Many human resources and training professionals, along with managers, often find themselves at a standstill when trying to help employees develop their skills. Numerous challenges can leave leaders stumped, such as unclear learning priorities, disengaged employees, or teams struggling to apply new skills effectively. While corporate professionals are inundated with tools, training programs, and development materials, this often results in information overload for employees rather than a meaningful growth experience.
Using AI as a tool, with the right prompting, can be the next significant step in bridging the gap for both trainers and employees. When applied thoughtfully, AI prompting doesn’t replace training; it empowers employees to learn more efficiently, engage more fully, and translate knowledge into performance. I’ve seen firsthand that employees who receive structured prompting guidance gain confidence and actually retain what they learn. A recent survey from Rev.com found that 85 percent of employees believe prompt engineering will be a must-have skill, yet only about a third have employer-provided training on it.
The Gaps: We Know Them Too Well
We’ve all seen the employee who shines during onboarding and within their team, only to find they are no longer with the organization by their six- to twelve-month mark. They were full of potential and excitement for the company, were personable and eager to learn. Everyone was disheartened to learn they had left, possibly for a company that better aligned with their training and development goals. Somewhere along the line, a disconnect occurred that left managers and trainers wondering how they could better address the gap for future employees. Some of the significant gaps we see in employee development are:
- Employee Engagement and Retention:
Engagement remains the cornerstone of employee development. Employees who feel seen, challenged, and supported are far more likely to stay and contribute meaningfully. Yet so many training programs fall flat because they’re generic, overwhelming, or disconnected from real work. - Skills Gaps and Continuous Learning:
Technology and business demands evolve faster than traditional training can keep up. I’ve seen organizations invest heavily in tools, only to realize employees aren’t equipped to use them effectively. - Learning Fatigue and Information Overload:
Even the best training programs can overwhelm employees if the content isn’t digestible. I’ve sat in sessions where employees’ eyes glazed over, realizing that despite all the time and effort spent, nothing was truly sticking.
When using AI as a tool to help with training and developing your employees (or any other topic), I always advise people that to get what you need, you need to be a good storyteller. Being able to provide details in your prompt is the first step in getting you to where you want to go with your employees. Let’s dive into how.
How to Apply Prompting Best Practices to Enhance Your Training Programs
How can you, as an HR training professional and leader, effectively utilize AI to achieve better results in employee development? Here are three tips for a practical framework to help bridge some of those gaps.
Be a good storyteller.
Be specific and clear. You want to provide it with as much detailed and targeted language as possible. This helps it understand exactly what you want. The more complex the request, the more detail you should provide in your initial description of it.
Provide a structure for it to follow.
Give it a step-by-step outline of what you want. You want to:
- Start with an attention-getting statement.
- Set up and resolve the problem. For example, for employee engagement and retention,
start with clear outcomes by defining what employees should *be able to do* after training.
- Finish by providing value.
Don’t be afraid to rephrase.
If you aren’t satisfied with how AI responded, reword your prompt. Think of it as having a conversation with someone who may not have understood what you said. Sometimes, you have to reword your statement. In this case, you reword your ask—your prompt.
Teach employees these same skills.
To combat information overload while addressing skills gaps and promoting continuous learning, it’s essential to show people how to find answers for themselves. This empowers them to discover what fits their unique strengths, challenges, and career goals. Teaching employees AI prompting helps cut through the noise of training sessions that may not be tailored to their specific needs. It allows employees to focus on the most relevant information, summarize key takeaways, and practice skills in manageable, bite-sized chunks. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is to provide context. Employees learn best when they understand the “why” behind a task or skill. A good tip to give them when inserting their prompts is to provide them with framing exercises with real-world scenarios, department goals, or customer-facing outcomes.
When employees learn how to prompt, they begin to think more critically and approach problems with sharper, more insightful questions. In today’s rapidly changing workplace, that is the single most valuable skill any organization can foster.
Conclusion: Learning to Ask the Right Questions
The most important takeaway I aim to ensure leaders get about prompts is that clarity and specificity are key. These are key ingredients to be a good storyteller. Corporate training isn’t broken; it just needs a mindset shift. Employees don’t need more content; they need tools to process, apply, and engage with it. Teaching how to prompt effectively empowers learners to ask the right questions, think critically, and apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
AI prompting provides a straightforward framework for addressing clarity, context, and iteration. When employees know how to structure their queries, interpret responses, and refine their outcomes, they learn more effectively and apply their knowledge with greater confidence. When HR pros know how to use best practices with AI prompts, they set their organization up for success.
Research from MIT Sloan shows that half of the effectiveness of generative AI comes from how well users craft their prompts, emphasizing that training employees to craft effective prompts is just as important as the technology itself. For HR teams, this means transforming training sessions into interactive, real-world problem-solving exercises, rather than just delivering passive content. Teams start thinking critically, collaborating better, and bridging the gap between current and required skills.
Tips for Trainers
💡 Keep prompts clear and concise: Employees respond best to instructions that are simple and outcome-focused.
|
