We're somewhat in a new world when it comes to employee training and development.
The old ways of doing things are out the window. For example, being in a training room with an instructor is no longer something most businesses are using as their primary delivery system for training and development.
Learning management systems are the way many organizations are now training and developing employees, and this is allowing them to save time and money and offer more effective training.
However, some organizations may not yet have a grasp on the value of investing in a training and development program. Workforce training has tremendous benefits.
For example, when done well, it boosts both performance and productivity.
One study found that 84% of employees who work for the best-performing organizations receive thorough and necessary training, as compared to only 16% in the companies ranked as the worst performers.
Thorough and well-planned training can help optimize your onboarding process and reduce your turnover rate, and it can provide you with the means to promote internally and create a talent pipeline.
So for organizations that have mastered the art of training and development, what do they do differently?
A Great Learning Management System
Organizations with great training programs have taken the time to find a great learning management system.
Your LMS is going to be your repository of training information and if you choose a high-quality platform, you'll be able to combine elements of self-paced learning with live online training and more.
Look for a learning management system with a user-friendly, simple interface, flexible options, and engagement features.
You want your employees to be able to access training from anywhere and on any device, so keep this in mind.
As you're selecting a platform, you'll also need to think about how you track training and assess effectiveness so you can refine your program over time.
Frequent Audits and Changes
Speaking of refining your program over time, this is something leading-edge organizations do when it comes to their training.
The modern workplace is constantly changing and evolving, yet too many times, companies have the same outdated training manual they use year-after-year. This isn't engaging and it provides no value.
Make sure you're taking the time to audit your business needs regularly, the regulatory environment of your industry, and your training to see how well it meets your current objectives.
On the subject of needs, this is in and of itself important when talking about the habits of organizations with effective training.
Don't have training just for the sake of checking a box.
Have training that's matched with the needs of your employees and your organization as a whole.
Always start the development of anything within your training program by first identifying a need. Then, build out the training from there.
You also need to make sure your employees are clear on how training and development will make their jobs and their daily lives better and easier, to get full buy-in.
Feedback and Mentoring During Training
Even though training is moving away from a traditional classroom model, that doesn't mean some personal interactions aren't still important.
During training, even when it's delivered entirely through the LMS, pair employees with a manager who can give them feedback in the process of implementing their new skills.
Employees value and appreciate feedback as long as it's constructive.
Framing Development As a Reward
Forward-thinking organizations have started changing how they approach training and development, and they're encouraging employees to do so as well.
In the past, training was seen as a burden but a necessary work task.
Now, starting in particular with the Millennial generation, training and development are being seen in a more positive light as something employees get to do instead of having to do. This is because training and development are a way for employers to show they care about the future of their employees to the point they'll invest it.
Training and development offer employees new opportunities to advance their careers so framing it as such can help keep engagement high.
Finally, all of the above best practices rely on setting goals and metrics for determining how well you're meeting them.
This data is the underpinning of a successful training and development program.
With the right metrics in place, it becomes fast and easy to see how your program as doing as a whole, at a glance.
This will also help you as you're performing audits and determining what changes need to be made to your program as well as how you can best help individual employees.
