The best thing to do is harness the power of internal training
When companies obtain internal training they are achieving two specific objectives: developing the knowledge and skills of their employees; achieve increased operational efficiency, consequently, greater productivity.
Internal training offers employees and employees advantages not found when an employee is sent to an external training program or seminar. And what is this due to? Because the transfer of training occurs more naturally and employees get more out of learning through training than other employees do for them. A synergy of applied knowledge, because he knows the processes and other procedures that are carried out well, so there is no better way to learn with a practical sense when it is a more senior employee who coordinates that training.
Preparing for the next promotion
On-the-job training that enhances an employee’s skills and ensures readiness for the next promotion, or eligibility for internal transfers, is generally far superior to a seminar that has been contracted out.
Why internal training and development is a superior way to train employees
Today from OUR EDITORIAL STAFF, we have focused on the various ways in which organizations can provide training to employees. While some of the methods involve outside attendance at training programs and seminars, the power of internal employee training and development activities is typically far superior for a number of reasons listed below:
– Internal training and development overcomes the enormous barriers that hinder external training.
– Internal training reflects a solid understanding of the organization’s culture
– In-house training uses real-life examples, problems, and challenges that participants encounter every day on the job.
– Successful in-house accurate training identifies the skills and knowledge that participants need to have in their jobs.
– It also prepares employees for success in their next job.
– Internal training is presented in the language and terminology that the participants understand and can relate to.
– Internal training develops the skills of employees and consolidates their own knowledge of the subject.
Best Thing That Can Be Done: Have One Employee Train Another
You probably agree with the old adage that the best way to ensure an employee fully understands a subject is to have the employee train others.
Internal Training Tips for Employees
These tips will help you provide effective in-house training and development for employees:
– On the job training
You should use the performance development planning process to design a plan for the internal development of an employee. This is specific job related training that results in a successful and developing employee.
On-the-job training includes activities such as:
– Invite the employee to contribute to the decisions and planning of the department or the entire company.
– Provide the employee access to higher level and more strategic planning meetings.
– Provide more information by including the employee in specific mailing lists, in company briefings and in matters that require trust and discretion.
– Train the employee to establish goals, priorities and measures.
– Assign responsibility for teaching machine operation, quality standards, production standards, and safety practices to employees training new employees or employees who are new to the work area.
– Assign supervisory or team leader responsibilities, or act as an assistant leader while learning.
– Assign the employee to lead projects or teams, or act as an assistant leader while learning.
Allowing the employee to spend more time with her boss in a coaching/mentoring relationship
– Establish goals for development. – Provide the opportunity for the employee to be trained in other functions and responsibilities.
Mentoring and Coaching
Mentoring, coaching, and field trips, both inside and outside the company, help employees develop their skills and knowledge.
Employees who «teach others» more effectively embed the knowledge and skills themselves.
Assign the employee a formal mentor within their work group
The more experienced employee has the responsibility to help the employee learn the skills necessary to be successful in their job.
Sponsor a drive-a-coworker-to-work day
This is the case when some employees spend the day (or more days) learning about another job function within the company, such is the case, for example, of a product developer who has spent two days in the relations department public.
There are cases in companies that the HR department sponsors an informative lunch to collect the conclusions of the employees, explore their learning and improve the experience for the future, for example, once a training seminar that has been given the previous week has finished.
Encourage employees to seek out informal mentors on their own in areas of interest and development needs.
This corresponds to internal training sessions, taking into account that these internal training sessions and methods are effective. Especially if they offer employees new skills and ideas, internal training, reading, and meetings can replace much of the external training in organizations.
Internal training is also profitable
In addition to being cost effective, the training resource facilitator remains available to participants daily after the training session.
Offer an internal training session
The facilitator can be an employee, trainer, or consultant with whom the organization has developed a relationship over time. This ensures that the trainer is aware of the culture and needs of the organization.
Share the external training received
Require employees to train other employees when they attend an outside training seminar or conference; they can share the information learned in a seminar or training session. This can be done by offering time at a department meeting, potluck lunch, or scheduled training session to discuss the information or present learned information externally to others.
Purchase of relevant business books for employees
To increase the impact of reading, an employee book club should be encouraged and sponsored, during which they can discuss a current book and apply its concepts and lessons to improve their functions in the workplace.
Offer commonly needed training and information on an intranet, an internal company website
This works effectively for new hire orientation and also gives new hires a source to check out after orientation.
Provide training by knowledgeable employees or an outside expert in a fairly informal format, for example, with lunch in between, where employees eat lunch and gain knowledge on a valuable topic.
Conduct surveys
Conduct employee surveys to determine interest or ask HR staff to consolidate training needs from employee performance development plans (PDPs).
Sponsor an internal conference where employees can learn new ideas and skills
You can mimic an outside conference with lunch and all the trimmings of an outside conference at a local conference center. Offer speaking sessions taught by internal staff on topics of interest to your internal audience.
You can think of a real one day conference and you will see the opportunity to train different departments, use the skills of internal employees and take advantage of the knowledge of employees who are more experienced or have attended an external seminar, so not only They are informed about a certain topic with the latest advances in this regard, but they are the ideal people to provide this information and training to their colleagues in the department or from other areas of the company.
Internal training overview
Internal training is a cost effective, encouraged and effective method of training employees. Whether the training is delivered on the job, from informal or formal coaches and mentors, or at internal seminars, potlucks, or conferences, internal training has the potential to positively impact employee learning and development.
It is an experience that the middle managers and management of any organization should try, since, with internal training, the power of internal training as a tool for employee development can quickly be recognized and appreciated.
How to help employees transfer training to work
Training transfer allows employees to apply skills learned in training on the job. Training transfer consists of performing certain activities before, during, and after a training session that allow employees to more effectively and quickly apply the skills learned in training on the job.
Training transfer is the goal when employees are involved in any internal or external training activity, session, seminar, or on-the-job training.
Skills plus knowledge
The aim of the training is to improve the skills, knowledge and thinking and learning ability of the employees. But, even more important, is the ability to apply new information, skills, or knowledge to the employee’s job.
Taking training transfer a step further, ideally, the employee learns the new information, applies the information on the job, and then shares the new information by transferring the knowledge (training) to other employees.
The impact of training
Do you want the training you provide to employees to have a real impact on the skills practiced in the workplace when employees return to work?
There are many and varied case studies that illustrate the power of paying attention to employee training transfer before, during, and after training and development sessions or activities.
Training transfer case study
In order for you to understand the concept of transfer of training, the following is a real life case study showing a training manager applying the necessary actions before, during and after delivering training to the recipients.
Before training
At a Midwestern university in the United States, the Director of Human Resource Development (HRD) created a new employee training series for supervisory staff members.
He began the needs assessment process with focus groups that included both potential participants and supervisors to identify the key skills and ideas needed for training.
Consultation with external experts was carried out to determine the content of employee training.
Employee training programs were reviewed and HR management met with HR directors from peer universities to compare notes before developing employee training. Additionally, a university-wide advisory committee was created to review and assist with the design and delivery of employee training.
Subsequently, working with internal and external training and development providers, goal-based employee training sessions were developed. The managers of the trainees had to attend a kick-off meeting presenting the content of the employee training session.
These meetings also teach participants the manager’s role in supporting training efforts. Gradually, more and more managers also attended the full training.
During the training
The HRD Director conducted pilot sessions with the first two employee training groups. Sessions were redesigned based on feedback. The trainers presented relevant examples and activities during the sessions.
Comments and feedback
Participants completed multi-page assessments that provided feedback (feedback) on the content, learning, and effectiveness of the sessions.
These were due within a week of the training session and were not required at the end of the session, giving participants time for careful review and reflection after the training.
After training
Training redesign is an ongoing process, based on feedback.
A couple of months after the sessions, the HRD Director meets with the employees who participated in the training. Their purpose is to assess their satisfaction with the training and to see if they have been able to transfer the training to their workplace over time. He also meets with his supervisors to assess whether employees are applying the skills in the workplace.
Therefore, he has been working to provide real evidence and 360-degree feedback to strengthen the transfer of training component of the employee training program.
If you’ve made it this far, the question to ask yourself is this: Is the employee training program a success? Starting from the base that has already been experienced, even if only once. Next, you must ask yourself: have we in the company spent the time to implement the recommended steps to carry out a training transfer effectively? This will force you to review each and every step taken to make the necessary adjustments.
In the case of the university in our example, it is obtaining great results from the resources invested in the training of its employees. You can also experience these results in your company, paying attention to the transfer of training from employees to their workplace.
After all, why wouldn’t you want to add the activities and follow-up that will ensure that employers and employees reap the positive impact of the time employees spend on training? You are investing in training time anyway.
Activities that support the transfer of training
This information suggests activities and ideas that enable the successful transfer of training to the employee’s workplace. Training transfer occurs more easily when training is developed and delivered in-house.
Understand the importance of training employees
Investment in training has an incredible return. Training not only supports skill development, but also shows employees that they are valuable.
One of the key elements of professional growth and development is participating in educational and training classes and programs.
Understanding why developing your people is vital can help you better plan and coordinate learning opportunities in your organization. Next, we are going to discuss the importance of training employees, for which, we are going to identify those moments when training is crucial and you will learn about the various training programs.
What is the importance of training employees?
Providing training to employees is an important element of a successful organization. It offers the opportunity for employees to learn new skills, improve their knowledge and understand more about the company. Here are several reasons why employee training is a vital component of a successful organization:
– Improve knowledge and skills.
Education and training are essential for anyone to develop and improve their knowledge and skills. When you offer training to employees, you create a learning environment that encourages growth and development.
– Allows employees to expand their knowledge and skills, increasing productivity and staff morale.
For example, you can offer training programs for employees to improve communication, team development or time management techniques. You can also provide technical training on software programs, industry best practices, or security protocols.
A fundamental issue is that when you proceed to internal training, you not only have to worry about improving the skill set of the employees, but you have to keep them updated.
Shows employees their value to the organization
Providing training programs for your employees demonstrates the organization’s willingness to invest in their success and growth. When employees feel that the company invests in their growth and development:
– Improves morale, productivity and employee retention.
– In addition, as ongoing training opportunities are provided, employees learn new skills, develop existing ones, and take on increased responsibilities.
– Creates a win-win situation for the organization.
Prepares employees for increased responsibilities
Training programs help prepare employees for greater responsibilities and help them in their professional growth.
By offering education on role-specific skills such as leadership skills and management styles or conducting effective performance appraisals, they help prepare people to advance in the company. When an employee knows that he is willing to invest in his career development, motivation and morale increase throughout the company.
Provides actionable recommendations during performance reviews
By completing performance appraisals with staff, areas of opportunity for skill development or knowledge enhancement are often identified.
Having training programs available allows your employees to create actionable steps to improve their job performance by completing educational modules, thus satisfying the requirements within a performance review.
For example, you can offer training on specific topics, such as writing effective emails or organizational skills used in project planning. In addition, you can also create industry-specific training, such as best practices or up-to-date knowledge about the company’s products and services.
Improve computer and computer skills
By including computer and IT skills in your organization’s training program, you can ensure that employees use software and other technology productively to enhance their daily job tasks. For example, providing detailed training on how to use software, such as creating charts, spreadsheets, or databases, can improve an employee’s ability to do their job more quickly and easily. Additionally, offering training on how to use your organization’s ERP (enterprise resource planning) program can reduce data entry errors, improve data quality, and improve user accountability.
Improves the uniformity of the company’s work processes
When you train employees on an organization’s specific procedures and policies, it significantly improves the use and consistency of work processes.
You can explain to the employees the methods used and the details for proper use. When you combine that with a clear understanding of why these procedures exist, you create consistency and acceptance of the work processes available.
When employee training is crucial for an organization
There are various circumstances in which employee training is crucial for an organization. Providing proper training during these times supports new and existing employees in better understanding the company and their role within it. These situations include:
– Training for a new employee
When a new employee joins your organization, it is essential to provide them with specific training so that they are well acquainted with the company and their role and responsibilities.
Companies refer to this as new employee onboarding or orientation.
This training introduces new employees to the organization’s history, mission, and company values.
– New employees receive an overview of the organizational structure
Thus, they are in a position to better understand their specific roles in relation to the objectives and targets. In addition, they often learn about company policies and procedures, such as requesting time off and how their manager conducts performance reviews.
How to Create a New Employee Orientation Program in 8 Steps
1º) Write a new welcome email for employees (with a template and examples).
2º) Training for an existing employee, since organizations also offer training for existing employees.
3º) This type of training generally focuses on helping employees improve specific skills or update their knowledge.
4º) This can include industry related seminars, product knowledge information, or skill development such as effective communication or team building skills.
5) Offering training to existing employees builds morale and can provide a great opportunity for a department or team to learn more and support each other.
6) Training focused on professional growth and promotion
Another area of employee training essential for an organization is providing learning for career growth and advancement. Part of any career path within a company must include a training program.
7º) An organization needs to identify a clear and progressive training plan for those people who seek to advance. This type of training plan typically covers supervisory and management skills, communication techniques, and industry and company best practices.
8º) Training focused on new technologies or procedures
When an organization upgrades its computer systems, software programs, or equipment and machinery, it will create programs to train staff and management in the new technology and procedures. Often this training is part of a larger technology release or implementation within the organization. Additionally, outside companies and vendors can come into a business and provide educational support while the organization implements a new process.
Using Training Objectives in the Workplace (with Steps)
There are several types of employee training and development programs that you can use to improve the knowledge and skills of your staff, including:
– On the job training
On-the-job training allows an employee to learn new skills with hands-on experience from a more experienced staff member.
Onboarding Process and Orientation
A company often uses this form of training for new company employees during the orientation and onboarding process. This opportunity allows the individual to learn job specific skills or enhance her skills in a new position or department.
– Home training
An organization’s internal training and development department may provide internal training programs. You can offer these programs on general or specific topics and include a wide range of options. For example, you can require all new employees to complete a formal orientation program.
Other classes may include product knowledge, manufacturing procedures, or company-specific software training.
Training is typically conducted by L&D team personnel or individual employees in specialist positions rather than by hiring trainers from outside the organization.
The advantages of tutoring
Mentoring as a training program brings two people together and involves one person as a mentor with advanced skills in an area that the trainee wants to learn about.
You can offer this style of training throughout the life cycle of an employee. Both parties receive significant benefits from mentoring.
The trainee receives valuable feedback and advice from someone with experience and knowledge. The mentor can hone her leadership skills and solidify her knowledge by teaching others what she knows.
Personal study
Self-study training allows an employee to carry out their learning at her own pace and at a time that is best for him.
You can offer self-study during the work environment or provide a learning portal that employees can access from home or remotely.
A personal study program offers a learning style that many people enjoy and respond well to. It also places the responsibility for learning squarely on the employee.
This type of training is ideal for top employees who want to take on more responsibilities or for employees who want to expand their skills in a particular area.
Technical training
Technical training provides specific hard skills required for the job position or profession. For example, technical training includes industry-specific software knowledge, equipment or machinery classes, or career-specific upgrades such as engineering, medicine, or IT.
This may also include certification or recertification for certain programs or registration requirements. You can provide technical training using your internal L&D team or with third-party companies.
Sales training
Sales training provides employees in the sales department with learning opportunities specific to sales and customer service.
Positions supported by this training may include sales management, customer service representatives, and territory account managers. You can teach your employees to serve your customers better, create a more positive customer experience, and become more persuasive as salespeople.
Management training
When you offer management training to employees, create a clear career path for them to follow. Teaching people how to take on additional responsibilities and improve areas to supervise and lead others gives them the opportunity to improve their skills and move up in your organizational structure.
Topics within management training may include leadership skills, how to have difficult conversations, and effective time management.
Employee Development: Ways to Communicate the Need for Training
The most successful companies have prioritized the training and development of their workforce to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
When not enough is being done to train employees
Some reports suggest that managers aren’t doing enough to train their employees. Companies must create opportunities for employee development and also invest time and resources to educate their workers about the need for training.
Employee development training equips workers with the knowledge they need to respond to the ever-changing business landscape.
Investing in employee training also prepares them to use new technologies in emerging work systems
Training ensures that the workforce remains relevant and contributes significantly to the development of the business.
Sometimes it is difficult to get employees to join training programs.
There are a number of reasons why some employees may be reluctant to participate in training and development programs, including:
– Lack of time.
– Overconfidence.
– Old age
– Lack of interest
To overcome these challenges, managers must learn to communicate the need for training to their employees. You must make your employees understand the value of training in their professional development and in your business.
Clarify training objectives
Employees may be skeptical about the objectives of a training exercise. It will help if the organization makes the reason for the training clear.
Letting employees know why they are participating in a training program is a sign of transparency and will help build trust among workers.
Setting and clarifying training objectives will increase employee awareness
Some of the reasons organizations train their workforce include:
– Updating knowledge of employees.
– Develop new skills
– Prepare employees for greater responsibilities
– Improve teamwork
– Correction of weaknesses and deficiencies of the employer
Many organizations take the wrong approach of communicating a training program to their employees by trying to force it. LinkedIn research found that 58 percent of employees like to study or train at their own pace.
A better strategy will be to communicate the benefits of the training courses to both the organization and the employees.
Communicate expectations for employee training and development.
It is also important to communicate the expectations of the training to the workers. Employees will be more excited about attending a training session if it meets their expectations.
Employees want to know that attending a training session wouldn’t be another talk and a total waste of valuable time.
You can start by having a frank conversation with your employees about how they felt about the previous training. A dissatisfied workforce is more likely to be uninterested in future employee training.
Some things that employees expect from a training session include:
– The experience of the resource person or persons.
– The viability of the training program.
– The training applies to the role and responsibilities of the employee.
– The training is interactive.
– The training platform and resources are easily accessible
Employees like to take advantage of opportunities that lead to skill development. According to a PwC survey, 74% of workers are willing to learn new skills to remain employable.
Discuss employee development needs
Many employers feel that they know what their employees need to improve their skills and be more efficient in an organization.
But sometimes your plan for what employees need in their career development may differ from the path they want to take.
Performance and challenges
It is vital to discuss the performance of your workers, the challenges and how the company can help in the development of its employees.
These discussions can help companies organize training programs that consider the concerns and expectations of workers.
Employees are more likely to show interest and participate in training programs where they are part of the planning. A 2018 study by Axonify found that 92% of employees believe that well-planned training programs have a favorable impact on their level of engagement.
Communicate from a high authority
Communicating the need for a training program to employees should come from the highest hierarchy in the organization.
The person who communicates training events to employees is key in determining how seriously workers will treat the message.
The way workers treat a message depends on the source of their information. Workers consider messages from higher management levels more important than those from other levels. Information at the top of the business hierarchy shows the importance of an event to the organization.
High-level managers are more likely to influence the behavior and roles of workers
Employees listen more to those who have the power to hire and fire. When training information comes from higher management levels, it shows employees how important it is to management.
Communicate at the right time
Research shows that people are more receptive at certain times than others.
Some experts believe that time is important in employee training. For optimal impact, managers must choose the right time to share training messages with employees.
Messages delivered too soon or too late will not have the desired effect on the audience. Delivering a message about an upcoming training event to an employee who is not emotionally ready to receive it is ineffective.
One of the most effective times to deliver an important message, such as a training event, is when your employees aren’t overwhelmed by their workload. A good moment of communication includes:
Give your employees enough notice of a training program so they have adequate time to prepare for the event.
Be sensitive to the condition of your employees
For example, if workers are coming out of one marathon workout, it would be insensitive to tell them about another. Managers must avoid callousness in their communication with employees.
Identify when your workers are open to new challenges and motivated to improve their knowledge and skills
Timing gives your employees time to analyze the information and consider how the training will help their career development.
Use effective internal communication tools
Using efficient internal communication tools can help companies communicate the need for employee training to their workers.
A dedicated internal communication channel makes it easy to reach your employees with training messages wherever they are.
A big advantage of internal communication tools is that it is a great way to get feedback from your employees on the proposed training. Constructive feedback from your employees can help you before and after training programs.
Internal communication to involve employees
Managers can use internal communication channels to engage their employees by sending constant reminders about the importance of training.
Workers can benefit from these internal communication commitments by identifying training dates and arranging their schedules accordingly.
Final thoughts
Employers have the responsibility to ensure that their workers are constantly trained for their professional development.
Although many companies spend enormous resources organizing training for their workers, there seems to be a growing apathy among employees about training programs.
Experts have identified the failure of many companies to communicate the importance of training employees for this apathy.
The tips in this article will help companies excite and educate their workers about the need for employee training and development.