When a company employs a new employee, there is a time lag between their arrival and contribution to the company. During this period, it is up to management and peers to train and teach them the skills required to complete their tasks.
Training new employees require time, and if the department is disorganised or there is no practical methodology for the processes involved, the lag time could increase exponentially. Training is an investment in which the company expects a return on investment in the form of productivity.
Employee training is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for creating perfect employee training programmes, but a few components are consistently present in companies with good training programmes.
Why is employee training necessary?
Do you know that the average price of hiring an employee is approximately $5,000? While that may appear to be a lot, many employers need to pay more attention to the amount of time a position is vacant. The average is 68 days.
That’s nearly two months of stress for your team, not to mention that if employee training was not a priority in the past, the remaining team’s productivity could suffer.
10 ways to train your new employees
1. Have well-defined job procedures
Proper support begins before your new hire begins. Ensure that your team members’ standard operating procedures (SOPs) are up to date. When someone is absent for an extended period of time or moves on, the nuances of the position’s duties are accurately captured and available, assisting the next person’s success.
2. Customise Your Training For Each Employee
Training must always be customised for the individual employee. Engage in an open discussion about how they learn best. Is it via training manuals with step-by-step instructions? Or do they start understanding by doing it themselves while the manager instructs them?
3. Provide Structure and Time
Give them a framework and time to discover themselves. Make an onboarding map that allows them to go where they need to go. Then, create a feedback loop so they can summarise their learnings and ensure knowledge is transferred. This mindset allows them to be more open about where their instincts lead them and opens up opportunities for one-on-one connection.
4. Make Use of Technology and Automation
Use technology and automation to automate the time-consuming administrative tasks of hiring new employees. When new hires don’t have to waste time on paperwork, both employees and managers can focus on training, mentoring, and becoming immersed in the company’s culture from day one.
5. Ensure Expectations Are Aligned
The alignment of expectations is critical for training new employees. This can be accomplished through proper management and stakeholder orientation. A 30-day, 60-day, or 90-day plan clarifies “what” must be accomplished and “how” it can be accomplished. This plan assists the new employee in adjusting to the organisation’s new culture.
6. Keeping all training manuals in one location
It is critical to have a dependable location where employees can find training sessions and answers to their queries all in one place. Invest in your intranet, keep it up to date, and post everything your new hire might need in a clear and easy-to-navigate format. This saves everyone time and allows your new hire to prioritise their learning, allowing them to be productive much faster.
7. Make a Trello board for all of the information
Make a Trello board with all of the information a new employee will need and when they will need it. Have sections dedicated to the first day, first 7 days, first 30, 60, and 90 days. The onboarding process is still in progress. We throw so much at them that it’s difficult for them to remember everything. The Trello board is always available for them to refer to if they need to remember anything.
8. Have them observe other employees
Allowing new hires to shadow more experienced workers for one or two weeks is an excellent training strategy. Managers should also invite new hires to attend key meetings as observers so that they can learn about the company culture and people dynamics.
9. Assign New Hires to a Mentor
Assign new employees to a mentor. This person is different from the person who will train the new hire on their job duties. A mentor will teach you about the company culture. They will be the person with whom the new employee can discuss ancillary issues.
10. Affirm that they understand your culture
Please ensure that new employees understand the company culture and how the organisation got to where it is now. Learning the culture often takes the most time, so getting multiple perspectives early on can help you understand what’s expected of you, how teams work together, how work gets done, and whether the company’s values are just words on a wall or a part of their everyday life.
Employee training should be working to meet the changing market demands. Regular employee reviews are great, but employee training programmes should also be standard.
Also, feel free to solicit feedback. To ensure this feedback is constructive, foster an open and welcoming workplace culture. This begins with everyone being accountable and striving for improvement; you should not be an exception.
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