Employee training and development improve productivity in the workplace and reduces human error. It indicates that your organization cares about its employees and their professional development. As such, it improves employee morale and retention. We will walk you through proven steps to building an employee training program.
Determine your Training Needs
Before you start building an employee training program, you should determine your company’s training requirements. For example, do you want to onboard a new staff member and teach them how to talk to customers, deal with a $50,000 Motor Vehicle Surety Bond (if you are in the auto industry), or anything else they will need in order to do their job effectively? Maybe you want to invest in new skills to support the needs of your growing company.
Do not tackle multiple training needs at once. That would only deplete your training budget and overwhelm employees. Instead, sit down with your managers. Ask them about the major workflow gaps to prioritize your training needs. Categorize those requirements based on their cost and organizational impact, and pick the ones that seem relevant.
Choose the Right Type of Employee Training
There is a wide array of employee development training programs. They can impact your business outcomes and budget in different ways. Here is a brief overview of training program types you may want to consider:
Internal vs. outsourced training: Internal training is tailored to your company’s specific needs, but it requires significant logistical preparations and big investments. On the other hand, outsourced training is often based on one-size-fits-all approaches. However, since you are outsourcing employee training to professionals, it may cost less than hiring in-house instructors.
Classroom-style or workshop-style training programs: While the first ones are ideal for large teams and acquiring specific skills, the latter option is better for small teams wanting to work on their soft skills.
On-premise training vs. online training: While in-person training is ideal for onboarding new hires, online courses are more flexible and affordable. Your employees can learn anytime and anywhere.
Skills-based training vs. management training: While skills-based courses focus on hard skills and cover knowledge gaps, the latter option focuses on soft skills and developing managerial abilities.
Additionally, apart from industry-specific courses, your company should also invest in:
Professional training helps employees update knowledge and get the right industry certifications.
Safety training improves safety in the workplace. When learning the basics of first aid using a Prestan manikin, they will know how to prevent common accidents in the workplace and help their coworkers in emergencies.
True Colors personality test is another tool that can help to place the right person in the right position.
Quality compliance training allows your company to comply with industry standards, such as local environmental regulations.
Set Clear Goals
When creating an employee training program, you need to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely (SMART) objectives. Their goal is to guide the creation of your employee training program and help you stay on track. Above all, only by setting clear objectives will you compare them against your KPIs and evaluate the success of your training program.
For example, say you are developing a training program on negotiation skills for your sales team. In that case, your goal could be “Applying new negotiation practices to improve sales quotas by 15% in 4 months.”
Talk to Your Employees
Employee training and development strategies work best when employees are involved in designing them. Ask your employees about their career development needs. Focus on what your employees would like to learn more about.
Here are a few questions you could ask your employees:
- What skills or tools would make you feel more confident at work?
- What learning methods do you prefer?
- What would improve your performance?
- What are your interests outside of work?
Collect Feedback Consistently
There is no one-size-fits-all training program for your organization to apply. Your training program should evolve and adapt to your organization’s goals. It needs to be data-oriented and flexible when necessary. To identify potential gaps in your employee development program, keep tracking its performance. Above all, collect feedback from learners, managers, and instructors.
Analyze test scores
Pay attention to reports for problematic training practices, the hardest, unpopular, or boring ones.
Create anonymous satisfaction surveys for employees. Give them a chance to evaluate instructors and the course program.
Ask instructors to evaluate your employees. Also, ask them to analyze the training plan and content and suggest improvements.
Ask managers to evaluate employee post-training productivity. They should assess employees’ readiness to implement the knowledge they acquired in real-life situations.
Based on the feedback you collect, reassess your training plan, and optimize it. Get rid of outdated materials, add fresh resources, and focus on your company’s existing skills and workflows.
Over to You
Designing an employee training program can seem tedious. However, when planned and implemented strategically, it can benefit your organization on multiple levels. I hope these simple tips and insights will help you create a perfect employee training and development strategy for your company.
Do you have an employee training and development plan?
Author’s Bio: Eve Anderson is a marketing specialist turned blogger. Interested in sports and exciting travel destinations. Love to share content that can inform people.
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