What is employee training?
Employee training is designed to increase technical skills, knowledge, and performance so that employees can be successful throughout their time with the company. Employee training can include teaching employees new skills, exposing them to unfamiliar ideas, giving them the chance to receive feedback on particular techniques, or simply encouraging them to connect and work more efficiently together. This will not only increase the employee’s skill set but impact the overall growth of the organization as well. Employees need to know why what they are learning is important, understand what needs to be done, and have the tools and resources to meet expectations. When companies invest in training, they are investing in their business. Training employees will increase productivity!
Why is training employees important?
Training employees is important because it keeps all employees up to date on new policies, procedures, and improves employee growth and retention. Policies are ever-changing and keeping employees informed and being transparent on expectations can provide the employee with a better understanding and create a more productive workforce for employers. How we go about processes in a company may vary throughout the years, technology, processes, and job duties all will go through changes. Employers should train employees as changes occur to limit confusion and streamline procedures.
I think all employers can agree, hiring is time-consuming and expensive. When you train your employees and they are set up for success, the turnover rate goes down and the retention rate goes up! It is stated that “94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development”. This alone shows that putting that time and effort to train your employees can help keep your employees happy and with the company for the long haul!
How does an employer effectively train their employees?
Successful training starts at the new hire process and continues throughout their career, providing employees the training they need to thrive in their position. In order to successfully train your employees, you should:
1) Have a plan– Is your new employee going to shadow a co-worker and for how long? What tools do they need to complete their first project? Who is the best person for them to contact if they have any questions?
2) Training videos and Handbook– Have the new employee complete training through a variety of training methods. eLearning is a convenient training method that provides an employee an opportunity to complete training in a timely manner. However, you’ll want to choose the training method that works best for the company. You’ll also want to review the business’s handbook for a complete understanding of policies. What are the business’s expectations of this employee? How can they contribute to the business and team?
3) Take it slow– Don’t cram too much information in too small of a timeframe. You don’t want to stress or overwhelm your employee. Take your time training them and have an interactive experience. Let the employee bring questions to your attention and make sure they feel comfortable in their role.
4) Include team members– Have team members welcome the new employee and introduce themselves, this will create a more inclusive workplace, making the employee feel welcomed. Team members who have been working for the company longer can offer help or give advice since they are familiar with how the company functions. You may also consider implementing a “buddy system” program so the new employee can have a day to day contact throughout their first few months on the job.
How do you create an effective training manual that will impact your employee?
There is no simple answer to “how to train your employees effectively.” Although, having a training manual in place can make onboarding and training throughout an employee’s career more effective. To make the training manual easily accessible, consider housing the document in an online portal or intranet for the company.
An employee training manual should include the following four components:
- Analyze training needs- Effective training programs identify who needs to be trained, and on what skills or topics. Analyzing needs before rushing into action increases the chances for success and reduces the risk of expensive mistakes.
- Milestone timeline to achieve goals- Plan out short-term and long-term goals with your employees. Set expectations for training and training methods.
- Performance reviews to provide feedback- Use performance reviews to assess if the employee is reaching their goals and receive feedback on what is and isn’t working for the employee.
- Continued learning opportunities- Use eLearning or on-site training to help your employees reach these career goals.
What different training methods can an employer develop for their employees?
Employee training may be conducted through a variety of different channels:
- eLearning
- Instructor-led training
- Hands-on training
- Performance appraisals
- Emotional Intelligence training
- Team discussions or meetings
- Case studies
What are the benefits of eLearning training for your employee?
Elearning provides many benefits, here are the top 5:
- Convenient and flexible – eLearning provides access at any time and from anywhere. Employees can complete their training at work on their desktop or at home from their laptops! Every employee has their own schedule and eLearning gives them a chance to complete their training to fit within their schedule.
- Self-paced – Not everyone learns at the same pace, eLearning provides employees with the chance to take their time understanding policies and procedures. This doesn’t put employees under pressure to hurry through their training or paint a picture that all employees should finish/understand at the same pace.
- Measurable results and Virtual record-keeping – eLearning provides employers with a quick way to pull data and track effectiveness. An employer can track, the amount of time it takes an employee to complete the training, quiz scores, and engagement immediately. Once the employee is done with the training, the completion of training can be stored online to create a simple way for documentation.
- Automatic feedback – These immediate results help employees gauge where they need extra support and how they can reach where they need to be. Along with that, employees can receive a sense of achievement for completing their training and become motivated to learn and grow more within their position.
- Standardized training – eLearning creates a standardized form of training to ensure each employee is receiving the same materials and opportunities for feedback.
Are employers required to pay for employee training?
Yes, any time an employee is required to be training for company purposes, they must be compensated for that amount of time. In states like California, an employee must be paid for at least two hours of time when they come in for training.
What are the essential components of employee training?
A well-rounded employee training program includes a formal new hire training program with an overview of the job expectations and performance skills needed to perform job functions. A new hire training program will provide a thorough understanding of the position and how the position fits within the business. Training for an employee should last throughout their time with the company, don’t stop after onboarding. Continue their learning, provide communication, and time-management training to create a better team.
Employee training should be interactive and should allow an employee to provide feedback. A member of management should take this feedback into effect to incorporate a well-rounded training that helps positively impact the overall culture of the business.
How can employers track training progress on an employee?
Employers can use training tracking systems to fully optimize their employee’s training tracking progress. This removes the stress of keeping up to date with manual worksheets and tracking progress through documents. Employees should also receive certificates or some form of documentation that they completed training. Certifications, onboarding, and training documents should be kept on file in the employee’s personnel file.
Employers should also track what methods work for employees and what methods are not as effective. An employee’s progress can determine what learning methods are benefiting the business the most.
Employees really are a business’s greatest asset, and making sure your training program is effective, measured, and evaluated is the right course of action. Invest in the tools that will enable you to control and improve employee’s progress. Learning is an investment the business will not regret. Do it properly by tracking training progress and following up to check on results!
What development has Bizhaven made for employee training?
Bizhaven has developed a variety of eLearning and on-site training programs. Training will vary from business to business based on the risks and expectations of the industry. Here is a list of training that Bizhaven may conduct for your company:
- Onboarding
- Sexual harassment prevention (managers & employees)
- IIPP
- Code of safe work practices
- Diversity
- Driver safety
- Pesticide safety
- OSHA recordkeeping
- I-9 and personnel file
This is not a comprehensive list, please contact Bizhaven for a more comprehensive list or speak with your HR Business partner to set up a training.
