Last week, we discussed why ongoing management training for supervisors should be an essential focus of your company’s engagement efforts. Training subordinates should be no less important. Through skill development, a company can enjoy higher productivity, less turnover, and a great reputation in their industry. It can make all the difference between simply fulfilling objectives and being an innovative place to work. All this to say, you should offer training!
Popular trainings to offer
- Orientation and onboarding. Okay, this is stating the obvious but it is SO important to make sure that new employees have the training and resources they need to do their work efficiently. You start with a thorough orientation process (read more about hiring here) and then support that with regular instruction and check-ins during their first year.
- Time management and calendaring. Half the battle in meeting goals is being able to set realistic ones in the first place and that takes understanding of how to block out time for projects and the amount of work that is feasible to take on. Eager employees may often find themselves taking on more than they can chew and then everyone loses: the frustrated employees, the unfinished project, and managerial staff who now need to address it all.
- Project management. Speaking of unfinished projects, training employees to efficiently map out a project complete with measurable progress points will prove invaluable for moving goals forward. We could all learn how better to see a project through fruition! Its also a great skillset for employees’ career development.
How to train well
- Utilize tech tools. In fact, using online training programs are only going to get more popular, as they have certainly become a familiar feature during the pandemic. The offerings range from those required, such as sexual harassment, to increasingly popular topics like diversity training. The sophistication of the programs has grown as well. This is an excellent option for a remote staff or when schedules cannot be aligned to attend a training in person (when it’s safe to do so).
- On-site instructor. Bringing someone onsite to conduct the training (rather than tasking in-house staff with the job) can be really effective. It certainly removes the problem with hearing the same people speak. Also, an outsourced trainer can bring new insight into team collaboration. Always request that they incorporate role-playing!
- Mentorship program. We bring up this option a lot in our discussions about skill-building and company culture and that’s because it is an invaluable resource that’s also not too difficult to carry-out. A mentorship program serves to not only build skills but also support an inclusive company culture.
A few tips
- Think holistically. People learn in many different ways, look for programs that incorporate them all. And if you pick one that is heavy on say, visual learning (such as an online program) be sure to follow-up with employees to measure proficiency.
- Offer alternative methods. If you do notice struggle, address it by offering an alternative training method.
- Customize the program. Many training companys now offer a customized option to their programs. It likely incurs an additional fee, but if the program meets your employee’s learning styles, it’s probably worth it. Get it right the first time!
We’ll leave you with one last tip: make it ongoing. It’s another suggestion we often stress and for good reason: employee development is not a one-time event but rather a process. The skills needed to succeed are forever evolving and being able to identify where adjustments are needed is crucial to stay competitive. Here is where an experienced HR team like Eos HR can help. We make sure small business teams are successful in maintaining the practices that support a productive company culture. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more.
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