Leadership
How to Improve Staff Training
Introduction
We all know that a good staff is the foundation of any successful organisation. But how do you ensure that your staff are trained to the highest standard and motivated to learn? It's not as difficult as you might think! Here are some handy tips on how to improve your company's training programme:
Motivate staff to learn.
- Set a clear training plan for the year ahead.
- Create development opportunities for staff who aren't looking to climb the ranks.
- Provide tools to help people develop their skills in their own time.
- Review your e-learning content, and make sure it's up-to-date and relevant.
- Use technology to your advantage: try using video-based learning, or look into gamification techniques that are proven to be effective at improving employee engagement (and productivity).
Set a clear training plan for the year ahead.
This is an excellent strategy for those who like to get things done in advance. You'll need time and space, so ensure you have the resources.
For example, if your company has two offices across town from each other (or even on the other side of the country), it might be challenging to hold training sessions at both locations simultaneously. Instead, plan ahead and schedule one-on-one training sessions with managers in one location while another group takes their classes at another office. This way, everyone gets what they need without wasting too much time or money!
Create development opportunities for staff who aren't looking to climb the ranks.
- Create development opportunities for staff who aren't looking to climb the ranks.
- Provide development opportunities for staff who are looking to climb the ranks.
- Development opportunities can be tailored to the individual, role and organisation.
Provide tools to help people develop their skills in their own time.
As a manager, you can provide staff with the tools they need to learn and develop. There are many ways to do this:
- E-learning is often a good choice because it's easy to use and provides access from anywhere.
- Online resources offer additional information on topics relevant to your business or industry. These include blogs and other websites that cover areas like marketing or project management, for example.
- Online communities allow people to share tips and advice about their skill sets, giving them peer-to-peer learning opportunities. They are also a great way for you as an organisation leader to see what questions others have about the topic. That way, you know what information might help answer those questions in future training sessions.
Review your e-learning content.
- Check that the content is up to date.
- Check that the content is relevant.
- Check that the content is engaging.
- Check that the content is easy to use.
- Check that the content is accessible in multiple formats, including audio and video (if appropriate).
- Ensure consistency between all learning materials, e-learning prompts and assessments across your organisation's training programmes. If your staff have conflicting information, it will be harder to remember everything they need at once!
Use technology to your advantage.
Use technology to your advantage.
This is a no-brainer, but it's worth reiterating: technology has revolutionised the way we train people. The tools available today are so powerful that they can track where you are within your learning journey and identify any gaps along the way. If there are issues with individual learning styles or developmental needs, they can even recommend specific courses of action based on what other learners have done in similar situations!
Identify aftercare needs.
Aftercare is essential to any training program, but it's often overlooked. You might know that aftercare is necessary, but you don't know what it means or how to implement it.
To clarify: aftercare involves checking in with your employees after they've received new information or participated in a training session. This ensures that they're absorbing and implementing the lessons they've learned during their time with you (or whoever trained them). It also allows you to address any concerns they may have—including questions about anything from how something works to whether there's anything else they need help with.
For this process to work well, your organisation needs a formal system for implementing aftercare protocols. The first step? Creating a plan for how often these check-ins should happen!
Identify individual learning styles.
To get the most out of your employees' training, it's critical to understand their learning styles. This is more than just providing different types of training materials. Reading a manual or watching a video may be best for some people. For others, hands-on learning can be the only way to truly ingrain new skills and information in their minds. To determine the best approach for each employee, identify their learning style (or take an online test). Then tailor your training program accordingly!
Happy, motivated and well-trained staff are the heart of an organisation's success
Imagine you're a business owner and hired some staff for your new shop on the high street. You're thrilled to have them on board: they're friendly and helpful, always offering to do more than is asked of them. They take the initiative by working late when no one else will. Still, their pay remains the same because you haven't given them any training to better manage their time or improve customer service skills.
However, if you train your staff correctly, they will perform better, and it will be easier for them to learn new skills within the company and improve their career progression. This makes sure that everyone stays happy and motivated!
Conclusion
If your employees are happy, motivated and well-trained, that's great news for you. It means they're working at their best and focusing on the work that matters most for your organisation. The best way to achieve this is by setting clear expectations around training, creating support systems, and giving them the tools they need to develop their skills in their own time. But don't forget about aftercare needs either - there's more than just training out there!