So everyone needs training, do we agree? Passed! Let’s go!
Your new employee said he knew everything, typed a million words a minute, and was quick as a gun. After handing out the tasks and handing out the materials, he found himself analyzing his performance only to discover that he believes they lack the fundamental skills necessary to get the job done. He can consider his options at this point. Debating how much time should be, shall we say, donated from your existing workload to teach the new hire how to do their job properly. Even though many large companies demonstrate how each new group of employees goes through some training process, whether it be a few days or a few weeks, many small business owners tend to ignore this. We can all understand hiring someone to do work that we don’t have time to complete. You should always keep in mind how much time you’ll need to take out of your own day (assuming you have to do the training yourself) to teach a new employee how to do the job the way you want them to do it.
Data entry it is no different from any other job, in that it takes beginners time to slow down before starting work. The more help you can give them, the faster they will catch on and start performing at the level you expected. So let’s examine some simple background skills as we begin to teach data entry.
- typing – Although perhaps not as fundamental as some jobs, basic typing skills and speed will certainly play a role in overall performance.
- computer expert Understanding basic computer usage will likely go a long way in speeding up data entry.
- web browsing skills – Again, as simple as it sounds, having the ability to understand and use the world wide web is probably critical.
- Photo/image knowledge – Does your data entry also require photos to be uploaded, or maybe photos that need editing?
- Reading and writing skills – Let’s face it, despite the simplicity of this ability, some people have it and some don’t.
- Instruments – Nothing could be as important as the ability to provide the employee with the right tools for the job!
- A good attitude and aptitude – Unfortunately, this process can be tedious for all parties involved.
We should be asking ourselves what we can provide our employees to help them enter that data efficiently, quickly, and most of all, pleasantly. Finding the right tools for the job will not only make you happy as an employer because the flow of work is constant and fast-paced, but it also works to create happy workers. When you don’t have to get frustrated hitting block after block doing simple jobs, your work day seems to go by more smoothly.
- typing teaching – I will spend very little time to cover this aspect. This is a problem that entrepreneurs have faced since the days of the typewriter. It is important to have someone with some typing skills when it comes to data entry. When you’re up against someone who’s pulling the old routine by a finger, chances are you’ll have two options. Send that employee to the next job in his life, or if he’s determined to make it work, you can suggest that he practice with programs like the ever-popular Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. There are also plenty of websites that will provide this practice, however I believe that nothing more than practice will increase speed in this area.
- computer skills – Knowledge of the computer is another immediate issue that is often directly proportional to the time dedicated to practice. This can be another make-or-break item on the list depending on your particular needs. If working with files and folders, images, and other computer files is a requirement, classifying those files and basic operations and file structures may be mandatory for your job. Teaching file structure, naming conventions, and simple utilities like copy and paste are just a few examples of basic computer skills that may be required.
- network experts – In today’s world, the Internet plays such an important role in business that it can be just as important as typing skills and computer skills. Again, this may depend on what the exact needs of your job will be, but the ability to navigate the web, understand the web pages you’re working with, and how to navigate to various websites and files may be necessary to even get the information. that is required for data entry! I’d certainly put a pin in anyone’s balloon if their new hire wasn’t so web savvy that they couldn’t download the documents and images required to participate!
- Edition of photos and images – It all comes down to your needs, and if photo editing is part of the job, you may have a hard time finding a data entry expert who is also a graphic artist. I know, you’re saying this can’t be rocket science and I can’t need a graphic artist to do little simple photo edits before I upload my awesome products. As simple as those edits may seem to you, it certainly requires some skill in editing photos on demand. In addition to finding someone who can do this, you should also be aware that you may need to purchase software just for this purpose if you don’t already have it. If simple edits are all you need, and you just want something fully featured and free, I recommend giving GIMP Image Manipulation Program a try.
- reading writing – You might get lucky with this particular aspect, as many popular programs like Microsoft Word not only have spell checking features, but also some pretty advanced sentence fragment detection features. Google.com can also be your friend here. Anyone can quickly Google a word to discover the spelling and other useful grammar-related information. This even works with other languages on Google too! Other free document writers that are free include Google Docs and LibreOffice Writer. There are dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of full-featured document writers (editors), one of whom is bound to get the job done.
- data entry tools
– First, you’re going to need a comfortable chair. Okay, I’m just kidding when I say that (less than half way down as we speak). Here are some tools I use to make data entry easier for everyone in my office and telecommuting!
Tips and tools for new data entry employees:
- ClipIt – I like it ClipIt however I recommend the use of any Clipboard management software when it comes to doing data entry.
- The Fragment Tool – Snippet tools or any quick screen capture software can be very helpful if you have to deal with image cropping and don’t need a full graphics manipulation program.
- photoshop – This is if you need a full-featured graphical editor. I mentioned GIMP earlier, which is a less popular free alternative. Once again, when it comes to software applications, the possibilities can be endless.
- have 2 monitors – It may sound crazy, it may sound simple, but the power behind using multiple monitors in a data entry environment is priceless.
- Email clients and synchronized software – Consider using internal company email addresses for project assignment and tracking purposes. Use software synchronization to allow employees to work from home, a different computer, or a different continent!
- Is your data entry software optimized? – Having a simple, streamlined app for your employees to use is key! The easier it is for them to understand and perform, the more they will do it.
- Could you automate some of the work? – Sometimes basic data entry can be fully automated, and other times you can automate parts of the job to further simplify the steps required to get the job done.
Remember, it’s your job as an employer to do the research, provide the tools, and provide the necessary help to ensure you have the qualified employees you need.
