RM Online - Help employees and computers work together

Does this sound familiar to you: "I've worked for 30 years without using a computer and I'm not going to start now!" If this sounds like one of your employees, you have a challenge on your hands and you have to be careful how to handle it.

How can you, as an owner or manager, turn this attitude around?

First, let's clear up some issues. Obviously, having an employee with such an attitude is not a good investment of capital.

Second, all it takes is one employee with a bad attitude to sour the entire success of the computerization process. If you decide to terminate that person, you could be losing a valuable asset to the company. If you train the employee about computers, he or she might feel differently down the road and welcome the change.

But it's not healthy for employees to dictate to you how your business should be run. If you have decided to move full steam ahead into complete computerization, that is a decision you have made after careful consideration of all factors and you should stick with it. It's fine to listen to employee suggestions, but everything does have its limits. Remember who is the boss!

It would be nice if you could just say, "Well, OK, if you don't want to do it, I won't push it." But if you are automating your rental store, you need your key employees to be able to interact with the computer process. You also do not want to develop a history of giving in to your employees.

So how do you deal with the employees who resist using the computer? Here are some suggestions:

1. Stress to your employees that computers are becoming more and more part of their lives.

Self interest is a great motivator. If your employee has absolutely no computer skills, training will make that person more valuable on the job market. Just tell the employee, "You have nothing to lose."

2. Training, training, training.

Many employees have a phobia about computers simply because they have no idea how they work. If a person, a book or a class is able to convince them that they are not going to hit the wrong button and completely empty an arsenal of nuclear weapons on Topeka, Kan., this can be half the battle. Once you have gotten this point across, the learning comes fast and furious. In my store we have taken people with absolutely no computer experience and truly made superstars of them, to the point where today they can train new employees and enjoy it!

Don't think you have to send your employees to expensive training classes. Sometimes just pairing a computer-illiterate person with a computer-literate one can work wonders. I can honestly tell you that one of the best ways to reinforce what you know is to teach others.

3. If you are going to invest substantial dollars in sending people to computer courses, make sure the concepts they are learning are being used and reinforced in your business.

For example, if you are paying a couple hundred bucks for someone to learn Lotus 1-2-3 (for spreadsheets), make sure that in between the classes that person is using the concepts presented. Have someone in your company who knows the topic review it with the student/employee to maximize retention. It doesn't make sense for people to learn CAD design or web graphics if it isn't going to be a part of their job responsibilities.

In the long run, it is cheaper and more effective to train people with rental experience how to use computers than it is to hire computer experts from the outside and teach them the rental business.

4. Most computer training for rental employees can be basic.

Simple word-processing skills and knowledge of the keyboard layout can go a long way. If you are using Windows- or Macintosh-based programs, you will generally find that if you can master one program, the rest comes easy. Most shortcuts and keyboard movements are similar.

5. Try to make training fun.

A great way to feel comfortable using a mouse to control the computer is simply by playing games. There are plenty of them out there to gain the interest of just about any employee - everything from "Wheel of Fortune" to "Monopoly." Some are available free. And you can download many right from the Internet.

6. Great videos are available that deal with the basics; you don't have to send employees to school.

There are some really great videos - they're a lot more fun than manuals and users' guides. Consider the "Computers for Dummies" series or specific topics such as "Learning WordPerfect" or "Word for Windows." Loan these videos to your employees to watch at home or during slow times in the day.

7. Work with your vendor to design tutorials for employees.

Usually the first thing a company computerizes is the counter operation, namely contract writing. Many of the software companies I know have set up their packages so you can train employees on the system without affecting the database. This means you can train employees in actual rental situations and let them practice without affecting your inventory quantities and dollar totals.

This is extremely effective! The ability to move from training to actual on the fly is a real plus to have on a software system. This gives the employee the feeling of "jumping right in" without actually getting wet.

It's also a good idea to have your rental software vendor design and implement changes that are user-friendly. On my particular system we use touch-screen monitors to generate rental contracts. Employees find this easier than working with the keyboard and it's fun!

8. Patience! Be understanding.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Even the best employees will take time to master a computer system. Part of being a good rental operator is being a good trainer. If you try to do everything yourself, you will wear thin and become less effective at what you are supposed to do: manage a company.

9. One-on-one training works better than trying to work with groups of employees.

People learn at different paces. By working individually you can tailor the training to the person. Certain things can be done fine in a group situation; for instance, when you receive an upgrade on a product that your team is familiar with. If everyone knows the basics, group training can be cost-effective and may help implement the upgrade more efficiently.

10. "This is what your job is and if you don't want to grow into the new expectations, we would hate to see you leave, but we can't continue you as an employee."

These may seem like harsh words and most business owners would find them very difficult to say to a valued employee, but ultimately it is the last line you have to draw in the sand, if all else fails. The computer is essential to modern business management, and it's not going to go away. Employees must adjust to that reality.

Your best chance of success is to keep up with technology, not fight it, and not allow anyone in your organization to stand in its way. But make it positive: train your staff members and stress the importance of computerization to their success and the success of the overall operation.

Some day you will hear, "How did we ever get along without computers?!" I just love it when our system is down and the entire operation comes to a halt. And the first person who complains is usually that employee who went 30 years without computers and now says: "How am I supposed to work without a computer?"