Training in the business realm can seem like an easy answer for managers looking to increase employee productivity and efficiency. Although this is the case, many managers face challenges when the training sessions do not produce any long-term effects on the employees or that the participants did not make any changes in their performance. Some companies spend thousands of dollars on training, yet oftentimes employees do not seem to benefit from it.
Managers can implement a training session that fills the employees with knowledge, but not practical skills to make productive changes. Assistants are, for the most part, in charge of setting up training meetings, but this can be detrimental to the effectiveness of the training because the assistant does not always know what the day-to-day tasks of the employees are and how they can become more efficient in what they do during the workday. When the manager puts the training responsibilities on the assistants and when they are not present at the training meetings, participants may not take it as seriously. The employees realize that punishments and rewards will most likely not follow. Another common mistake made by managers is requiring training attendance of the entire company. Because of this, especially in a larger company, the training may not be specific enough to be beneficial to the attendees.
When a manger decides what type of training to put into place, he or she must consider who will be performing the actual training, how the meetings will directly influence the employees, and how to tangibly record improvements. Suggestions for improved training sessions are as follows. Training should be used to solidify a change in a process that has already begun as well as address a specific need. Successful training should have an equal member of the team perform the training in order to enforce the credibility and applicability of the information presented. Training sessions should be hands-on so the employees can experience the learning instead of just hearing the facts.
It is important to think about whether your employees would voluntarily attend the training meetings knowing it would be of direct benefit to them. As the manager, be involved in the training and the implementation of it to enforce the regulations behind what is being taught. Training should be focused on giving your employees the tools and skills they need to be successful in their current position. Managers should also implement how the training will be followed up with tangible ways of measuring a growth in success. Another important point in running training sessions is making the training specific to each department in the company in order to ensure the relevance of the materials presented. Overall, management should try and maintain a positive attitude that promotes growth and change within their company.
