When you invest in employee development and education, you make a direct investment in your company’s future. If you want your company to thrive, you need to have a team that is reliable, responsible and who’s willing to grow. The success of your company lies in having employees that are motivated and appreciated. Investing in your employee training is one of the surefire ways to have a team that excels at their job. Here are some of the most effective methods to achieve effective employee training and development.
Online learning
Online learning or e-learning has taken up momentum ever since the pandemic started. The fact that we were unable to meet in person, didn’t mean that we couldn’t get educated. Educators and experts saw this as an opportunity to upgrade their teaching methods and take everything online. If you invest in an online learning program, your employees will choose the best time for them to learn. They can commit to this at their own pace and whenever works best for them, without any pressure. But, if you want to make sure people do commit to this, come up with a timeline for each lesson and assessment time.
Hire an instructor or a mentor
If your company is one of many that are slowly returning to the back-to-office model, and you want to educate your employees, hire a mentor. A mentor or an instructor is a professional who is skilled at a certain topic and knows how to pass on the knowledge. The fact that a person is knowledgeable on a certain topic does not make him or her a good instructor. So, find one that has experience in teaching or instructing people. They will employ a proven methodology that brings results and your employees will appreciate the effort made. An instructor will help your employees learn a new skill or solve a complex problem. They will support their lessons with accompanying materials and will also test your employees at the end of the course to check if some issues have to be addressed further.
On-the-job-training method
This might end up being the favourite training method of your employees if you’ve conducted other types of employee training before. As the name itself suggests, this type of training takes place during working hours, while your employees perform their daily duties. This can be a new skill they can utilize daily or an entirely new method or software. This method combines theory and practice at the same time and your employees will learn on the go. They won’t feel like they’re wasting their time while they still have a ton of work to do.
Invest in relevant learning materials
No doubt combining different training methods will give the best results. I addition to this, the company has to select and invest in relevant learning materials. Let’s say that a range of RTO resources can have a valuable impact on the level of retention and how your employees learn. This means that you can’t go wrong by choosing to invest in relevant learning materials. Focus on those that are of high quality, easily accessible and relevant to all employees.
Buddy training method
Having a support system is a great way to learn any skill or change the pattern of behaviour. At the same time, someone gives you the support you need while holding you accountable. This method is a great teaching method at the workplace as well. A highly skilled employee can pass their knowledge to another colleague or a new employee. Whoever it might be, either a new employee or someone who’s been with you for a while, they can benefit from this type of support. By working closely with someone willing to share their experience, a new person who’s learning the ropes of things will have the support and the mentorship and learn everything they need to learn while they do their job.
Soft skill development
We’ve all heard that soft skills relate to how we perform our daily tasks and collaborate with other people in our company. Soft skills come naturally to some people and they’re seen as communicative, charismatic, easy to speak to and emphatic. Some could benefit from polishing their soft skills and that is equally okay. The best thing about soft skills is that a good coach can teach you how to develop them. If you want your team to perfect soft skills that are important for your line of work, hire a skilled coach. This person can work one-on-one or with small teams.
If you’re considering working on an efficient employee training and development program, you’ll see an immediate return on investment. You’ll increase employee retention, improve future organisational development, empower your colleagues to learn and grow and improve workplace commitment. These six methods will inspire you to choose one or more methods and improve your workplace.
