Choosing the best employee training method can be challenging. You’ll need to consider the methods, how they work, how effective they are, how they fit into your company’s structure and how time and cost effective they’ll be for you. The methods you choose should best equip your employees with transferable skills and different learning styles.
Ideally, employees should learn skills from their training that allow them to perform more successfully at their jobs. However, not all training methods are effective, but there are five that are more effective than others.
Online-Based or E-Learning Training
Technology is ever-advancing and the Internet is an integral part of daily life. This means companies are relying more and more on online sources for effective employee training. Guidance and engagement platforms for training are typically used by employers, and provide instant and direct staff training.
‘Soft’ training methods such as e-learning are also effective ways to help employees retain information, as they make reading instructions and data more enjoyable. These platforms often include the use of attractive learning materials and humor, which builds self-confidence, encourages individual and team participation and provides a more relaxed atmosphere.
Webinar Training
Webinar or web seminar training is a form of e-learning that stands alone. It involves the use of web conferencing software that job trainers can use to set objectives and methods for measuring learning.
Employees most likely won’t retain all of the information from the webinar, but to ensure they obtain as much as possible the training should be interactive. Interactive training will make use of all of the tools the web conferencing software has to offer. Things such as communication via video conference and visuals will make the training much more interesting and inclusive.
Instructor-Led or Classroom Training
Classroom training is one of the oldest and most popular employee training techniques. This type of staff training includes whiteboard and blackboard presentations that require feedback for information that’s written on the board.
However, this method has changed to also include graphic presentations, such as PowerPoint productions, video training, overhead projector presentations and even storytelling. Employees can even get in on the action and engage in group tasks, peer discussions, and self-reflections. Pre and post assessments can be used collect data on how much employees learn during the training. If you have any difficulty projecting your voice and being heard in such an environment, a voice amplifier like the one from TechXpress can be a complete game-changer. They help to ensure the presentation you’ve spent hours on is properly communicated to your entire group. A smoother, more efficient training session is a more effective one. Voice amplifiers are easy to use and can be used in either wired or wireless forms, so there’s a perfect option available for everyone.
Hands-On or On-Job Training
Hands-on training is designed to be a close approximation of the actual work setting. In these types of employee training programs, work conditions are set to closely mimic actual work conditions. Employees are given specific instruction on their job tasks and allowed to try their new skills in the work environment.
This is their time to try out specific skills, such as selling a service, answering customer service phone calls, operating the cash register or operating the computer. Observation can be performed and feedback can be provided by a trainer or another employee.
Interactive Training
Interactive training of all types includes the use of demonstrations, quizzes, Q&A sessions (Question and Answer), group discussions, active summaries, role playing and more. In general, it’s designed to keep employees engaged and more open to learning new information. Two of the most powerful approaches in this method that are considered above all others are: Group Discussions and Demonstrations.
- Group Discussions are one of the best ways for experienced employees to pass their knowledge on to new trainees. This way issues and confusion about certain things can be laid out on the table and addressed accordingly.
- Demonstrations are a powerful tool that involves using equipment and tools to showcase the main processes being adopted or the steps being taught during the training.
No matter what approach you use in this training method, they’re all designed to make the training process more enjoyable and promote skill retention and knowledge absorption. All of these things will only lead to better “on-the-job” performances.
Conclusion
These employee training techniques aren’t only effective and popular, they’re tantamount to the growth of your business. Mixing it up and making things interesting for your employees can make training something that employees look forward to. Plus, there will be a greater chance that they’ll retain the information and skills you want to them to retain.
Just remember that paying attention to employee feedback, participation during training and overall performance can help you improve training and enhance your business.
Author: Victoria Hill studied communication arts and worked with the magazine editorial team in Sydney before joining an art team at another ad agency. She has been writing as a ghostwriter ever since she was in college. Her favorite topics covered human development, business communication, modern and pop art, minimalism, and self-development. This time, she writes for Zealifi, a training and consulting company with a focus on quality service in the hospitality industry. Follow @zealifi on Twitter and @zealifiHospitalityCulture on Facebook.
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