Training is something that supports consistency, efficiency, and productivity in a business like a backbone that runs through everything that your staff does. That is why is essential that the training you choose is effective. To make sure of this check out the guidance below on training best practice. So you can get the most out of each session and help the training you run to have long-lasting results.
Specific to your field
Training is no good unless it is specific to their field you are working in. Remember vocational training sessions are not about gaining as much knowledge and understanding on a certain topic as possible. Instead, they are about achieving efficiency and productivity within your company. So five hours on the history of a topic is unnecessary unless it’s vitally relevant to what you are doing now.
In particular, IT training needs to be Field and even company-specific, like this advanced excel training that can be tailored to each individual business’s needs. After all, you are paying for a service so you will want the trainer to shape the training to best serve your work practices and systems to get the best value out of it.
Fun (Not Boring)
OK, fun is maybe a controversial word here, instead let’s use ‘not boring.’ Then we don’t get mental images of really animated trainers trying to get bored workers to color in diagrams or come up with songs to help them remember the constituent parts of equality training!
Training that is not boring is important because as humans we don’t have such a long attention span. Actually, it’s about a maximum of about 20 minutes and that is if we are really trying! So short, punchy sessions that deliver the message in a clear, not too serious way are a much better idea than a trainer spending a day reading from a Powerpoint!
Goal oriented
Don’t forget too that training needs to be goal orientated. Try to make this goal an improvement that you want to see in your business, and that can be measured. Things like a 1 point improvement in customer service ratings, or a reduction in production time.
Then you know that the training you are organizing has a true purpose and it’s not just something that is done for the sake of it. You can also measure how effective it has been, and it also helps to make it much more relevant for your staff. Something that can make it easier to understand and easier to stay engaged with as well, producing a better outcome.
Tailored to your people
Tailoring the training to your staff is essential as well. It needs to be understood by everyone, without certain groups feeling patronized. If necessary break team off into groups, so the same level of people get to work together and see how the training applies specifically to their role.
Having other to bounce idea off of can be very helpful in the learning process and make people feel more confident to ask questions because they are in a group of their peers, rather than their superiors. Something that in turn can make the training way more effective and worthwhile.
