What are employee training programs?

Employee training programs are activities that address the weaknesses within your workforce. These programs come in various forms, such as workshops, seminars and business conferences. You can train employees online or on the job through effective mentoring and feedback.

While we often use the terms training and development interchangeably, they actually refer to two distinct learning objectives. Employee training describes a specific curriculum that professionals design to help employees learn specific knowledge or skills. Its purpose is to improve current job performance. Employee development, however, is more expansive as it focuses on employee growth and future performance.

Despite their differences, training and development are effective devices that equip employees with more productive methods to approach their work. With practice, employees feel more confident with a new skill or strategy. They can use their own judgment to determine how to apply their training to different projects. When you compound the impact of training and development across your company, you’ll see an overall increase in performance and efficiency.

Benefits of training and development programs

When you consistently invest in employee training, it benefits both the company and the individual. It leads to greater job satisfaction, which intrinsically motivates your employees to perform beyond your expectations. Fostering a culture of learning outweighs the financial costs because of its far-reaching benefits. They include:

Increased productivity

Training promotes skills mastery. When you prepare your employees with the right resources, they can complete tasks to a higher standard and deliver their work on time. This saves you from the costly process of having work redone.

Eliminating weaknesses

Although it’s difficult to implement a competent training program, it ensures you acknowledge weaknesses that can lead to larger problems in the future.

Improved employee retention

People stay in companies where they feel valued. Investing in your employee’s skills will show your commitment to supporting their career goals. This builds mutual respect between managers and their team and leads to a positive work environment.

Improved innovation and competitiveness

Fostering a growth mindset within your company encourages your employees to be adaptable. This helps them respond with an optimistic attitude to change. It creates a space for new ideas and creative solutions so that you remain relevant in the long run.

Addressing areas for improvement

A training program is an opportunity to solve gaps in skills. The best training initiatives identify your weakest links and match them with greater support and encouragement. The aim is to bring all your employees to a level playing field so that each individual is equally contributing to the success of your business. As employees become more competent, they need less supervision.

Distinguishes your organisation from others

Training programs attract more qualified job candidates. The top talent in your industry invests in their own personal development skills. Candidates will therefore prioritise in companies that provide opportunities for skill advancement.

Read more: How To Find Good Employees

Examples of effective employee training methods

You can deliver training and development programs in several forms to best suit your employees’ learning style. The method you choose will also depend on the skill you intend to develop. Here are six common employee training methods that are effective:

Classroom instruction

Classroom learning is an interactive approach to skills development. Instructors use presentation slides, audiovisual materials and handouts to engage their students. It creates a productive space separate from the workplace, allowing your employees to concentrate on themselves, rather than their workload.

The major advantage of classroom instruction is its delivery by qualified professionals. This allows your employees to ask detailed questions and receive the most advanced information. It’s also a cost-effective option that suits group learning.

Interactive training

Interactive learning is a hands-on approach to education founded upon building student engagement through guided social interaction. The method uses games, quizzes and simulations to reproduce real-life situations so that students get practical experience with a skill. The pragmatic approach suits employers who are physical learners. Its interactive design supports the comprehension of novel concepts and ideas that may be otherwise challenging to learn.

On-the-job training

On-the-job training is a fundamental training method that most businesses employ. It usually involves a mentor or manager that supervises a recent recruit as they perform their tasks. This method is beneficial because it allows you to tailor their learning to your business style. In return, employers get personalised feedback on their performance. On-the-job training ensures employees contribute to the profitability of a business as they develop the confidence to carry out their responsibilities.

Online training

The internet gives you access to a variety of resources, such as video tutorials and virtual conferences, that you can use to develop your employee’s skills and knowledge. Online training allows for flexibility. It’s a cost-effective solution that helps visual learners study at their own pace. Leaders will also appreciate the flexibility to prioritise their schedule as they see fit.

Orientation training

Orientation training provides support to recruits when they join a new organisation. You can deliver an orientation program through a handbook, a one-on-one session or a lecture. Its goal is to provide new employees with information regarding the firm’s background, strategies, mission, vision and objectives. Orientations help professionals integrate with their new work environment. It allows them to build relationships with their colleagues and prepare for their responsibilities.

Read more: Onboarding guide

Handbook

Handbooks are a strategic resource for skills or policies that require step-by-step instruction. Typically, they act as a guide for employees to refer to whenever they need to remember a complex process. It’s also an accessible tool that people can quickly reference to ensure that they are complying with company-mandated procedures.

Types of employee training and development programs

To implement an employee training program that meets your organisational needs, consider the following options available to you:

Type of instructor

Depending on the depth of understanding you hope to achieve, you can either choose a qualified employee to lead the program or outsource a professional to lend their expertise.

Style of instruction

For topics that require more formal instruction, classroom-style learning is often best. However, if the skill you want to train requires more collaborative teaching methods, such as brainstorming or role-playing, then workshop-style learning might be your better option.

Class size

While individual training is a more costly strategy, it’s the most suitable option for employees that learn best with hands-on support. Group training is designed for programs that focus on teamwork and communication. So, consider your goals and your employee’s learning style before you make this decision.

Location of training

Although expensive, conferences are exciting networking opportunities that will motivate your employees to put in their best effort. Conferences are an easy training solution because it does not require any additional planning. Your employees simply need to register in advance to get access to a qualified instructor and course materials.

Training curriculum

Consider the goals you want to achieve through your program. You may either want to train specific skills to improve the performance of employees or design an in-depth study to refine their knowledge about a new concept or process.

Type of training resources

On-the-job training with experienced colleagues is a good option for recruits to integrate with their new team and model desirable work processes. You may provide employees with external resources, such as e-learning materials, for programs that don’t require their immediate attention. Instead, they can access them at home during their free time.

What is the cost of an employee training program?

According to a 2017 learning and development report, the average training cost per employee was £1,530. The report also estimated that employers offer an average of 42.1 hours of training per employee every year.

The report suggests that more employers are embracing online training tools. In 2017 alone, 59% of talent developers spent most of their training budget on online learning resources, while 38% said they spent less on instructor-led training. The shift shows a preference for low-cost employee training programs. Online training is an accessible alternative that offers both flexibility and an interactive approach.

How to create an effective employee training program

Here are a few steps you can follow when designing your own employee training and development program:

1. Assess your current situation

The first step before you implement any training and development programs is to evaluate the performance of your organisation. Use quantifiable assessment tools, such as customer surveys, employee performance appraisals or a SWOT analysis, to measure the extent of your training needs. This will reveal gaps in your operations for you to address, such as productivity, quality assurance or employee satisfaction. Thorough research will help you prioritise and establish your organisational development goals.

Read more: How to Conduct an Employee Evaluation

2. Establish your training goals

Use your research to establish specific learning objectives. Goals are a useful guide that ensures you create relevant training programs. Categorise your goals into the following three groups:

• Motivation: Pinpoint a personal purpose for your employees to engage in the training program. Encouraging them to invest themselves into the program improves skill retention over the long term.
• Skills mastery: State the competencies your employees need to learn.
• Critical thinking: Distinguish critical knowledge from the nice-to-know information so that your course content is clear and concise.

3. Define what you want employees to achieve

Remember to state the exact skills, knowledge, behaviours and abilities you want to achieve with your training program. Once you define each competency, you can then describe your training approach in more detail. This forms clear goals for employees to follow. Here are a few examples:

• Building effective teams
• Business acumen
• Customer service

Read more: Grow Your Business

4. Gather expertise from others

Collaborate with your in-house learning and development team or outside professionals to put together an effective training strategy. Use their expertise to create appropriate teaching resources that address different learning styles and levels of mastery. You may also hire a qualified coach or partner with a vocational training school or government program to train complex skills that require formal instruction.

5. Develop your training and development program

Consider your learning objectives, budget and resources to decide on the most suitable training method for your organisation. Combine a range of teaching materials to target different learning styles and encourage skills mastery. Provide opportunities for your employees to practise the skill to increase the likelihood of skills retention. Describe any certifications trainees will receive upon course completion as an incentive for employees to take part in the program.

6. Assign mentors to your trainees

Mentorship is key to any training program because it allows trainees to get personalised feedback. This maximises the effectiveness of your training program within an engaging atmosphere, where individuals can connect and solidify their working relationships. Here are a few tips on how to create a successful mentorship program:

• Pair mentors and mentees that have similar personalities and communication styles. This promotes trust and leads to stronger ties.
• Assign clear responsibilities and goals for each party
• Select mentors that can guide less experienced mentees with their knowledge and real-life stories.

7. Run a pilot program

Recruit a small group of employees for a pilot training session. A test will provide you with some direction on any teaching materials that need to be adjusted. Identifying problems at this stage ensures that your training program drives results. It will become much more difficult to make changes once your program is up and running. Make sure your style of instruction is engaging and pay attention to employee comments.

8. Measure the effectiveness of your program

Interview and survey your employees to gauge the effectiveness of your training program. Talk to their supervisors to gather their observations about employee performance. Find out whether there has been any improvement in their behaviour, whether they’re feeling more competent in their role and if there are any major issues that you need to address.

Try to use quantifiable data to make inferences about the success of your program. Look at the rate of turnover to draw conclusions about its long-term impact on your organisation. Refer to your balance sheet to analyse whether it has influenced profitability.

Use these findings to tweak your training program. Regularly measure these outcomes to ensure your training practices are relevant and effective.