5 Signs That Your Employee Training Program Could Be Doing More

With workplace demographics shifting fast (every day, 10,000 Americans turn 65 and will do so for the next 20 years) and career transitions becoming more and more common, employee training has never been so important. But just as important as having an employee training program in place is making sure that its value extends beyond the orientation period and into the everyday experiences of your employees.

A sure sign of a thorough training program is continually improving employee productivity and growth throughout your organization, from the employee who just joined to those that have been around for years. It combats premature resignations and instills curiosity and confidence in your employees. In short, it means that your employee training isn’t just a check mark or a one-time lecture, but a commitment to sustained learning.

So how does your current training program stack up? Here are the five signs that your employee training program could be doing much more:

1. You’re too focused on formal learning

Formal training programs follow a “push” model–content is pushed onto employees during designated classroom sessions, either through lectures or scenario-based role-playing. While there is certainly a time and place for this type of learning, it doesn’t cater to younger generations. “Millennial and Generation X workers expect training and support to be as readily and rapidly accessible as a Google search,” reports the Deloitte University Press, “In [a] ‘pull’ model, learning and development is a continuous process, with training pulled seamlessly through a computer or mobile devices anywhere, anytime.” This type of learning encourages continued reference, additions, and conversations beyond orientation.

2. Your training materials were designed for one format

In order for a pull model to work, your training materials need to be flexible. To start, that means getting mobile-optimized. Millennials, especially, expect content on hand at all times, so they can reference what they’ve learned in-between meetings and on the go. It also means that you can easily update your content, adapting to organizational changes and the latest best practices in eLearning. Instead of collecting and updating outdated binders, your digital updates should roll out automatically and replace all of the content where it lives. That way, your employees will be in sync with your organization with training materials that stay relevant and helpful.

3. Your training materials aren’t a product of cross-functional collaboration

Your training materials won’t be an accurate representation of your organization, nor will they engage a variety of departments, if you don’t have multiple training content collaborators. In order to collaborate effectively, however, you shouldn’t email documents back and forth, waiting for responses and wondering who changed what and why. Instead, adopt a cloud-publishing software with real-time updates and marked changes. Then, you can open up the document to your entire organization and still stay organized and on-track.

4. You’re more focused on information gathering, less on information curation

As Seth Godin said, “We don’t have an information problem, we have an attention shortage.” In other words, curation is key. If you’re overloading your employees with information, you risk them feeling bored and confused, or worse, skipping your content altogether. Instead, pull out the pieces that matter most. You have the opportunity to frame your insight with select visuals and condense your content into an impactful experience.

5. Your materials don’t inspire action

To that end, a thoughtfully curated experience means engaging, interactive material, not dull paper binders. With a digital experience, you can add interactive pop-up definitions or short slideshows, for example, to visually show your employees what they’ll do on the job and inspire them to get started. An easy search feature, as another example, within your content will empower them to actually reference your information on the job, rather than search for what they need on Google.

The bottom line:

Your training program shouldn’t feel like a mandatory procedure. Instead, when it becomes accessible, relevant, and inspiring, your employees will carry their confidence and continued development into the future and, most likely, stay with your organization longer. The best part is that an end-to-end training content only requires a one-time investment for its effects to make waves throughout your organization.

To learn more about how to create an end-to-end training program with Inkling Habitat, contact our sales team for a free demo.