Employee development is one of the most important factors in any company. There are multiple reasons what that is always true. If you want to look at it from purely from the bottom-line perspective, it is always better to hang on to people that have experience in various business processes and offer them a chance to do more, than to acquire new personnel. Also, it is a great opportunity to offer to employees which will result in greater retention and conversion rate relative to job interviews. Personal and professional development are some of the most important human needs that are never fully fulfilled. It is a constant process that begins from the day we are born and is a strive towards our ever-changing wants and desires. Therefore, training sessions at work are a pretty common occurrence. The problem usually is that they can seem drawn-out and ineffective, overall. Luckily, there are many ways to turn around your old and boring employee training and make it much more fun, engaging and therefore, effective.
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Technology
Technology has come a long way in the past century. The last couple of decades have brought us an unprecedented advance in digital technology especially in the field of computing, archiving and communication. What was once the figment of imagination and science fiction just a couple of decades ago, has today become ubiquitous and taken for granted. Take global communication for example, with readily-available devices to facilitate it, like smartphones and broadband internet. Use technology throughout your training and onboarding process. Those processes should include different areas depending on your chosen industry and niche. Some of them that need to be included are company values, client interactions, business processes and many more. Technology enables you to utilize all the types of learning and combine them for a maximum effect. We are talking about visual, audio and kinesthetic forms of learning. The more we do something, the greater the chances it will be remembered and properly utilised when the need arises. Use technology to bring all of these forms of learning to the employee in a way that optimizes the entire process.
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Communication
Employees are much more likely to watch a video than read a text file like a document, email or a web article. Tying to our previous point, multimedia content is much more attractive than plain text. HR professionals are well aware of the problem of sharing a carefully thought-out message containing all the details of an update to a company program or policy. What usually ensues is a torrent of questions that are already answered in the very document they have sent in the first place. Which only means that the text itself has not captivated the employee’s attention sufficiently and therefore, certain parts have been glossed over. For that, the HR department has only itself to blame. The average attention span is decreasing every year in a globalized, fast-paced corporate environment. Everyone is constantly busy, for better and for worse and are bombarded by various multi-sense stimuli at every point in time. Simply put, to read through a bland, plain piece of text with adequate attention is not engaging enough anymore. The video incorporates two of the most important senses, visual and audio. Images, text, sound, movement, human faces and much more can be contained in a video message which is much more memorable and engaging. Modern roleplay for recruitment companies utilise many tools at their disposal for recruitment, training and development. In the next chapter, we will cover what is arguably the best combination of methods used for employee training.
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Interactive activities
This is a training style where an emphasis is put on a classroom-style lecture where hands-on approaches are the optimal solution. Interactive and group activities are being led by experienced colleagues or hired, third-party professionals. Small group discussions, case study reviews, quizzes, demonstrations, etc. are all a part of such a course. Because most employees find conventional training is uninspiring and stifles actual learning, such an approach can bring it closer to the real thing and make it fun for everybody while doing it. Hands-on training also enables everyone to iron out any possible kinks that one might have in their personal knowledge menu. Others can point out a mistake in a civilized manner and it can be corrected then and there. Comparing this to other, individual styles of learning where the individual is not aware of the mistake they have made, the advantage is clear. Using technology is a must as we have mentioned so far, but a good old hands-on approach can never be replaced. The reason for this is that people often have struggles understanding the intricacies of their roles, no matter what they might represent. Offering on-hands training requires you to have a firm knowledge of the existing experience of your pupils. Most people respond very well to this form of training, but not all. It is up to you to figure out with whom this method will work.
A successful training program is critical to the growth and wellbeing of any individual and company alike. There is no such thing as stagnation. If you are not advancing, you are regressing and the same goes for your employees. If it holds true for them, it also goes for you and the rest of the company. The good news is that a vast majority of people are eager and very happy to be given a chance to learn, advance and prove themselves worthy of more. Training and education opportunities increase employee loyalty and engagement with their company and work. Feed their hunger and the sky’s the limit to what you can achieve together.
