The value of employee training to the success of your business cannot be understated. There are numerous reasons why. For starters, if you fail to offer career growth opportunities, you run the risk that your best talent will leave.
- Numerous studies support this, including a recent report by Employee Benefit News, which looked at more than 34,000 employee exit interviews. The results show that the top reason people leave their jobs is lack of such opportunities.
- Of course, it’s about more than employee retention. Keeping your team members up to date on their skills and knowledge also builds productivity, efficiency, and your reputation as a cutting-edge employer who truly cares about their employees.
Steps to Take:
As you build your training approach, start by assessing current skills gaps within your organization. A good place to start is with a survey of employees on their training needs and wants, as well as similar surveys of your front-line managers.
Analyze survey results and, from there, go on to set clear training expectations and communicate them regularly to your workforce. Keep everyone on the same page and give employees ample chances to ask questions and continue to provide feedback.
Then, implement such tactics are:
- Microlearning initiatives: These are short, focused and often interactive learning options broken down into short segments. They are increasingly popular in today’s workforce.
- E-learning opportunities: These programs enable employees to train at any time, at their own pace, and from any location. And, because there’s no pressure involved, they’re often even more likely to succeed.
- Shadowing programs: Experiencing how a task is done on the spot can be a highly effective means of learning. Shadowing more experienced colleagues enables employees to apply learned skills in real time and translate them to their own daily tasks.
- Mentorships: Pair newer employees with more senior colleagues who can help guide them throughout their tenure at your company. Mentorships can be mutually beneficial, as seasoned team members also glean helpful knowledge from their younger counterparts, such as tech, digital and social media skills.
Keys to Employee Training Success
As you create an effective employee training program or fine tune the one you already have, keep these considerations in mind:
- Customization: Each individual learns differently, so tailor training to various team members based on their styles and skills. They may prefer visual, auditory or kinesthetic – learning by doing – methods of instruction.
- Incentives: You may want to gamify training, set up competitions, or offer gift cards, time off or other benefits to incentivize employees to complete training.
Developing industry-leading training programs is just one aspect of building and retaining your winning workforce. PrideStaff Modesto can help ensure that your business never misses a beat as you manage these and other workforce changes and developments. We’ll help you define the scope and create the right strategies so you continue to maintain your competitive edge in today’s highly competitive talent war. Contact us today to learn more.
