Staff training can play a vital role in the success of any business. It helps to ensure that each member of your team gets the expertise and knowledge they need to get the job done, at the right time. Regrettably, newly emerging businesses (particularly in the customer service sector) often could not invest to provide their staff with time away from work to attend training agenda during work hours. On the other hand, owners often find these agenda being too undefined and incompatible to the individual needs of their business.
Whether you are aiming for efficient production, increased sales, better use of office tools, or to develop a trustworthy team that can effectively manage the staff, then training is normally the right solution.
Focus is essential! You will need to identify the gaps of your company and prioritize them. Focus your training efforts on areas where you can reap the best, quickest and easiest incentives.
When and How to develop a Training Agenda?
Developing a training agenda begins from the recruiting and selecting of staff member. You will have pondered the relevant skills and knowledge required for the particular job and will select the staff member accordingly. The chances are that no one will be an ideal match, so it’s best to examine any gaps with the person you pick. How you will inflate these gaps will then become the initial area of their training agenda. This is also the best time to explain that training is an essential aspect of the organization and that all staff is expected to efficiently take part in regular training sessions.
For optimal results, try to match your selected training agenda with the needs of your business and the way your staff learn best.
• ‘Off-the-shelf’ Training Courses
• In-house Training
• Job Shadowing
• Mentoring and Coaching
• Conferences, seminars, workshops and courses
• Online sessions and courses as a training option
There are also interactive courses available these days to support behavioural training. You can either browse the internet or seek for local Company trainers. Whatever you choose will eventually help your staff and business in the long run.
Evaluating the Entire Training Agenda
Ask your staff about their whole training experience. Evaluate if the training is appropriate to the job and suitable to the degree of their expertise. This will help to ensure that new skills are easily implemented.
Closely monitor advancements in the overall performance of your business:
• Measurable performance indicators include production costs, sales, productivity, punctuality and turnover times.
• Qualitative improvements include better teamwork management, resourcefulness and more innovation towards the business, greater customer support – lesser complaints, and higher quality goods or services.
When the Training Agenda Is Not the Ultimate Solution
This usually happens. If it does, I would suggest that before you invest in any training programs, first you need to analyse what really is needed. If your staff member is underperforming then it’s evident that you’ve got the wrong person for the job. The solution for this could be a change in roles, or in extreme scenarios – dismissal, which is inevitable as well. The major issue here is the lack of policies and systems of your business. One example for this is an inundated staff member that is struggling to manage their workload, hence, will certainly not benefit from a training course in time management.
What are the next steps for you?
• Identify the skills gaps of your business and discuss with your staff to build up a personal development and training agenda for each staff member.
• Allocate a budget for the training agenda.
• Variety of courses are available online. An example of which are Udemy and Lynda wherein they offer various training materials.
So until next time! Always remember to guarantee your business success by implementing a beneficial training agenda for your staff members.