Are you giving your new hires what they need to be successful? Unless you have a detailed and meaningful employee training plan, you are not providing them with the necessary tools.
Your employee training plan should involve much more than an hour session with the boss and a few follow-up activities with snacks. You need a detailed, documented plan tailored to the new employee’s role in the company. Your sales agents obviously have different duties to the front office staff. Your new employees will also have different learning styles. That’s why your training program cannot be one-dimensional. And it doesn’t need to be. You now have access to many training resources, including virtual courses and in-person classes.
Employee Training Plan History
Employee training plans didn’t hit their stride until WWII, when businesses relied on them to train workers to replace employees who were in the service. The country depended on manufacturing plants and other companies to maintain their level of production. The only way to accomplish this goal was to quickly and thoroughly train new workers, many of whom were women joining the workforce for the first time.
Types of Employee Training Plans
Online training has become a staple of many companies’ training plans. Using online courses and exercises has significant advantages. But online courses are not the only way to effectively train employees. Your plan should include several methods. Some of these methods are:
Classroom Instruction
You may choose to do a big part of your training in the classroom. Trained instructors can deliver vital information to large groups in this setting and use visual aids, handouts, and other materials to facilitate employee learning. This method uses a college classroom model to train new employees. But classroom learning is not enough to completely prepare your hires.
On-the-Job Training
This method is effective as part of your overall plan. A trainer supervises the employee while they work and gain experiential training. No one really can learn how to perform their duties from a distance. Call centers put people on the phones to make sales, stores have employees ring up purchases, and manufacturers have workers perform their jobs on the line. At all times, these new employees are under the direction of a manager or experienced employee. On-the-job training works best after the employee has received classroom or online training first.
Online Training
Many businesses have online classes designed specifically for their new hires. These classes can take workers through company policies, compliance issues, position-specific exercises, and other helpful features. These work especially well for remote workers.
Your industry may require certification in various areas to be compliant. If you run a medical facility, your workers need to be trained in HIPAA compliance. Manufacturing, construction, and education companies/institutions must also meet various local, state, and federal requirements. Online courses are an excellent way to fulfill this compliance training. You can also consult America’s Back Office for help with these issues.
For maximum effectiveness, use all three methods when possible. Different people learn in different ways. Using multiple methods helps ensure success for the largest number of hires.
Designing Effective Employee Training Plan Content
Your employee training plan should teach what employees need to learn. That concept sounds obvious, but in practice, many companies offer instruction that is not vital or remembered. In fact, your employees will forget nearly 80% of information that is not immediately applied. You may be tempted to enhance your courses with content that might help the future instead of focusing on the basics that employees need to perform their jobs well now.
Your employee training course will benefit by focusing on:
- Teaching the core concepts employees need to know.
- Having trainees apply this knowledge immediately to “real-world” situations.
- Delivering prompt and concise feedback so employees will quickly improve.
Different department training plans can and should vary in style and content. The proportion of online, classroom, and on-the-job training exercises should reflect the employee’s duties. Your sales force, front office, and service units have different needs that their training plans should reflect.
Mentoring as Part of the Employee Training Plan
Assign your new employee a mentor–one who is experienced and willing to share their knowledge. Mentors have been around forever, and with good reason: they work. Mentors differ from trainers because they are not responsible for teaching broad concepts. Instead, they can share their knowledge of the workplace and the clientele.
Mentors can also provide a safe place for the new employee to go when they have questions. A mentor offers practical insights into the job and the realities of the company. Giving your new hires this resource can help you limit turnover, a problem that America’s Back Office can also help you with.
How America’s Back Office Can Help
America’s Back Office lets you concentrate more on productivity and less on issues such as onboarding new employees. Our expert team provides all the support you need to get your employees working as soon as possible, including our paperless electronic employee onboarding system.
You will also benefit from our payroll processing services, unemployment claims management, and other essential services. You can save time and money by outsourcing some of your HR tasks to us.
Contact us now for an in-depth consultation. Remember, our services are not one-size-fits-all. We will create a personalized plan that meets your company’s unique needs.
