Training Employees to be Formidable

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

A new employee, Mia, just completed her training for your company. After a month, you, the CEO, are puzzled to see no improvement. You gave her a tutorial and then a multiple choice test. In your mind, that should have been sufficient.

 

Assembling a company of skillful employees is essential for your company to produce maximum revenue. Think of each adept individual within your firm as a baluster that supports the money-making system which every company thrives on. Therefore it is necessary for you to go the extra mile to ensure that your employees master their skills.

 

A question worth considering – what practices can CEOs or HR take to implement a training program that yields long term benefits.

Read on to learn several valuable tips for training employees so once you’ve trained them, they will produce fast results.

 

Evaluating Whether Your Training Program is Aligned with Company Policies

A recent survey indicates that 40 percent of employees who receive poor job training leave their positions within the first year. Furthermore, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average millennial stays at his or her job for about two years. What these statistics demonstrate is that keeping employees is not easy, therefore; evaluating whether your training program works needs to occur ASAP. If your company knows the short comings of its training process, take necessary steps to improve it to reduce the amount of turnover.

 

In today’s world the ability to perform a task proficiently exceeds the ability to pass a test. Consider relying less on test results to prove whether an employee has accomplished the objective. Below is an alternate approach involving two helpful tips:

 

1.Visual validation use visual media to demonstrate an employee has met the training requirements. For example record a before and after video of the task or tasks Mia will be performing. Although this method excludes statistics, you can still check off that she properly went through the training as made evident from the video. After they are fully trained, feel free to log their statistics because it motivates employees when their results match their hard work.

2. Social accountability – Social accountability gives employees the opportunity to teach others by applying what they know. Articulating concepts to one another demonstrates that they can apply their understanding of the tasks. Provide workshops where peers coach each other and capture these moments on video as proof that they are fulfilling the job requirements.

 

Training For Professional Growth

In 2016, 87% of millennials say professional development or career growth opportunities are very important. Individuals want to see growth in their line of work. If they spend a long time working for your company, only to notice minimal change in their skills, it’s unlikely they’ll stick around.

 

1. Provide Cross-training for Employees – when employees notice you teaching them a variety of skill sets, you are conveying to them that they are significant contributors to the team. They will think, “Wow, my boss is training me in many areas, which means he is entrusting a lot to me.”

2. Further Their Professional Development – in my blog on giving kudos, I mentioned if you know they have an affinity for certain tasks, then provide additional course work to enhance their skills – maybe at a local community college. Provide access to job related conferences and seminars. Make the training extensive, because if the employee sees a lot goes into the training program, she will know you value new comers.

 

Keeping an employee happy so they stay is important. Take it to the next level by ensuring your employees generate revenue for your company. Read on to learn several tips on how to train them to be top notch.          

 

Training To Increase Revenue.

Striving to fill your open positions with formidable workers is a no brainer. Recruiting a white knight is amazing, because it is like hitting a home run. At the same time, however; these workers are hard to find. What if you transform your employees into such assets?

Consider the following when training employees to be top notched:

1. Focus on Skills Rather Than Character – refrain from trying to change their personality. For instance, if she is normally shy, don’t strive to make her more talkative. Instead, teach her to be an engaged listener so she can respond accordingly to questions. Also, teach her to use lexicon the customers will comprehend.

2. Teach Skills Related to the Position – if Mia is going to be an accountant for your company, training her on how to sell over the phone is pointless. Only teach skills you are confident will provide palpable results within the context of her job. Once the employee has mastered the main skills for her position, you can start thinking about cross-training.

 3. Frequently Reinforce Skills With Repetitions – As Ervin Quintin once said, “Repetition is the mother of all skills.” With only minimal opportunity to practice, employees will find it harder to retain. They may pick up bad habits if the training is not extensive enough. Provide lots of opportunities for employees to master the skills.

 

Still having trouble determining whether your training program is ineffective or not? Continue reading to learn about a valuable resource that will help you figure out the state of your training program.

 

Resources for Determining Training Program Effectiveness

An employee who starts off average, but overtime turns top notched is likely to value the process. Mia may prove to be a loyal employee long-term.

 

To ensure your employees reach their full potential, remember to:

  • Consider including visual validation and social accountability when assessing your training program
  • Provide cross-training and further their professional development so that the company feels a part of them. 
  • Focus on teaching skills instead of character, make sure the skills are related to the position, and that employees are given ample reinforcement of those skills. 

 

If you are unsure whether your training program is effective, Novareté offers a free culture assessment which can help you learn from employee feedback. Better – it’s FREE!