What is developer training?
Developer training is a part of the onboarding process that aims to provide developers with the necessary skills and knowledge required to perform at par with the rest of the team. Incorporating developer training into an onboarding plan ensures that the performance of the new hires aligns with the predefined company standards. For instance, if a dev team uses React for front-end development, then the onboarding will include React-specific concepts such as JSX, component life cycle, and state management with Context or Redux so that the new hires are well-equipped with the practices most commonly used within the team.
Training also covers project management tools and methodologies, whether Agile, Scrum, or Kanban, including how tasks are assigned, tracked, and reviewed. This phase ensures that developers are acquainted with control workflows, typically with Git, to maintain a smooth and efficient development process. At the core of the training is the idea that developer learning must continue at the same frequency as the advancements taking place in the industry.
Why is training important during onboarding?
Onboarding training is important for several reasons:
Skill enhancement
Addressing weaknesses
Team consistency
High employee morale
Skill enhancement
Training new members of dev teams during the onboarding phase places emphasis on enhancing skills critical for the fast-paced tech environment, such as understanding and practicing with version control systems like Git remote, because it is a useful tool for branch management, merging, and collaborating on code more efficiently. Training aims to equip new team members with the essential technical knowledge and skills they need to contribute effectively from the start. Training ensures that everyone, regardless of their previous experience, is aligned with the team's current standards and practices.
Addressing weaknesses
Training is a targeted effort to identify and fill any existing skill gaps in the new hires. It is very normal for new hires to lack the right set of technical skills required to work in a specific team, but that does not mean they are incapable of performing like the rest of the team. This is why training becomes pivotal during the onboarding of new hires. Training provides a structured way to identify and address individual weaknesses from the start. For instance, a developer might be skilled in writing code but less experienced in using version control systems like Git. During onboarding, specific training modules can be designed to cover these areas and offer a safe space to practice what they have learned to help the developer become proficient in essential tools and practices.
Team consistency
For dev teams to work as a cohesive unit, all team members need to have a consistent level of skills and knowledge. For instance, a new developer might be experienced in a general programming language like Java but might not be familiar with the specific libraries or frameworks the team uses, such as React for front-end development. Similarly, another new developer, while proficient in general web development, might not have in-depth experience with Angular. Targeted workshops focused on Angular's core concepts, such as components, services, and routing, would boost the new developer's proficiency in Angular, which directly aligns their skills with the team's specific needs. During onboarding, L&D can provide detailed hands-on projects focused on these specific tools so that the new hires efficiently get the hang of them. This ensures that there are no misunderstandings related to workflows, which directly increases developer productivity because all members are equipped to contribute meaningfully to projects with a shared methodology. This unified skill set maintains a high quality and consistency of the team's deliverables.
High employee morale
One of the major benefits of training is that it boosts employee morale among new hires. When new developers feel adequately supported, it alleviates the stress and uncertainty that often accompanies a new job. A new developer joining a team might initially feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the projects and the new technologies they need to learn. In the face of such a situation, new hires get overwhelmed by the expectations placed on them, and functioning under this stress can be difficult. A comprehensive training program should include sessions to explain the codebase, review coding standards, and offer feedback on the initial tasks the new developer works on so that they don’t feel lost and instead feel confident in their abilities.
Final word
Developer training generally covers a range of theoretical modules, from foundational programming concepts to modern practices for code optimization and efficient debugging techniques. By providing a structured and comprehensive training program, developer onboarding ensures that new hires possess the necessary technical prowess and also understand team dynamics and workflows. Training facilitates a smooth transition for new hires to contribute effectively and confidently to the team's objectives from the outset.
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