Savvy business leaders understand the importance of an effective training program. The right training processes will bring employees up to speed and reinforce the business goals of the company. Regardless of if your training program is designed for the onboarding of new employees or if it is simply to provide instruction to current workers, there are a few key qualities that should be the cornerstone of your program. Here are three qualities of an effective training program.
Needs Assessment
According to Flash Point, it is necessary that you perform a needs assessment before you jump in with your training program. An effective needs assessment is able to correctly identify the individual level of competency as well as determining the target proficiency. Assessments can be given at the time of hire and periodically throughout the year as goals change. Knowing the specific needs of your business will help you to determine what skills need to be assessed.
Results Are Measurable
According to L3Harris, measuring results enables businesses to determine ROI for training, which can help determine how impactful the training was. Knowing these metrics going into the process can help you to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Examples of measurable results include direct knowledge gained through the training and skills that were honed. The results can be measured through testing or in real-life work situations that test the employees’ response to hypothetical problems. Establishing a baseline prior to the beginning of training will help you to accurately measure the effectiveness of your processes.
Post-Training Reinforcement
Even the best training programs are failures if the employees are not implementing what they have learned. It is difficult for employees to remember what they have learned if they are not using it in work situations. According to Biz Library, providing this training reinforcement will ensure that the employees retain the knowledge and skills that they gained. You can provide this post-training reinforcement by putting your employees in situations in which they are forced to use their new skills and knowledge. Do not just assume that they will remember what they learned if you are not giving them the opportunity to apply this knowledge. Empowering them to take ownership of what they learned will reinforce the effort that you put into the training.
Employee training is not something that you should just throw together. You need to be intentional about it. Being intentional about the goals, processes, measurement, and implementation of your training program will ensure the results that you are looking to achieve.
