Why Everyone in Your Organization Needs Training
When you think of training, what comes to mind? For many us, we may think of a time at a mundane new hire orientation or a boring skills-based training. All too often, organizations fail to provide effective and engaging trainings that are customized to different groups of employees. Organizations should strive to create a culture of learning where employees at all levels are continuously learning through a variety of training methods. A culture of learning exists when all employees are excited about learning new skills, are actively seeking opportunities to develop their careers, and are engaged in learning as part of their daily operations. Research explains that learning and development are particularly crucial for the newest generation of employees with 87% of millennials stating that development is essential for a job. So how do we ensure everyone is getting the training they need? It starts with laying out a detailed training plan that focuses on how training can help achieve the organization’s goals. From there, it is essential to consider each groups’ needs to excel in their roles.
Give New Hires a Head Start
Organizations have an excellent opportunity to inspire their new employees by providing them with an orientation that is engaging and highlights the priorities of the organization. Unfortunately, many organizations fail to deliver a great orientation. Focus on providing a memorable experience by utilizing games, activities, and lessons that will help new hires connect to being a part of the organization. While orientation is essential, training must continue once the new hire moves to their department. Create a detailed onboarding plan that includes trainings and testing to ensure new hires are fully prepared to excel at their job.
Develop Frontline Employees’ Service and Sales Skills
Frontline employees are critical to the organization’s success. They are often the ones representing the brand and dealing directly with customers, so it is important that they are provided with the knowledge and tools to be successful. Providing customer service training and sales training gives frontline employees the confidence to excel in their interactions with customers. Knowing how to develop relationships with customers, how to handle potential issues, and how to properly present the organization’s products/services to customers are vital skills to anyone in a frontline role.
Set Supervisors Up for Success
Before an employee gets promoted to a supervisory role, they must understand what it means to lead and take care of employees. Supervisors should know how to communicate with employees effectively and how to provide feedback. They should understand how to lead a multi-generational workforce, how to manage conflict, and how to empower their employees. Start training new leaders on these skills early so they can transition into their supervisor roles with a solid foundation of how to lead.
Motivate Middle-Management
Even the best managers need some inspiration from time to time. Providing regular trainings to leaders regarding how they can better empower and enable their team gives them a renewed sense of how to handle their daily priorities, how to engage with their teams, and how to extract the best performance possible from their employees.
Educate Executives
Training should not stop at middle-management. Executives can benefit from customized, intensive learning experiences that generate new ideas and instill a desire to be better. Executives can benefit from trainings that encourage strategic thinking and team bonding.
The trainings mentioned above should be taught via a combination of classroom trainings, online learning modules, and on-the-job coaching to ensure optimal effectiveness. Remember that training takes time and consistency is the key to transforming habits. Stay the course, and you will reap the benefits of having a well-trained team at all levels of your organization.
At SGEi, we create engaging, effective, and memorable learning programs that are customized for the different levels of employees in your organization. Connect with us to learn how we can partner with your organization to create your customized training program.