Business
Are You Satisfying Your Employees’ Thirst For Knowledge?
As a small business owner, your employees are critical to your success. You need to rely on them to perform, produce, and wow your customers, suppliers, and prospects. But what do you give them in return?
Great employees all have one thing in common – they want to learn, excel, and then learn some more. It is vital, then, that you give your staff the opportunity to develop themselves, as well as succeed for your business. Failure to do so could result in your talent finding a better home for themselves with the competition.
In today’s guide for startups, we’re going to look at what you need to consider when laying on training courses for your employees. Follow these simple tips, and you should be able to establish a robust learning platform that will benefit both your business and its employees.
Hands on and on-the-job
Understanding theory is critical to understanding any subject, of course. However, many employees will feel they get more out of on-the-job training. Being more hands-on will help them identify the connections between theory and what they do for work everyday. If your employees are training in business-sensitive subjects, it is also possible to allow them to practice in controlled environments. This way, they will learn – and be able to make mistakes – without harming your business.
Mix up the training sessions
There are a plethora of online learning environments out there right now. But, while these can be a great tool – and convenient -for learning, your staff may not find them fulfilling. As Training Connection state, ‘students who attend classroom training acquire more knowledge and develop better skills’. So, if you want your employees to enjoy better results, it’s worth mixing things up a little.
Pacing
People learn new things at different speeds. It is imperative you give your staff the chance to find their own pace if you want them to learn effectively. In doing this, you will be breaking the mold a little – most companies expect staff to learn at a pace they set. But if you go down this route, some employees will get it, others won’t, and most will have significant knowledge gaps.
Immediate application
As soon as your employees finish their training, let them start using it straight away. It’s easy to forget a remarkable amount of information you have just learned if you aren’t putting it into practice. Studies suggest that it could be as little as two weeks before that learning starts to drift away. Plus, employees will feel a little frustrated that their new skills and knowledge aren’t having a positive impact on their careers.
Be inclusive
Everyone in your small business can benefit from employee training. From you in your manager’s office, all the way down to your cleaning operatives. If you give everyone a chance, you will get a reputation for being a great company – and that means you will be a lot more attractive to talent.
OK, so there you have it – some great ways to improve your employee training sessions. Whether you do things in house or use accredited colleges, providing the opportunities for employees to learn in essential.
