support where tech team members feel like valuable assets of the company.
Final word
Technical certifications have become a necessity in these times when technology has taken over every single industry. As technology is constantly bringing about newer advancements, it has become imperative for companies to encourage their tech teams to gain technical certifications to retain their competitive edge in the industry.
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