Employee Training

Employee training programs are a staple of many organizations. “A learning organization is a growing organization” is a well-worn platitude.

However, at many organizations, particularly startups and scaling businesses, general employee training that is designed and run by in-house resources is not always practical from a time or cost standpoint.

For these fast-moving organizations, there is likely no established training center or regular company retreat employees escape to every spring or fall for company classroom training.

More likely, training is typically called on when there are specific skills gaps and it may be presented by industry groups.

For younger organizations, there are some guidelines for creating employee training programs

Employee Feedback on Training

Many employees are reluctant to sit for training. They may feel it is a distraction or has limited benefits. Making them a party to the decision making process for what type of training they will receive, the format in which they will receive training and the length of time it will take are all considerations.

• Will performance improve?
• What new skills will be acquired?
• How will the training affect business goals?
• What skills would help you or your team’s performance?

Types of Employee Training

Custom or General

Are there any special requirements for your company in particular (e.g. cryptocurrency, SaaS)? Are there unique skills or considerations for your product, business or customers (e.g. software development skills)? Or, are you pursuing more general training about team building, communication or management?

Individual or Team

Is the training for individuals from across your organization or is it focused on a team? For example, perhaps you have training dedicated to new managers or facilitated strategy for a senior management team.

Delivery of Employee Training

The post-covid world has affected all learning, including employee training. We have yet to learn the full repercussions of training preferences and effectiveness. Is online training more accepted because of its prevalence? Or is there resistance to online training as not being as effective as in-personal training. Here are considerations:

Classroom-based training

This training is typically led by a certified trainer or facilitator over the course of one or more days. It is usually off-site. Advantages include time being dedicated to training so employees cannot easily skip out. Disadvantages are that this form of training is tedious to many employees and can be expensive.

Interactive / Computer-Based training

Conveniences of time and the ability to work at the learners’ own pace are positives. Variety can be integrated with role playing, assessments and quizzes and scenario training. Negatives may be around retention and impact.

Post-Training Reinforcement

Poor applications, lack of follow-through or loss of retention of new skills and strategies are negatives that continue to plague employee training. Training reinforcement is best applied with regular intervals after training.

Training & Development Experts