Employee training can be a tricky subject if your business is just now needing an extra set of hands. Hiring is a vital part of keeping your company running smoothly. Before a new employee starts, though, they have to know how to fulfill their role in your company. How do you know you’re giving your employees the tools they need? Here are 7 tips.
7 tips for employee training.
1. Think about your employees’ day-to-day.
When you’re making an employee training plan, consider what they’ll have to do every day. Write down the tasks that each position will need to do during the day or the week. Then, break those tasks into sections so it’s easier to write specific instructions on how to do them. This will form a good base for deciding how and when to teach new employees certain skills.
2. Train for your employees’ skill level
Different employees have different experience levels and may be used to different processes than your own. When training, account for these differences in skill level to make the process easier or more quickly understood.
For example, there may be a new hire who has experience with a similar computer system to yours. In this case, it’s important to remember that they have a vague knowledge of how the system works, but not the specific details. This way, you can train them to translate their existing general knowledge to your particular system instead of working from the bottom up, as you would with someone unfamiliar with the system.
3. Give people enough time to retain the information
It can be tempting to jam-pack a lot of information into a few training sessions. However, especially when it comes to safety training, this mindset can be dangerous. You’ll need to make sure they retain their training knowledge while they’re on the job. So, create a training timeline that actually allows new hires time to take in what they’ve learned.
4. Consult your seasoned employees
Of course, you don’t have to do it all yourself. If you have long-time employees, enlist their help to help you train, to consult on what knowledge has helped them, and to pass on their professionalise about the job to trainees. If your seasoned employees do volunteer to train new employees, offer incentives for their hard work – whether it’s a raise, a bonus, extra vacation days, or another great perk.
If you don’t quite have seasoned employees, consult connections in similar industries. Ask what types of knowledge were valuable in their training. Then, tailor that advice to your particular business.
5. Cross-train your workers
Cross-training employees offers more benefits than helping a short-staffed business owner. It can give your employees a broader view of how your company works. They’ll know what your company goals are and how they help execute them. Cross-training can also teach skills that translate to an employee’s primary role. You’ll be able to offer new employees new perspectives on different departments and teach others how to seamlessly work with other departments to improve the business.
6. Take stock in how effective your training is
Your work isn’t done after just the initial training. You’ll need to monitor employee progress by forming both SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) and qualitative goals for what they’ll learn. Schedule review periods to measure the effectiveness of your process or materials.
Gathering feedback from new hires about training can also be useful. Ask how practical people think the training was after being on the job. Inquire which areas they may have needed more information on. Then, use this information to adjust your training methods for the next group of hires.
7. Refresh and retrain regularly
Continuing education is a staple in most professions, and it shouldn’t stop with yours – even if you don’t need a special license for your line of work. Refreshers on policies and precautions can be an excellent way to make sure that all your employees are on the same page and consistently aware of your business’s basics.
It’s important to invest in your employee training in order to prevent hiccups in your operation, avoid dangerous accidents, and show your employees that you care about their success.
It’s also vital to invest in the right business insurance for anything that’s out of your control. our agents can help you find the best business insurance to protect you from the unexpected perils of business ownership, especially with employees. To start your free, customized quotes, give our agents a call, fill out our online form, or LiveChat with an agent today.
Source: