When it comes to building a successful managed services provider (MSP) business, it’s often more about the people than the technology.
In order to successfully deliver technology and services to customers, employees need to be fully up to speed with the necessary capabilities to execute those offerings. Training is one important way to do that, including when an employee is first brought on board and throughout their tenure with the company. In doing this, an MSP can ensure that their employees deliver quality services, as well as keep pace with the latest and greatest technologies.
Often, these skills are taught by a subject matter expert (SME) inside the organization, or a third-party organization contracted to teach new skills to the organization. No matter how they are delivered, it's important for every MSP to consider how training can improve their employees’ skills and build on the offerings they are able to offer to customers.
Implement Training Early and Often
One of the most important times to train employees is during the onboarding process. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, thorough onboarding can increase employee retention over the long term, with 69 percent of employees more likely to stay with a company for more than three years if they have experienced great onboarding.
Further reading Guide to Efficient Employee Onboarding for MSPs
Onboarding training typically occurs for a period at the beginning of an employee’s tenure at the company, such as the first 90 days. Typically, it includes making sure that new employees are informed of all company policies and processes, as well as that they are fully proficient in all the skills needed to perform their daily roles.
Beyond the onboarding training, MSPs should also consider how they train employees throughout their months or years at the company. This could include training on new technologies, updates to current products, soft skills or other important topics. Training early and often is key to a capable and engaged employee base.
Employee Retention and Engagement
In addition to delivering successful services to customers, training is an important way for an MSP to encourage employee retention. With an estimated, retention is more important than ever, especially in technology roles, which see even greater skills shortages than other industries.
Training can encourage employee retention, because it helps employees feel fulfilled and challenged in the work they do every day. Additionally, it helps employees to have confidence that an MSP employer is invested in their long-term future and provides them with paths for career advancement and promotion.
Further reading MSP Employee Retention: Three Areas of Improvement
Learn more about conducting effective job interviews in the managed services industry
Implementing an Employee Training Program
There’s no better day than today to start or grow an employee training program at an MSP. There are a number of places that an MSP business owner can start. First, if there’s no current program in place, it’s logical to first conduct a needs assessment of the organization, including evaluating current capabilities and weaknesses, as well as surveying employees for areas of desired advancement.
From there, an MSP can figure out the best platform to advance employees. It could include virtual or in-person training sessions or seminars. This can be conducted by advanced members of the team, or by a third-party training service. MSPs can also consider sponsoring conferences or certifications for employees as another form of continuing education, or hosting lunch-and-learn sessions for more casual learning environments.
No matter the platform, MSPs should ensure that there’s full support for training at every level of the organization. This can mean encouraging the leadership to positively reinforce training, as well as perhaps providing incentives to encourage enthusiasm across the organization. Finally, an MSP should consider how to evaluate the success of their training programs.
While investing in technology is essential for every MSP business, training is one important way to ensure that they are keeping employees happy and engaged, as well as skilled enough to keep the customers happy.
Read this free whitepaper to find out:
- How to establish a solid level of employees’ productivity
- How to keep communication
- How to establish trust
