Professional development is all about gaining new knowledge and skills that help your tech team find success in their role. It is a vital aspect of career progression, so offering the best professional development tools for tech teams is a great way to entice new employees and ensure that your current team remains happy and engaged. Whether you are training new hires or providing loyal team members with opportunities to build on their skillset, it’s good to have a variety of tools on hand. We’ve selected some of the best the best professional development tools for tech teams to help you deliver successful training to your on-site, hybrid, or remote employees.
The Best Professional Development Tools for Tech Teams
The most successful organizations find ways to foster a culture of learning. This begins with team leaders. Effective leaders always seek to motivate their entire team and make professional development inclusive, meaningful, and appealing to all. Here are some of the best professional development tools for tech teams that leaders can use to help an organization succeed.
Audible eBooks
Audible eBooks are one of the best professional development tools for tech teams. It is a great resource for ebooks from some of the leading experts in the tech world, and ebooks can help you improve the overall culture of your workplace. They offer a wide range of personal development options that can inspire growth and self-improvement amongst team members. The Audible app makes it easy for anyone to download audiobooks onto their devices and listen to them wherever they may be.
TED Talks
TED (Technology Entertainment Design) is a nonprofit online video platform whose main mission is to spread ideas and new ways of thinking. There are all kinds of fantastic videos to learn from at ted.com/talks. Their videos feature both well-known speakers as well as new names and fresh faces. All of their content is free and incredibly thought-provoking, making them hands-down one of the best professional development tools for tech teams.
MIT OpenCourseware
MIT OpenCourseware is undoubtedly one of the best professional development tools for tech teams. It is an online catalog of all courses and course materials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and you can access it all for free. Search through a variety of tech classes and select “Download Course Materials” for high-quality professional development courses.
Tech Blogs
Another one of the best professional development tools for tech teams that come at no cost are online tech blogs. With information becoming obsolete as quickly as it became popular, it is essential to stay up-to-date with the newest technologies, digital news, social media, and the web in general:
Mentorship Programs
Brainstorming groups or mentorship programs can help team members connect with one another other and build comraderie. Study.com organizes 24-hour “Rockethons,” during which a tech team has space to discuss ideas, create prototypes, improve workflows, and more. Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Women in Science Mentoring Program is another excellent resource. They have cohorts of female scientists, with one senior faculty member as the mentor. Spots for 2-4 junior faculty with a complementary research focus are open to applications each year.
Tech Skills Development Courses
Entrepreneur.com recently published an excellent list of the best FREE technology skills development courses:
- Google’s Python Class, Google
- Javascript, Code School
- Codecademy, Codecademy
- Getting Started with Google Analytics, Udemy
- Intensive Introduction to Computer Science, Harvard Open Courses
- Microsoft Virtual Academy, Microsoft
- Introduction to Cyber Security, FutureLearn
- Excel Easy, Excel Easy
- Introduction to Web Development: HTML, Udemy
- Strategic Information Technology, Saylor Academy
Video Training Tools
With hybrid or all-remote tech teams, it can seem difficult to provide high-quality professional development. Using training videos, employers can give tech teams access to learning content they can watch anytime, from any location. Ninja Essays reports that videos are a preferred medium for teams to undergo continued learning and development.
A platform like Viostream is one of the best professional development tools for tech teams to offer video training to your employees. Viostream is a business-oriented video hosting and streaming platform that offers top-notch security and in-depth analytical tools. It is an intuitive, accessible platform that allows employers to foster a culture of continued professional development, ensuring your employees stay up-to-date with company information and relevant education and training.
Companies that truly value their employees and the skills, experience, and expertise that they bring to the table stand to gain a lot from offering professional development. Providing your staff with some of these tools can help offer employees a deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose. Opportunities for professional development also make your company more attractive to prospective employees.
How Viostream Can Help
Viostream is one of the best professional development tools for tech teams. It features advanced analytics that allow you to track and measure the effectiveness of your video training for various team members and across groups. You can easily build secure video viewing playlists for teams and integrate them with your LMS.
Viostream’s video platform makes it simple to create and implement video training for employees, with features such as live streaming, video on demand, video playlists, and video embedding. Start your free trial today and see for yourself.