Corporate Training is a program that every
company relies greatly on to meet one or many business goals namely:
·
Increase Production
·
Reduce Turnover
·
Reduce Absenteeism
·
Retain Employees
While there are many more reasons for which
Workplace training is encouraged, making it a success is the absolute target.
Understanding the various aspects that lead to success in a training room can
be handy to implement the same.
Identifying
the Business Goal:
It is most important that each and everyone
inside the training room (Both the trainer and trainees) have identified and
understood the business goal. Any training that deviates from the business goal
would fail eventually.
Determine
the Task and Activities of the Trainees (Employees)
The training should impart learning in such
a way that the employees fulfill the business goals thereafter. With a fair
idea about what is expected out of the employees at the end of the training
program, activities should be planned and organized in such a way. Trainers
should be able to manipulate the employees and give them hands on practice
during the session. The training should involve activities, experiential
learning sessions and tasks that help filling the gap between the present
performance of the employees and the expectations of the company.
Understand
Your Employees before Designing the Training Program
The training should be organized so as to
talk into the employees and make them accept the business goals as their own.
This would be only possible through the right way of communicating the very
purpose of the training. Since the training involves a lot of investment to the
company there is no harm in studying the minds of employees who are targeted
at. Ensure what kind of training employees would be interested in:
·
Computer Based Training (or)
·
Instructor Led Training
Employees would be interested to learn
through one or more of the following training methods:
·
Visual – Learn by Looking
·
Auditory – Learn by Hearing
·
Reading or Writing Preference
·
Kinesthetic – Learn by doing
Rather than leaving it to the trainer’s
choice, it is always good to conduct training in a way the employees expect it
to be.
Decide
Who Needs the Training
The biggest task to attain success during
training is to understand who really needs the training first in place. As a
part of business, training the new candidates becomes indispensable. But with
the initiative of organizing training for improving employees’ performance, you
need to be certain who need the training. Training someone who is already in
track is sheer waste of time and money.
Understanding and planning the target
employees helps in:
·
arranging a trainer who would
go with the initiated plan
·
organizing the training program
in a lower investment
·
preparing the training agenda
as per the requirement
·
evaluating the performance of
the employees after training since you already their current level of
performance
Also, the productivity doesn’t affect as
much as it would have been if such a study was not conducted. Now, since you
know who doesn’t require training, they can sit back and concentrate on the work
while others are engaged in the training program.
Right
Time to Conduct Training
Training is a program planned and designed
to meet the business goals. Unless the necessity of training is imperative,
organizing one in an inappropriate time just for the sake of company’s determination
will not turn out successfully.
Training should be generally conducted when
the business runs slowly, to engage the employees. The schedule and time-frame
should be designed in such a way that the employees’ enjoy the program at the
same time no work disruptions. A perfect training program should promise the
balance between the training schedule and Business as usual.
Need
For an Effective Trainer
Not only investing much time and more money
is enough to make Corporate training a success, the skill of the trainer to
handle the crowd also matters.
An effective trainer should be:
Knowledgeable – sound enough to handle the topic to the employees; an efficient
trainer ensures that the subject matter that is focused for the training is
cultivated in the minds of the employees.
A
Good communicator – One who can convey the message as
it is supposed to be. A good trainer
will be able to transfer the knowledge and idea to everyone despite their
difference of opinions. A trainer should be able to understand the gap between
the employees and the learning objective and ensure the gap is bridged in the right
way.
Experienced – Well versed in the technology or field he or she takes up. A
trainer should make the training session sensible and useful to the employees
in the training room.
Well
Organized: A good trainer would be well planned
with the objectives, topics to handle and challenges that would be in front of
him during the session.
Fun-filled: This attribute
of a trainer is most important since the employees should not find the training
a boring one. A fun filled and enthusiastic trainer keeps the employees
occupied and energetic throughout the session.
Creative – Innovative ways to train employees is important in corporate
training. An effective trainer makes training a success by his/her own
creativity.
Open
Minded – An open minded trainer would give place
for each and everyone’s ideas which leads way to shared learning inside a
training room. This builds a relationship between the trainer and the employees
and builds a rapport among employees.
Design
Reliable Training Materials
Training should always be supported by
training materials. If you think training would be successful with low quality
or readily available materials, then you are messing up the whole idea of
training. Each and every material should be tailor made and must be designed in
such a way that it meets the learning objectives. Now again, are the training
materials going to be shared as a PowerPoint Presentation or booklets or
handouts or any other means? The answer fully depends on the learning
objectives and mode that the employees would possibly prefer.
For example, Communication training would
require a PowerPoint or instructor led training while technology training would
require computer based training with all necessary tools installed.
Assessment
and Training Program
After all, an assessment helps to find out
if the training has proved to be successful in infusing the objectives in the
mind of the employees. Assessment also helps to know how far the employees are
all set to work after the training program.
·
Generally, an assessment can be
conducted before the training program. This would give idea about the knowledge
level of the employees. An assessment after training helps to find the amount
of Idea inculcated in the mind of employees as a result of the training program.
A positive trend in the level of knowledge gained proves the training to be a
grand success.
·
An assessment immediately after
the session would seem to give positive results. To ensure the learning has
reached into the minds of employees’ long term, assess them after few weeks or
months.
Was
The Training Program Constructive?
With everything put in effect as in plan
and order, all you should do now is know if the training program was
beneficial. Assessments would twist the arms of employees to prepare themselves
to answer the questions right. But, to understand if the employees are really happy
with the training program, go for feedback forms and surveys. Pick few
employees in random and try to study the impact of training.
Having conducted training in a well planned
manner, the employees will definitely give positive responses. Negative
responses, if any, you can modify the mode of training so as to make it a
successful one in near future.