What is an effective training and development program?
Companies create training and development programs to improve the skill set of workers in areas such as corporate policies, customer service, computer skills, diversity, conflict resolution, sexual harassment, safety, and quality assurance. Training can occur in a classroom setting, either on-site or off-site. Employees can also benefit from online education. Training can also take the form of on-the-job learning, which pairs workers with more seasoned employees to encourage mentoring.
Related: Improving Employee Development: How to Create and Manage a Skills Inventory at Your Company
Benefits of training and development programs
Take into consideration that there is a cost to developing these programs. In addition to the financial investment, training takes employees away from the ordinary course of business. However, many organizations find that creating these programs is worth the cost. Consider these benefits:
- Increased productivity and adherence to quality standards: A trained, knowledgeable workforce is essential to achieving high productivity, consistency and increased efficiency.
- Eliminating weaknesses before they become big problems. A solid training program helps employees strengthen their skills and identify weak areas that have the potential to disrupt productivity.
- Improved employee satisfaction, performance and retention. Training programs show employees that their companies value them and are willing to invest in their future so employees feel appreciated. Enhancing their knowledge base and skill set also boosts confidence.
- Staying innovative and competitive. Having effective training and development programs keeps companies vibrant, creative and forward-thinking. They also are an excellent recruiting tool as people want to work at companies that promise to teach new ideas and offer growth opportunities.
Related: The Evolution of Accessing Talent: Developing an agile workforce
Five steps to creating an effective employee training and development program
Planning is critical in setting up an effective training program for your employees. Here are five steps you can take to plan for and implement a program to help ensure that you will get a solid return on your investment:
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Perform an assessment
The first step is to assess where there may be gaps in productivity, quality assurance and employee satisfaction. Conduct interviews and surveys of supervisors and workers. Find out if new employees take too long to find their stride or if bottlenecks affect your bottom line. Determine if your competition is offering more effective training programs. Find out if employees feel there are areas in which they need more support.
Related: Improving Employee Development: How to Create and Manage a Skills Inventory at Your Company
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Consult with experts
If your organization does not have in-house training experts, consider consulting with outside professionals to help you create an employee training plan and produce appropriate materials. You could hire an instructional designer or work with a local public school or community college. You could also partner with a governmental agency that already provides the appropriate type of training.
Related: How Reskilling the Workforce Keeps Employees Happy and Builds Future-Ready Organizations
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Develop a targeted training and development plan
The goal of your training and development plan can be to specify learning objectives that aim to strengthen weak points. The plan can include an analysis of problem areas and how the program will address each one. It is helpful if it describes what the programs will entail, like whether classes will be offered on-site or individual online learning sessions. Also include a budget that shows all expenses, what kind of awards or certifications trainees will receive after completing the program, and how results will be measured.
Related: Building Critical Skills and Competencies for Your Organization
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Conduct a test program
Once your plan is approved, but before you set it into motion, conduct a pilot training session to see what works well and which areas need adjusting. Identifying and working out bugs at this stage is much easier than when the whole program is underway. It would be helpful to have the participants complete a survey to evaluate what parts worked well and where improvements are needed.
Related: Develop a Culture of Recognition at Work to Better Mobilize Teams and Improve Performance
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Measure training results
Measuring the results of the program is likely the most important step. Interview and survey supervisors and workers to determine whether the desired changes are being achieved. Determine whether managers are seeing improved behaviours and employees are feeling more successful. Ask participants to express those changes quantitatively. Where possible, measure changes using metrics such as:
- Productivity
- Throughput
- Met deadlines
- Overtime rates
- Employee satisfaction
Compare these results to your baseline and track them over time to determine if employee training has been successful.
Companies of all sizes can benefit from implementing effective training and development programs. They help organizations remain innovative and competitive while increasing employee motivation and satisfaction.
FAQs about employee training and development
What makes a successful employee training program?
A training program is generally successful when employees emerge feeling confident, capable and empowered. After the training, they should be able to apply their new skills or concepts. Successful programs are also relevant to the company’s needs, adaptable to different schedules or learning abilities and taught in a way that resonates with employees.
What are the different types of employee training programs?
- Internal or outsourced training: You can create a training program or hire a professional to do the job.
- Classroom-style or workshop-style: Classroom-style is generally best for topics involving storytelling. The workshop style might be best if you prefer brainstorming and role-playing sessions.
- Individual or group training: Individual training is typically more flexible and adaptable, while group training may be more cost-effective.
- In-house seminars vs. industry conferences: Conferences can be costly, but they provide access to experts and topics that might be out of the budget for in-house training.
- Skills-based training or management training: Training can revolve around hard skills, such as technology or equipment operation, or soft skills, such as leadership and communication.
- On-the-job training or external resources training: Training can happen as part of an employee’s duties or outside the scope of their normal responsibilities.
Which employee training method is best?
The best employee training method for your company depends on the situation and the topic. Hands-on instruction may be most effective if you’re teaching a practical skill, such as operating a specific piece of equipment. A classroom session could be a better choice for complex concepts that are likely to inspire questions.
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