An effective employee training programme can have wide-ranging benefits for your business. But how do you go about building one? Here are the key steps to follow for maximum success.
Identifying your training goals
The first step in designing a training programme for employees is to identify your goals. After all, you can’t measure success if you don’t know what it looks like. When pinning down your training goals, factor in the following:
- Business goals: Your overarching business objectives will be a key driver behind your training programme. If they’re clearly defined, then you already have the foundations of your training programme in place. If they’re not clearly defined, consult with your senior leadership team. If you engage your leaders in your training strategy, it’s far more likely to be a success.
- Challenges facing your business: Training can help overcome a multitude of challenges, ranging from skill gaps to absence rates and staff turnover. So keep the bigger picture in mind and don’t underestimate just how many obstacles can be overcome through the effective use of employee training. Identify what could be holding your business back, and use this to form the second building block of your strategy.
Identifying your legal obligations
While some courses are important in helping your business grow, others may be necessary as part of your legal duty of care. This means you will need to carry out a risk assessment and factor these risks into your employee training programme. Find out more in our article What staff training is mandatory and legally required for my business?
Converting your goals into training topics
So you know what you want to achieve – now it’s time to identify topics that will help you get there. Break each of your goals down into training subjects. If you’re finding this difficult, it may help to consult a training provider.
Training companies can suggest specific courses that are likely to get you the results you need. For example, if one of the major challenges facing your business is employee stress, your staff may benefit from time management training. Alternatively, it may be that your managers would benefit from additional coaching to support their team more effectively. This is where a specialist may be able to help. If you’d like to learn more about how Knight’s Agency can support you in developing your strategy, get in touch.
Identifying your training delivery methods
Traditional learning methods include classroom sessions, workshops and one-to-one training. These can be provided using in-house resources or via external training agencies. You may also want to consider methods such as distance learning/e-learning, shadowing, peer-to-peer training and even Virtual Reality training. When deciding which methods to use, key factors will include:
- Your employees’ skills and expertise
- Location of your employee population
- Accessibility and any special requirements
- Budget and time resources
It may sound obvious, but consulting your employees about which learning methods to use could provide valuable insight. Once you’ve identified your methods, you can set priorities and allocate budget.
Measuring the outcome
Outcome measures are often overlooked but are vital in proving success and informing your future training strategy. What you measure, and how you measure it, should depend on your original training goals. Some companies use the Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation. Kirkpatrick measures are:
Reaction: The degree to which participants find the training engaging and relevant.
Learning: The degree to which participants acquire the intended knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence and commitment.
Behaviour: The degree to which participants apply what they learned.
Results: The degree to which targeted outcomes occur as a result of the training.
How we can help
Knight’s Agency can assist you in designing a training programme for employees. It may be that you’re just laying the foundations of your plan, or you may already know which courses you want, and how you want them to be delivered. Either way, our training experts can help you take the next steps towards training excellence. Get in touch via the form below or call us on 0207 112 8412.
