Employees are more than just people you hire to keep your company moving forward. They can make or break your business. This is why it is very important to develop your employees continuously through effective training techniques. Since training can be costly, an individual needs analysis should be performed on each employee. This will help determine what type of training is needed in order to not waste time and money. This can be done as easily as observations by management and sending employees individual questionnaires.
Once it is determined that training is necessary, it is important to use the most effective method. Do your employees respond to a traditional training session in a classroom setting with an instructor? Do they respond best to individual computerized training? Do they prefer role-playing to get the full effect of the situations being discussed? Or maybe they respond best to all three. Whichever method is used, training should be interesting and engaging.
Shedding Inhibitions
Improvisation is a low-cost and highly engaging way to train your employees. No special skills or equipment are needed for this type of training—just an open mind and a willingness to join in the fun. However, in order for this training to be successful, everyone must be willing to accept all ideas. Validating ideas does not mean they have to be used. Acceptance validates everyone involved and lets employees know they have a right to be heard. This allows employees to feel uninhibited about performing incorrectly or having the wrong answer. Allowing employees to act in an uninhibited environment is not only beneficial for their development, but also lets the manager see how they react in similar situations.
Self-Paced Training
Using computers to train employees now is widely accepted and not very costly. Computerized training allows employees to train at their own pace, which, in turn, allows them to learn and retain more information. Individual training allows employees to learn at a time that is the most optimal for them. A deadline should be given when training needs to be completed. This training technique appeals to employees who prefer to learn alone. However, this does not mean they will not need support throughout the training. Follow up regularly during the training timeframe and be available to answer any questions they may have.
Training Reinforcement
Knowing how to use the aforementioned training techniques is a great start. The next question is: How do you get the information to stick with your employees?
A few key elements should be performed before, during, and after training to help make training more effective and give your employees the edge they need to perform at their best. Before the training begins, management should encourage employees to perform self-evaluations to determine in what areas they need to improve. This could include better execution of company procedures or simply honing skills they already possess. The evaluations should be for the employee’s eyes only. Knowing that no one else will see it will prompt them to be honest and use this tool to get the most out of training. Provide employees with information about the training program in advance. Knowing what they can expect and what is expected of them will keep everyone entering the training session focused on the same goals. Lastly, managers and supervisors need to express positive support for the training. This can be accomplished by requiring them to be trained first. Going through the training process will help them to fully understand the topics covered and be able to be supportive of their employees.
Training Delivery
The training environment should be as comfortable as possible to maximize the learning potential. Comfortable seating, appropriate room climate, and snacks and beverages are just some ways to keep employees happy and receptive to the training information. Since all employees retain information in different ways, it is important to appeal to the different styles of learning. The training should include some showing of the information to appeal to the visual learner, some explaining to appeal to the auditory learner, and some practice to appeal to the kinesthetic learner. This will allow optimum retention by all employees.
After the training session is complete, allow time for reflection and feedback. Ask employees to reflect on what they will do differently as a result of the training and share with the group. The employees then should put on paper what they will do differently in their day-to-day tasks as a result of what they learned. Seeing the new goals on paper will reinforce the changes that need to be made.
Following up with your employees after the training is complete is important to fortify what was learned and make sure they are putting into practice the goals they set for themselves. Establishing support groups that outlast the training is an effective way to “keep the conversation going” about what was learned. By having these members work together, they will remind each other to put the training into practice. To determine if employees are living up to their work goals, a performance evaluation should be given to each employee three months after the training is completed. This gives the managers and employees an idea of the growth, or lack of, the employee currently is demonstrating. Waiting three months gives employees enough time to make the necessary changes to their daily tasks and stick with them, and it allows managers time to observe the changes.
Providing effective training shows your employees you are invested in them and their future. This will make your employees want to provide the best for the company, which will reap benefits for years to come.
Alyse Barbieri is currently a student at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, NY, where she has earned her MBA and is currently in pursuit of an MS in Human Resources. She is also the night manager at a Marriott Residence Inn.
