All CIOs share a common priority: ensuring development teams have the skills and experience to apply best practices that support the organization’s needs effectively. Certification is one the most important qualifications to help evaluate a team’s skill set, and are considered a strategic tool for building a foundation of expertise to drive both individual and team success.
Certifications are growing in importance
Research shows that training alone is not enough. 88% of employers believe it’s important to test their employees after training to confirm the knowledge they have gained. And 98% of employers mention at least one benefit of certification after taking training; such benefits include:
- Better validation of knowledge learned;
- Increased credibility of the training;
- Demonstration of abilities;
- Higher retainment of skills and knowledge.
Certification increases understanding of technology
Although experience is very important when it comes to mastering a specific technology, it can sometimes be an adversary. When using a technology, people tend to always use the same configuration options and procedures. This happens for two reasons:
- It’s what they know, so why mess with the winning formula? and;
- The technical environment tends to drive employees toward specific product usages. So, in the end, it becomes difficult to develop expertise in all of a product’s features.
In short, training and certification provide the “what”, “how,” but also the “why.” This gives the trainee insight into the rationale behind key product features, innovative tools, useful applications, and more. According to a Booth Research, on average, untrained users only use 24% of a product’s features, while trained users use 66%.
Certification provides value to your staff
Certifying employees shows your customers that your company holds its staff to the highest standards and, most importantly, encourages continuous learning. This leads to a number of other benefits as well, including
- Creating happier employees. This is especially because employees will feel noticed and valued by the company and their manager.
- Motivating employees to continue learning. Most certifications have a limit validity date, requiring the person to get recertified after a period of time. This means that employees will always have the mindset of staying up-to-date on technologies and topics.
- Boosting confidence. Providing employees with the knowledge to find solutions on their own creates a can-do attitude.
Excited about training and certification? Learn more by exploring our course and exam catalog.
