Training your workforce is an essential element in the modern-day workplace. It offers numerous benefits including retaining your organizational culture and employee competence, which have a domino effect on your bottom line. To ensure the training is successful, it is essential that the process is well coordinated. There are numerous ways of improving training processes.
Survey existing employees and recent participants about the training process
A good training process should be centered on the workers themselves. Survey your employees to determine the suitable parameters and details regarding the prospected training. Employees may have great ideas and insights on the topics covered, the content, duration and probably more you haven’t thought of!
Encourage new hires to always be learning
Training is about helping employees learn something new allied to their work responsibilities. Hint the employees on the benefits of being trained; for example, training imparts them with the skills to advance their career in the company and do their job more efficiently, effectively and confidently.
Start small, advance slowly
A good training process should be systematically undertaken, step by step. Be realistically progressive so employees are not overwhelmed or confused and they receive time to consult or seek clarification from trainers. Initiate with the minor details and save the more crucial information for the advanced stages of the training.
Track the training process
Keep a progressive record of the process of the training so you can make tweaks and measure success. Record and compare the training stages against the initial objectives. For example, if training a salesperson, track the performance of the individual’s sales before, during and after the training is undertaken to evaluate the training impact.
Award prizes for completion
Training should be a competitive process, where all workers feel appreciated for completing the process. Test employee understanding after the training to ensure that they competently absorbed the content and fulfilled the objectives of the training. Evaluation can be done a number of ways such as having an inter-team or inter-department competition where more senior workers conduct a sit-in evaluation. After the training, recognize participants with completion certificates or awards to give them a sense of appreciation and achievement and also to keep a record of their development.
By Joe Humphries
Joe Humphries is a contributing writer and media specialist for Training Network. He regularly writes for safety blogs.