How To Update Your Employee Training

Today, more and more companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of effective training to the success of their organization, and of the impact that training has on the company's bottom line. In a larger sense, these same companies are also coming to more fully appreciate the value of knowledge, of learning in general, to their entire enterprise. It has long been accepted that
effective training reduces risks, helps retain employees and is essential for providing quality customer service. This evolution means that dedicated and effective training programs are considered part of the cost of doing business.

Learning Resources Network (www.lern.org) reports that 80 percent of instruction today is by live trainers, about six percent of that being done remotely, mostly online. Computer-based instruction accounts for 13% of all training, and the bulk of that is done via CD's. In the near future, we can expect these methods to evolve as we move culturally toward more knowledge-based employment.

To that end, the amount of training companies provide via their own intranets is growing, but so is delivery via the internet that allows employees to train from anywhere at any time. The important point here is that it is now becoming vital to deliver training in multiple ways in order meet the instructional needs and preferences of each company's unique workforce. Thus companies must not only be willing to make the investment in training but also be willing to explore new deliverability methods that inspire employee engagement.

But with this evolution, upper management now expects a faster ROI and more efficient implementation of the processes the training investment impacts. More than ever, training is not just about human capital, but about profitability and the bottom line. The result of this new emphasis is that it turns up the pressure for training accountability even higher, leaving many trainers and managers looking for ways to improve training as well as the potential return on any new investment in training.

Great Training Update #1: Custom Video
Don't Get Boxed In

While out-of-the-box solutions are appropriate for some instruction, such as software introductions, they are often so generic as to fail to engage the participant. Employees can come into your training situation with a wide range of previous experiences, knowledge, self-motivation, interests, and abilities, which can lead to frustration and boredom when the training seems irrelevant. So, improve your training by making sure it is need-specific. At a minimum, customize your training to show your company name and logo, and make sure the language is appropriate for your industry.

Remember that relevancy is king. If you provide generic 'boxed' training on how to be a good supervisor, but what your supervisors really need is specific knowledge about dealing with in-house union organizers, those supervisors will regard the training as a pointless waste of their time. Cut to the heart of what
employees need with fully customized training. If your company isn't sure what training is needed, survey employees to find out what gaps they have in their knowledge.

Custom video training resources that reflect your company's unique attributes and needs can provide meaningful, entertaining and consistent instruction. Seeing their own company, their daily job functions and other relevant reminders on screen will encourage employees to take notice. It becomes clear that the company values them enough to make sure training has meaning beyond a checklist of employees who must complete it. Adult learning theory reminds us that employees need to agree that the training is related and relevant to their day-to-day activities, and video training can meet that need consistently.

Retailer HoneyBaked Ham recently chose a series of custom video modules to train their young, seasonal employees. "This is the best holiday training series we've created to date," said Ami Huff, HoneyBaked's Retail Training and Sales Support Manager. The series used humor and relaxed narration to increase
relevancy to their individual workforce, and the short vignettes allowed for easy understanding and quick implementation of the concepts. The resulting improvements in customer service and employee satisfaction led HoneyBaked to create additional video modules for their upcoming holiday season.

Great Training Update #2: eLearning
Remove the 'one way' signs

Adult learning theory also tells us that employees need to receive feedback on how they are doing - the results of their efforts. Opportunities can thus be built into the training that allow employees to practice what they've been taught and receive structured, helpful feedback. An excellent way to update your training based on this precept is to develop custom eLearning modules. Combining the best of video, computer-based- training (CBT), classroom-led instruction, and compliance reporting, today's eLearning more than meets the needs of
adult learners.

In the past, the tools that were marketed as eLearning consisted of nothing more than electronic page-turning. Today's resources have moved well beyond the basic into truly engaging, interactive experiences that even afford companies the opportunity to track compliance.

Well-designed eLearning provides consistency in training and addresses the adult learner need of control over certain aspects of their training. They can work at a customized pace, the training can be completed anywhere they have access to a computer, at any time they are ready. Additionally, interactive
exercises make sure they understand the material before moving on. No longer is an '80%' acceptable - the employee must get the answers right before the training is complete.

eLearning can be developed on almost any topic, and deployed in multiple locations, nationally or globally, all at the same time. This new way of gaining knowledge provides an experience like no other, with feedback, control and automatic compliance tracking.

Great Training Update #3: Podcasting
Say You Want a Revolution

We're all used to the fact that technology changes daily. And we know that a 20-year employee will learn in different ways than someone new to the workforce. But how is it possible to take advantage of those differences to update employee training?

Enter training podcasts. The term "podcast" has only been around for a few years, but almost everyone is familiar with the idea. Podcasts are almost a natural for training - they're like on-demand radio, delivered instantly and effortlessly. Going back to adult learning theory, podcasts free employees from scheduled training, allowing them to learn any time, any where. A podcast also allows employees to control which training they take and when. Even thinking beyond these assets, podcasts are also incredibly inexpensive to produce and disseminate.

In his book, "Podcasting 101 for Training and Development," training strategist Kaliym A. Islam says companies must truly evaluate the material before choosing to deliver via podcast. "Podcasting cannot replace all the other types of training," says Islam, "because it does not allow for interactivity and feedback,
it is more like a lecture or an explanation than a training session." Still, podcasts can be very effective in certain areas. Islam goes on to list the likely areas in which podcasts will be effective:

- reinforcement of training
- supplemental training
- following up on training
- providing information to people who cannot attend
- replacing content-only portions of training

So, is podcasting right for your material? If you want the ability to provide training information quickly and consistently, podcasting will deliver. From sales techniques to internal processes, the automatic download of a new podcast will provide employees with up-to-the minute training that they can take advantage of whenever and wherever they are ready, and listen to multiple times if necessary.

Great Training Update #4: Follow-Up
Open the Door

By providing custom video, eLearning, podcasts and more, you've taken important steps to utilize all the resources you can to engage employees and truly impact the bottom line. But remember, too, that one-on- one instruction and even discussions play an important role, especially with regard to training follow-up. Employees should participate in small-group activities to help move them beyond basic understanding into application of the training. Schedule small-group activities or discussions for several days or weeks after the training is completed. This will provide a forum for employees to share their experiences, review any issues, and understand from management how important it is that the training bring about change.

Getting employees to put what they've learned into practice is not automatic. By including follow-up in the form of coaching and other support, you can help employees transfer what they've learned into daily use, so the skills you've taught are sustained.

As you're working to open this particular door, always take into account that adult learning involves ego. The activities and discussion must be structured to provide support from co-workers, and to reduce any fear of judgment from others. So, if small-group meetings simply aren't possible, one-on-one conversations can provide valuable insight into how well the training is being integrated.

Great Training Update #5: Measure Results - and Celebrate Them
The Path to Next Year's Training

Finally, we can't talk about updating training without touching on the results of that training. For upper management, "results" will be tied to the bottom line, but Human Resource professionals know that there is more to measure than just dollars. Reconciling these two points of view is not necessarily as complex as it may seem, and the two can truly come together by considering a few basic questions:

First, what is your company's business model - what business activities create profit either directly or indirectly, and how do you measure performance in those areas? Next, what is management's plan to improve the performance of these profit centers? Finally, how can training initiatives support management's intentions?

By looking at these questions, companies can determine if a particular kind of training is actually changing behaviors and thus supporting the bottom line. When companies begin by selecting the profits they wish to impact and follow that by creating a link between that particular profit center and the training, it is then possible to assign a dollar value to the results of the training. These same questions can also be used in a forward-thinking manner to help evaluate new training by looking at how those programs will support management's plans to create profit within the business model.

Once you can concretely report the results of any training, it's important to celebrate the positive impact the training had on employees. If you reduced liability by so many dollars or were able to increase productivity or reduce turnover by a certain percentage, give employees the pat on the back they deserve. This can be simple in nature- from departmental luncheons to lapel pins, whatever is appropriate for your employees. By reinforcing that the training - and the employees - have had a very real impact on the company as a whole, you are setting the stage for future training success stories.

As a final note, remember that companies that value training must also value innovation. It's vital to continue updating your training methods as new delivery options become available. If your company's training has evolved into a full-blown Learning Management System, make sure that the training content itself doesn't become stale, boring, or irrelevant over time. The easiest way to determine this is to provide employees a way in which they can submit feedback.

In the end, custom training that is available on a variety of platforms, on topics that are truly relevant to employees, and that take into account management's profit center intentions, will have the greatest impact on the bottom line. And that's the greatest training innovation there is.

As you consider innovations for your training programs, keep in mind that companies like Projections, with nearly 30 years helping employers communicate with employees, can assist in creating the solutions that will help you meet your goals.

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Connecting Through Employee Communications Since 1979
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